I want the ceremony to start at 5:00pm what time do I put on the invites?

5pm

You put 5:00, people show up before the start time.

5 PM

Mine starts at 4PM and my invites state the same. I also have a website which says guests may start arriving at 3:30. Anyone who arrives during the processional will have to wait until we're all up at the alter and will sit in the back.

Ours is at 6pm and we put 6pm, because the distance to our venue is about an hour from my of our family we will take our time seating the guest so we actually start at about 6:05 or 6:10 depending on the amount of phone calls we have from family...we plan to start the music at 6:05 though

5:00 pm

if you put 430 on your invites, i'm showing up at 4. then i'm being punished by having to sit around twiddling my thumbs for an hour because i was on time

Why would you put 430pm? Please put 5pm

5!!

This comes up a lot. Fudging the time penalizes the people who come 15-20 minutes early, which is what you're supposed to do. Plus, if you start late for any reason, there are guests who are going to be sitting around for over an hour - and that's just plain rude.

You should put 5pm. People should know that weddings are prompt.

Why would you not put 5pm if that's when you ceremony starts?

Don't accommodate late arrivals, accommodate those with the respect to be there on time for you.

5

Definitely put the right time. However, it could be worth specifically stating Ceremony at 5.00pm so they know that's the CEREMONY time not the ARRIVAL time.

I once got to a wedding on my own where I didn't know anybody apart from the bride and groom just before 12.00 as the invitation said 12.00. However, the ceremony wasn't actually until 2.00 and they were allowing for people on the groom's side to be late. I got a groom's side invitation and was the first person there, 2 hours early. AWKWARD!

Thanks guys! 5:pm is what I had but then I started second guessing my self.

5.

I want my ceremony to start at 4. we put 4 on the invitations. There is quite a walk from the parking lot to our ceremony site, so if we notice people are making their way up we will wait, but it will start 4:15 @ the latest.

I will never understand why this is a question each and every time it is posted.

5pm. Why would you penalize the adults coming to your wedding because you have people who clearly don't think its important enough to be there on time? My ceremony starts a 2:30, I put 2:30.

5:00, no need to fake people out

5pm.

SOLVED.

5 pm. Nothing else is acceptable in my opinion.If people aaren't there...they miss the ceremony.