Getting married in the morning or in the afternoon is one of the big choices to make when deciding to tie the knot. But how do you choose? Which one is better? Here are 3 of the most common phrases that couples say and 3 related myths to dispel!
1) "We want it to last as long as possible!"
Getting married in the morning or in the afternoon? What's the difference? Well, actually, it changes a lot, for you and for your guests. Very often, and this is certainly the biggest myth to dispel, the couple chooses the morning with the idea that such a special day should last as long as possible.
But is it really so? Does the afternoon wedding last less?
No, the duration will often be equivalent, as the preparation time, sacrificed in morning weddings, where everything is compressed to ensure a ceremony start between 10:30 and 11:30, are much more relaxed and aware, becoming a real part of the wedding.
In addition, typically the morning wedding, because of the structured timing, assumes that there is a considerable amount of time to fill between the end of lunch and cake cutting (from 2 to 3.5 hours), to avoid boring your guests. An afternoon wedding, on the other hand, has more balanced timing and there will hardly be any long moments to fill.
If you decide to get married in the morning, consider forms of entertainment for your guests to fill (without forcing) the time from after lunch to the cake cutting, especially if you are getting married in the summer and this is postponed to sunset.
The Wedding Planner's advice
"We're getting married in the morning, so we'll cut the cake at sunset!"
Careful. This phrase is true, if and only if you get married in spring and autumn (and in this case, we will advise you to prefer lunch to dinner, to benefit from a milder climate and more hours of natural light). If you decide to get married in the summer, consider that the sunset moment will fall between 8:30 and 9:30 pm: so if you got married in the morning and, typically, finished the meal between 4:30 and 5:30 pm, there will still be a long way to go until sunset.
Here you can read an interesting article on how your wedding timing should be.
This assumes that, as mentioned in point 1, there is a form of entertainment for your guests, but many of them may be very tired at the cake cutting, because they have already been partying for many hours.
The cake cutting marks a sort of "dividing line" in the economy of the day. After the cake cutting, in fact, many guests, especially parents with young children or older people, may decide to say goodbye. Always consider the well-being of your guests: if many of them fall into the categories we mentioned earlier, avoid turning the wedding into a real marathon, they will be grateful.
The Wedding Planner's advice
3) "We're getting married in the morning so we don't have to worry about lighting"
Here we are at the third great myth to dispel: getting married in the morning will not make you avoid investing part of your budget in lighting. It is true, during the aperitif and lunch, there will usually be enough light (but even here, the space where you have lunch should be evaluated: a room with large windows or a stone barchessa with dark wooden beams certainly have two different lighting needs), but from the late afternoon onwards, it will be necessary to think about tastefully and professionally illuminating your venue, especially if, for example, you have chosen a villa, whose facade will certainly need to be enhanced...And no, candles are not enough...
Involve a professional who can advise you on how to skillfully light only the areas that will be involved in the evening celebrations. In this way, you will maintain the right atmosphere and enhance your venue correctly, but without waste.
The Wedding Planner's advice
In conclusion, the choice between a morning or afternoon wedding certainly depends on the couple's personal preferences, but it is also important to keep in mind some logistical considerations and the well-being of the guests.
Photos credits: Davide Gaudenzi, Ilaria&Andrea Photography, Tramontina Wedding Stories, E-Motion Studio
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