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Today, I am outlining your options as you plan the finer details of your wedding and determine your stance on ceremony punctuality. Traditional wedding etiquette indicates that as a guest, you should arrive 15-30 minutes prior to the ceremony start time listed on your invitation. As a host, etiquette indicates that your ceremony should begin no later than 15 minutes past the ceremony start time listed on your invitations.
Your Options to Consider!:
Provide guests with a false ceremony start time. Today, more and more couples are choosing to give false ceremony start times on their invitations to ensure that all of their loved ones are present before beginning their ceremony. I have seen this range from 10-30 minutes. The downside of this option is that for guests who arrive on time, or even 30 minutes prior to the start time in line with standard wedding etiquette, at a certain point they may feel as though their time is not being valued. If you do choose to go this route, I would strongly recommend that pre-ceremony appetizers, beverages and even games or entertainment of some kind be provided for your early arrivals!
Begin on time, regardless of who is there. You two know your crowd best, however in my opinion, it is completely fair to begin your ceremony at the time stated on your invitation with whoever is there! It is up to your guests to prioritize being on time for such a major event, and I always build all key player (immediate family, grandparents, wedding party etc.) arrival times (well before the ceremony is set to begin!) into our timelines for this reason.
My personal recommendation - be transparent with your expectations and intentions! On your invitations and website, be completely direct and list your true ceremony start time with a line requesting that guests please plan accordingly to ensure they are there on time. Something as simple as "Our ceremony will begin right at 5:00 pm. We kindly ask that you plan to arrive at least 10-15 minutes early." This is absolutely not necessary, but in my mind serves as an additional curtesy/reminder to your guests that you fully intend to begin right at your stated start time.
There are of course other factors to consider based on your specific situation - are guests likely to encounter heavy traffic near the location of your wedding? Is parking complicated? Do one or both of you have family/close friends who are at large notoriously late? There are no hard right and wrongs here, just something to ensure you consider and communicate your preferences to your planner/coordinator beforehand.
Photos by Rachael Osborn Photography
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