What makes a perfect wedding? The right answer depends on various factors. Well, a wedding caterer is just one. Another critical factor to consider, if not the most critical one, is the day and time of the wedding itself. Here are the anatomies of morning, afternoon, and evening weddings. The pros and cons of each will be discussed including the considerations and compromises involved to help you decide.
A Morning Wedding (1/3)
Caveat: All the information presented in here are based on specific assumptions. First, the maximum time for any wedding is only 5 hours excluding the preparation and travel time of the guests. Second, wedding ceremony and reception are near each other, say, about 15 to 30 minutes’ drive away. Third, hair and makeup include the bride, groom, and 2 to 3 heads.
A morning wedding timeline
Only a very few couples choose a morning wedding.
2:00 am – Wake up time
2:30 am – Bath time
3:00 am – Hair and makeup starts
5:00 am – Breakfast
5:30 am – Groom pictorial (including family and ento)
6:30 am – Bride pictorial (including family and ento)
7:30 am – Groom leaves
8:00 am – Bride leaves
8:30 am – Arrival, assembly, and march
9:00 am – Actual ceremony (including pictorial)
10:30 am – Recessional (from ceremony to reception)
11:00 am – Cocktail
12:00 nn – Program starts
12:30 pm – Lunch starts
1:00 to 2:00 pm – Program resumes
3:00/4:00 pm – Program ends
Usually, the bride needs more pictorial time (up to 1 ½ hours) since preparation takes more than just wearing a wedding gown. Everything needs to be documented, and that includes all the paraphernalia to be used during the wedding rite. Tradition dictates that the groom needs to leave his place earlier so he can arrive at the church before the bride does.
Cocktail hour must be 1 hour only. Any more time beyond the allotted time will or might annoy the guests. This means post-nuptial pictorials and dress and hairstyle and makeup changes must be squeezed into this limited time; travel included.
A contingency? You might have to forego the pictorial in exchange for a later time, perhaps after the program. The photographer(s) and videographer(s) might charge you extra, but that’s okay rather than making your guests wait for too long. Impatient we are, speaking of the program, make it as short and sweet as possible.
Canapés must be served upon the guests’ arrival at the venue. Midway, the soup and salad stations should be opened to tidy up the guests while waiting for lunch. Your guests might not have eaten properly in the morning since they are busy preparing for the wedding, too.
Formal wears should be avoided. Mid- and knee-length dresses are more suitable than long dresses. The same goes with your entourage. Especially for the males–vests or suspenders are perfect. Avoid suits.
Instead of alcoholic beverages, which are not suitable for morning weddings, serve free-flowing Frappuccino and tea. Requesting the caterer to serve coffee-flavored desserts is also plausible as well as setting up a cupcake or donut bar, biscuit and waffle bar or cereal bar. Give your guests what they probably need and want. Surely, they will reward both of you by staying until the event is over.
Leave no room for excuses to leave the party earlier. Make sure that your guests are seated comfortably on cushioned chairs. Ultimately, the air conditioning at the venue must be working properly to keep the guests cool.
Morning weddings don’t necessarily need an after-party. The guests are not expecting a band anyway. This doesn’t mean, however, that a reliable sound system is not necessary. It is. Acoustics make or break a wedding. That’s true for all morning, afternoon, or evening weddings.
Invest on a sound provider that puts a premium on their equipment and technician. A 5,000-ANSI projector must be available so the guests can see the images clearly during the day when sunlight can make the screen glary.
Evidently, morning weddings, which last until late afternoon, have several considerations. That is, despite being more laidback compared to afternoon and evening weddings.
