Sunrise Wedding am I crazy?

It is your wedding and your day so you should be able to do exactly what you and your FH want.

That being said - personally, I would not attend a sunrise wedding. Unless I was super SUPER close to you both and it was followed immediately by some sort of breakfast (and I was allowed to bring a coffee IV). Otherwise, I'd also be kind of... irritated? that I was invited to get my butt out of bed and to the lake at an ungodly hour then had to wait around while you went off to go fishing.

I think you'll get a better response if you let people know the ceremony is optional but (and maybe this is just me!) - if someone invited me to their wedding and told me that the ceremony was optional but I could come to the reception, I'd probably feel really guilty about just going for the reception and I would politely decline all together.

I will say - a boat send off is a really cool idea

I have to say I don't understand why people are LESS irritated with parties that go late into the night. Either way I'm exhausted... But I would go to both- maybe because I'm sentimental but I will go to any wedding where I'm invited because I feel honored to be asked in the first place.

I wanted to do a sunrise ceremony too. And I wouldn't really expect people to come . we wanted to do something more intimate anyway. Then have the party later that night.

I think that a sunrise ceremony with a brunch following would be awesome but I don't think its realistic to have people show up on time and for getting ready. If you're doing something really small I think you can do it, but for a large group your turnout might not be high.

I would attend a sunrise ceremony but I wouldn't wait to eat until you got back from fishing. One thing you should consider is how easy it is to lose track of time when you are fishing. If you have everyone waiting on you to eat even running slightly behind would be considered rude.

Something else you should consider is how you feel about gaps between a ceremony and reception and how long of a gap you are considering. A fishing trip could easily be 4 hours long, if not more. So, how would you feel if someone had a ceremony at 11am and then had their reception at 3 but wanted you to wait to eat while they did something else. A 4 hour gap is a 4 hour gap regardless of the time of day.

Where would this be and what time of year? I feel like no matter where you are it would be freezing outside! In my experience guests that are cold and hungry are miserable guests.

It doesn't have to be freezing, mid June is fairly warm in most places.

I would go, I love sunrise. As long as *I* am not the one who has to get up at 3am to have hair and makeup done, it's all good. I get up to go to the gym or catch a flight.

However, in this case I do not think the gap is OK. Some form of a reception should follow immediately. Although I would get up to go for the ceremony, I would be beyond irritated if the happy couple goes fishing while I'm waiting.

I am NOT a morning person... but I would go to bed early the night before so I could do this. It sounds like a beautiful idea. Unfortunately, asking your guests to spend money on a destination wedding (travel and hotel) and then asking them to fend for themselves while you go fishing doesn't seem to be very considerate of them.

If you are stuck on the fishing after vows idea, I would keep it as a VERY intimate wedding, just the two of you the officiant and a witness if needed. Let your guests stay home and just send them an invite to the celebration upon your return.

As the officiant, I would be paid to be there and even so I would NOT be happy about it.

Good thing I live on the west coast of Fla. and not the east coast. I've only had 3 sunrise weddings out of 1,275 ceremonies.

I'm not abandoning guests to the wilds. I would have a host RV/CAMP set up on the shore, stocked with COFFEE (I need my caffine too!) and light continental nibbles for people. It's a wedding not torture. *lol* Guess I didn't state that too clearly in post 1.

It wouldn't be a huge crowd either way as this is planned as an intimate ceremony. All the guests are used to traveling together. 3-4 hours between ceremony/reception has been the norm for the last few weddings in our family so I'm not planning too much different. Still kicking this one around.

Thanks for the feedback!

I dunno I think I would go, the fishing thing sounds cute. I would probably need a nap after lol. Is the fishing part sentimental to you guys I mean what is the reason behind it? I think that would help people understand it more and if you could incorporate this idea into the entire sunrise theme then it would work. You could always serve tequila sunrises lol. (Okay yes too early to drink but what a cute drink for the evening for your guests that did get up early to see the day

Why can they all go fishing with you? I do think its odd to have a wedding and then say ok guys see you later we're going fishing lol. Sounds like its small enough to ask everyone to go.

Are you planning for June 11th of this year?? If so...I'd go ahead and make plans or notify people...regardless of time of day, that's only 3 months away.

I think a sunrise wedding would be absolutely beautiful. For one it is a brand new day and joy always comes in the morning. Something different something neat that is not traditional. and if you are like me you would get someone to play a live guitar with some beautiful songs mixed in with some praise and worship early in the morning but that is just me..

I understand it is early and people would have to wake up extra early but that is no excuse not to show up to a wedding unless you are sick or something. It's called "showing up" even when you don't want you.. "showing up" when you don't want to will show what kind of character you have especially when it really counts.. I have read some rude comments of people saying "I wouldn't go even if it was family" just shows what kind of character you have and believe me at the end when it is all over it will be all worth it and you can take your behind to bed and take a nap or maybe sleep in a little extra the next day.

It is called sacrifice...

On a cool note. Imagine right after the ceremony drinking coffee eating omelets or yogurt with fruit and maybe some bagels and waffles!!!! plus you have the rest of the day to enjoy and talk about your wedding.. Me personally would not want a late night wedding reception with people getting drunk having to drive home and all that... Anyways that is how I feel God Bless

I'm gonna do a sunrise wedding and sunset reception a brunch following the wedding lite bites during the reception it's gonna be different and we just decided to get up at 3 in th e morn n just do it

View Quoted Comment THANK YOU!!!! LOL I'm doing the same thing and my family and friends are sooooooooo excited!! We are going to sleep early get up at 3 a.m. start prepping it will be a sunrise wedding and sunset reception a brunch following the wedding lite bites during the reception it's gonna be in Florida though m! I can't wait!! I hope yours was nice!