Is a 6pm ceremony too late?

Since you’re having a cocktail hour with food options, that’s not too late for dinner (on the later side for sure, but your guests shouldn’t be starving). However, I hope you don’t plan on having a lot of dancing because a two hour reception is definitely on the shorter side. Typically the reception alone is 4-5 hours.

I've never been to a wedding that started that late. Every wedding except for one has started right around 4-4:30 PM. The exception was my brother's wedding and it started at 2:30 PM. If I was attending a ceremony that started at 6 PM I would probably eat a snack or something in advance. I also eat dinner normally between 5:30-6 PM so it would definitely be late for me to not eat a meal until 8 PM. Also by having the ceremony start so late that really cuts down the time for the reception. Most receptions are longer than two hours. That doesn't leave a lot of time for dancing or anything after the meal. Our reception was from 6-10 which gave plenty of time for a meal, dancing, socializing with guests, and the photo booth.

6 pm is a standard start time for black tie and formal east coast style weddings. But generally these types of wedding receptions run much longer to account for the late start time. We started at 6 but the reception didn't end until midnight, and I think the vendors had until 3 am to get everything cleaned up. If your wedding is on the casual side and you have to be done by 10 pm, then I'd push up by a couple of hours and start at 4 pm.

It’s not too late to start but with a typical minimum time line you would be ending the party at 11, so 5 hours all in, where I live. I would start earlier for that reason unless there’s not going to be a lot of dancing.

I don't think it's too late of a start time, but it doesn't seem like you'd have a lot of time for dancing at your wedding. If you wanted to have more time for dancing, I would move the ceremony start time to earlier.

It’s not too late food-wise, but I think it’s very tight with your end time. How many people are you having? Dinner will take minimum of an hour and maybe more depending on numbers. That gives you very little time for cake cutting, toasts, or dancing.

It's not that 6 PM is too late for a ceremony in general, but if you have a 10 PM end-time that sounds rushed. I would move it up just so you can have a longer reception.

I don't think it's too late. my ceremony is starting is starting at 6:30 and goes until 12am. that is usually standard on the east coast like a previous poster said.

The 6 to 10 pm can work decently depending on what you would want to do and what is practical. You have indicated this would be a reception with dinner. That is one of the key elements. Dancing and other common activities might not fit well in that short duration and could be skipped or just some honorary and ceremonial dances. The key points are to have your marriage ceremony and have food appropriate for the time of the event (snacks for a short afternoon event or dinner for a night wedding). Fit whatever else suits your taste and budget.

View Quoted Comment Thank you for this! We have a small wedding 3 bridesmaids & 3 groomsmen and about 35 guests including the party. Our 3/4 parents decreased so there will not be many one on one dances. I just found out we have to be done at 10 so we have one hour to clean and have to be out by 11

I don't think it is to late. But I would be a little concerned about the small time frame to clean up and get everything out of the venue in an hour. I hope you have a lot of help to break everything down and remove all your belongings.

View Quoted Comment Ya that’s what I was thinking! I found out after the invites were made that we have to be out by 11pm which means clean up is at 10 pm :/ we do have a a super small wedding though with only 6 tables of about 6 ppl. What do you think?

It really depends on your social circle and their customs. We don’t know anyone who eats dinner later than 6:30-7pm outside of specific circumstances. It also depends on what you want at your reception. If you want a dinner party with just socializing and no dancing, then the tight timeline works.


Curious what you are doing during the half hour gap between the cocktail hour and dinner? That can open some space to relax a bit. But there’s still no time for dancing unless guests are eating and dancing simultaneously from the beginning of the cocktail hour.

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I think that it can be done but it will be tight.

It's you and the love of your lifes day. Do whatever positive thing that you want to do 😇

I think you will be fine. Limited the time your photographer will keep you from missing the whole cocktail hour and maybe they can start dinner at 7:30 or 7:45 leaving time for dancing and cutting cake.