How long the wedding ceremony would be? a query that immediately pops up whenever you see a wedding invitation or planning for your big day.
Your wedding is the long-awaited day of your dreams. It might get long but hold on! It’s going to be a smooth, fun-filled evening for you and your guests. “How long the ceremony would be?” totally depends on your vision and the essentials that you want to add to feel special.
Photographer: Emma Bauso
What prolongs the wedding ceremony?
Wedding ceremonies are usually 20 to 30 minutes long. But, the exact length depends on the number of elements and the type of ceremony. It is also important to be mindful of your guests and the bridal party. No one wants to stand up in uncomfortable heels and buttoned up in a suit for you.
The ceremony with average size processional, the basic ceremony and multiple sets of parents and grandparents, because the bridal party is too large, would last long. Whereas, the ceremony with just parents and one or two members in the bridal party would comparatively short.
Secular wedding ceremonies depending on the length of each part, from the word of welcome, readings, wedding vows, the ring exchange, and final pronouncement are half an hour long. While religious ceremonies, with standard elements, include readings from the religious text of your choice, a prayer, and possibly an extra song, lasts about an hour.
Photographer: Sergio Souza
Creating Your Ceremony Timeline
When it comes to your day, time is everything. The key to making your day run smooth is planning. Breaking down the entire day into a well-honed timeline would be a great help to keep everything on track. A foolproof timeline can help you to cherish every moment of your day.
The wedding ceremony timeline is just a guideline, but things often don’t go as planned. It’s possible to extend the cocktail hour because people are having fun. You can move up the first dance because guests finished eating early. No one notices nor cares about these minor changes but starting and ending the ceremony on time and hitting everything in the middle in the right order is important.
Every wedding is different and the wedding ceremony timeline is unique and tailor-made to your needs. Make a list of all events and determine how long each of them will take. Last but not least consider travel time, particularly, if the ceremony and reception are taking place in different locations. Once you are done with the timeline, you can make someone in charge of your day enforce the schedule.
Photographer: Alexandre Saraiva Carniato
Factors to consider
It is essential to consider all the details of your entire wedding day. From timeline and schedule to set up and getting ready through the ceremony and reception, everything matters. It’s inevitable that something not gets late. You can create buffers to add room for delays in your plan and to keep the day moving. It is also favorable to distribute your wedding ceremony timeline to all the vendors. In this way, everyone would know where and when they supposed to perform their roles and the ceremony would happen as it planned to be.
Photographer: Ana Paula Lima
Bottom line
Your wedding can be as long or as short as you like it to be. Some couples love to have beautiful 15 minutes ceremonies, while others enjoy a long affair. Create a wedding ceremony timeline and stop worrying about the minutiae. Try to relax and treasure all the special moments because people are here to notice the stressed-out couple, enjoying the highest happiness on earth, the marriage.