Friday Evening Wedding

You can google the time of sunset for where the ceremony will be. While you can get the time, the weather and cooperation of clouds isn’t guaranteed for the sunset. I think 6:00 is an ok time, but check and make sure you’re venue doesn’t have to close by a certain time. Some towns have ordinances that don’t allow for receptions to go past 10 or 11, so you might end up losing time if you start at 6:00.

Depending on where your guests are in relation to your venue, I would say 6 or 6:30 would be a good time for the ceremony. Then you could have dinner start as 7 or 8 (whether you're planning on having a cocktail hour), and run the reception until 11 or 12.

We are starting at 5:30pm.

I'd do 7. Most people work until 5 and then there's traffic and having to get ready.

I’m having mine on a Friday evening as well. My ceremony will be at 6:00pm and my reception ends at 11:30pm.

I’m getting married on a Friday and our ceremony is starting at 7pm. Cocktail will be from 8p-9p and reception from 9p-1am.

My friend did 6:00 on a Friday and almost half the guests were late from after work traffic. The reception was supposed to end at 11 but people were tired and left by 10. I guess it just depends on your guests and the traffic in your town and what you think they can handle.

My wedding is Friday 9/20 and this was a concern we had as well. Our venue suggested 6pm as ceremony time but that we could do it whenever, so we opted to move it to 5:30 for sunset reasons. I want at least a few sunset pictures, provided the weather is good.

We're getting married Friday Sept 27th. Ceremony is scheduled to start at 5pm, cocktail hour is 5:30-6:30. We Googled the time the sun is supposed to set which is supposed to be 6:59 so fingers crossed we'll have enough time during coctail hour for family pictures.

Thanks for all the great advice guys!!

We are getting married on a Friday at 5 p.m. Yes, some people will come late/miss the ceremony (fine by us). Some might have to take a half day. Some might decline (also fine by us).

The latest we were able to start was 5:30. I listed 5 on invites. If traffic is horrible and we need to start at 5:05 or 5:10, so be it.

I know Friday weddings are somewhat controversial, but it was $3000 cheaper with our venue. I couldn't justify it any other way.

Ours is October 11th and since it’s a Friday we’re doing cocktails at 6 and ceremony at 7 to give people time to get there from work and our reception will end at 12