Friday Afternoon Wedding?

DH and I had our wedding on a Friday starting at 4pm.

You have 2 choices: 1) Have your wedding on the Friday and realize that there are just some people that can not come. If they don't want to take the day off or can't so be it. DH's aunt chose not to take the day off from our wedding, she wasn't missed. 2) Change to the next week and have it on a Saturday.

I've been to a couple of Friday night weddings. I liked them and actually wanted to have one but FH vetoed that idea. Clearly he doesn't like them as much as I do. Of course, I am a giant slacker and love taking time off so there's that. And admittedly the last one I went to was for a co-worker so our whole office closed at like 2 or 3 for it.

Mine is on a Friday at 5:30pm. We haven't had any problems with it being on a Friday.

The only thing you may want to consider is your rehearsal dinner. Ours is the Thursday before and the venue only does rehearsals at 2pm or 4pm. But even with that all of my bridal party is able to attend.

Date twin! We chose a Friday because our venue was $2,500 versus a Saturday and also because it left our out of town guests with a full weekend after to enjoy the beaches and such here in FL. Plus, we are hoping to leave for Honeymoon on Sunday or Monday after, so this way we'll still have Saturday to spend with friends/family that came down for the wedding before we leave.

Thank you for the replies so far! We are probably going to do 4:00, just because it is already getting dark so early that time of year. We have the venue the Thursday before from 6:00 to 10:00 so that is a big plus to choosing the Friday. We thought that would be nice to have our rehearsal and dinner and just hang out for awhile, plus decorate! I would choose another date, but the only one left on a Saturday is the Saturday after Thanksgiving....

Friday wedding here! I'm doing my ceremony at 6:30. Most of my guests are local, and we just understand that some people won't be able to make it even with the later time. My bridal party will be there Thursday, some of their spouses will miss the rehearsal dinner, but that's okay.

Yep, Thursday rehearsals are actually kind of nice because everything is available. We got an awesome location for it!

I'm with Beachbride2016, mine is Friday too with almost the same details. We chose Friday at 5pm because it was wayyyy less expensive than Saturday at my venue plus we get to enjoy Saturday with some of our OOT guests before we leave for HM on Sunday.

I think most people /guests would enjoy a reason to have a 3 day weekend and take Friday off.

@Julie - We ran into the same problem with the dates; our venue was completely booked for all Saturdays in November, and for Fridays they only had 11/4 or 11/25 (the day after Thanksgiving) - there was no way we were going to try to compete with Thanksgiving!

I'm getting married on a Friday at 5pm. At the time that I had booked the date, I hadn't done my research and figured that even if we weren't getting a discount at the venue for having a Friday wedding, some of the other vendors would surely give us one. None did, so I really wish we would have just went with the Saturday since I'm sure more people would be able to come. It's obviously too late at this point though, and I guess the positive that came out of it was that we were able to book our preferred photographer.

I'm having a Friday wedding at 3pm. I realize its early and most people will have to take a half day or the whole day off but the way I think of it is that if they really want to be there they will make it happen. I know I would take time off work for any of my friends to go to their wedding, so I'm hoping it goes both way. I think I just need to prepare myself for the fact that some people are going to say no.

Thank you ladies! I am feeling more confident in my choice now! I figure getting save the dates out asap will help people trying to make arrangements

Ours is on a Friday and so far we haven't had any problems. I just wanted the date and since we both have big families and lots of people to invite, Friday was just inconvenient enough that we were able to keep our guest list rather small! I know that sounds horrible but it's helped so much.

I personally don't like Friday weddings, but hard to argue with the savings it gets the couple. I do agree with your mom; if people were committed to coming, they will come irregardless. You will probably have some acquaintances/extended family that will decline that might not have declined on a Saturday; especially late in the year when employee's time off is usually running out and holidays are coming up.

Our wedding is a friday at 5pm. We saved money with the venue by doing it on a friday and we will have saturday to spend with family from out of town and then leave for our honeymoon on sunday. We cleared it with our families before we booked it for a friday night but for other people I honestly could care less if someone had an issue with it being a friday, they can stay home!

I don't mind a Friday wedding as long as it starts around 6pm. I will still have to leave work early, but it would be fine.

A friend of mine had a Friday evening wedding and it worked out for her guests! I don't think anyone will mind asking a Friday off of work. Long weekend!

Your mother is wrong. Thinking that guests who want to be there will be regardless of when is a fantasy. In real life, people have jobs and lives and saying that if they want to be there, they will be implies those who can't make it didn't want it badly enough. That's hogwash. Don't let yourself get sucked in that kind of thinking. I also think it's bad to assume that people won't mind taking a day off work, etc. My time off is limited and unless you're a close friend or relative, I wouldn't take a day off work to attend your wedding. I would make every effort to be there after work if you have a Friday evening wedding, even take off early from work, but if you choose to have your wedding in the middle of a weekday (even a Friday), I would skip it.

That said, there's nothing wrong with a Friday afternoon wedding, as long as you understand that not everyone will be able to make it.

I dont see anything wrong with a Friday wedding, but I wouldnt do anything before 5 - and even at 5, its cutting it close. Every friday wedding ive been to that started between 4 and 5:30 had lots of late arrivals and people stuck in traffic.

Two weeks ago my FH any I went to a Friday wedding which was out of state for us. It started at 7pm. We both had to take the day off but it was totally worth it. The wedding was in New Orleans so we made it a weekend getaway. We came home on Sunday. I believe if the people you invite really care for you, they will make it to your wedding no matter when it is.