As I’m meeting with my 2016 Brides and we’re talking timelines, the first question I ask is “what time is your ceremony?”  Many brides don’t have a solid time just yet, and this actually makes me happy.  It allows me help my Brides have a successful, stress-free day from the start!  And we make sure the day is stress-free by having the perfect ceremony start times! 

Most Brides stick with a half hour start time on the up swing of the clock.  It’s an old superstition that the couple will have good luck with they are married on the upswing of the hour.   

Depending on the season will depend on when I suggest the ceremony to start.  You’ll want to think about the timing of the sunset.  It the fall/winter, the sun will start setting relatively early, or extremely early if we’re into the winter months.  If the couple isn’t doing a first look, it’s important that the photographer has plenty of time for outside photos for Bridal Party, and then Bridal Portraits – the most important photos of the day in my honest opinion.  

So here are some suggested times to have a ceremony based on Seasons in the Cleveland, Ohio area!

Spring/Fall

The sunsets a little after 6 at the beginning of March.  And then halfway through, we have our time change, so sunset will be around 7:30.  Sunset at the end of September is around 7:30, in October it’s around 6:30, and after our time change in November we’re looking at 5:30.

If you don’t have a first look, a ceremony start time appropriate for the two seasons (February-April & late September – November) would be around 2:30. A sample timeline post ceremony would look something like this:

2:30 Ceremony
3:00 – Exit from Ceremony
3:15 – Family Formals
3:45 – Bridal Party Photos
4:15 – Bridal Portraits
5:00 – Entrance into Reception

If your ceremony is in September, you could do a 3:30 start time since the sunset is about 7:30.  Just shift the times above by an hour.

Keep in mind, this does NOT include any drivetime.  This timeline is ideal for a wedding day where the ceremony and reception are on the same property.  

If you have a first look, you could start your Ceremony an hour later, if not two hours later.  This makes it nice because with a later ceremony start time, it allows you to relax a little more in the morning instead of being rushed with hair and makeup.  Here’s two timelines for a spring ceremony with a first look.

**This timeline works best when there are two photographers.  The Bridal Party can be photographed quickly and effectively.

Summer

Everybody loves Summer, and it’s more than just the warm weather, it’s the long days that comes with this glorious season!  We’re looking at sunset times ranging from 7:30 to 8:30 (May to August)

In order to keep dinner in mind for your guests, the easy answer for a ceremony start time is simple during the summer months, and that’s 5:30.  I had a 5:30 ceremony and it was absolutely perfect.  Hair started at 11:30, we had a first look, managed to get ALL the photos done before the ceremony (including family formals), and by 6:30 most of our guests had dinner on their plates!  Here’s the sample timelines for summer weddings. These timelines will again only work if a second photographer is there on your wedding day, and the ceremony and reception are at the same venue.  

Winter

Winter weddings are absolutely stunning when Mother Nature wants to give us a winter wonderland for pictures!  Aside from worrying about blizzards, planning your day around the sunset can be a challenge.  If you’re against a first look, be prepared to start hair and makeup pretty early so there is plenty of time for outside photos because sunsets during December are around 4:30.  Here’s your sample timelines 

If you’re interested in reading more about timelines, checkout this blog that I wrote after I got married!

I hope after reading this post, you have a better understanding of the perfect ceremony start time for your perfect day!  Here’s to stress-free wedding days!