What Time Should A Saturday Wedding Start?

Saturday Wedding

A Saturday wedding is the most common for so many reasons. They make it easy for guests and the wedding couple as weekends offer so much more flexibility. When we ask our loved ones to take the day off work for a weekday wedding, things can get a little more tricky.
For this post, I’ll assume you are planning your wedding for a Saturday. So let’s get to it!

Weather

The weather is going to be a big factor for the start time of your wedding. If you’re getting married in the middle of Summer in a very hot region, consider an early or later start time. Early in the day can keep your guests cool during the ceremony. Late in the day will help them stay cool for the reception

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bride and groom looking at each other during the first dance

Dining Time

When coming up with your timeline, consider the meal and when it will be served. Some meal considerations are…

Courses – If the meal will be eaten over a long period of time, an early start time would be ideal.
Guest Age – Younger people tend to eat dinner later, while older people like to eat early.
Dancing – If you want to have plenty of time for dancing after dinner, plan for an earlier meal time.

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Average Age

I mentioned it above, but let’s talk about how age can change meal times. Younger people tend to eat dinner a little late in the day and have no problem eating at 8:00 or later.

Families with kids like to eat a little earlier and typically will plan dinner around 6:00.

Older couples like to eat early. It’s not unusual for older couples to eat dinner at 4:00 or 5:00.

You’ll want to consider your average guest and plan accordingly. They might not notice your consideration, but if you don’t think of them, they’ll notice.

Sunset

Sunset will play a huge roll in your planning. It’s a good idea to plan to eat before sunset. You’ll want to be done with your meal by the time you need to head out for sunset photos. Your guests don’t need to be done by this time (it’s preferable if they aren’t done yet), but you should be.

Talk to your photographer about sunset photos so you can plan for an appropriate amount of time. If you need to travel to the sunset photo location, you’ll need extra time.