We talk a lot about the various aspects that make a wedding successful such as the flowers, entertainment, theme and so on. But, how often do we consider the length of the wedding? Should your wedding run on too long, your guests will tire. Should your wedding fall too short, people may feel disappointed and you may not have enough time to enjoy it. Finding the sweet spot for how long your wedding should be can be a challenge. But fortunately, the team here at High Trenhouse is here to help. Our wedding coordinator is on hand to describe to you:
The optional length of a wedding ceremony
The way the ceremony should be laid out / ordered
The optimal length of a reception
Choosing the right length for your wedding
According to Brides, the average length of a wedding ceremony is 30-60 minutes. And this is a nice length, because it gets you through the ceremonial essentials and gives extra time to add your own flavour. Receptions can then range from a couple of hours to entire weekends.
Before we set the expected length of your wedding, we first need to consider what the wedding is going to include. Most weddings have a ceremony and a reception. Others extend to after parties and add a number of activities and events to the proceedings. The more you expect to take place on the day, the longer you’ll need to allocate for the wedding. One mistake a lot of weddings make is trying to fit too many things into a short space of time and everything feeling either rushed or being forgotten.
If you have an idea about what you want to take place on the day, it’s now time to consider your guests themselves. Is this a childfree wedding where you and a number of other adults will be drinking until the early morning? Or will your guests include both children and the elderly that will benefit from an early finish? If you want your guests to have a good time, it’s best to try to accommodate for the different types of people you’ll be hosting. The more guests you intend on inviting, the more general the wedding may need to be. In which case, it’s best to set a clear time when the celebrations have finished and people are free to go, but others are welcome to stay and continue having fun. By having a definitive split, your guests will feel comfortable picking up their jacket and heading to bed. Whilst others won’t feel rushed and will be able to enjoy themselves uninterrupted.
Your venue may also dictate the length of your wedding. If you book a church and hall, you may have to be out by 11pm for example. On the other hand, if you book out a suite in a hotel, you can most likely enjoy the facilities until your check out. Although the cost of course will rise depending on how much you want.
Can High Trenhouse help you plan your wedding?
If you’re looking to plan your next wedding but aren’t quite sure on how long it should be yet, speak to us at High Trenhouse. Our 21 bedroom converted farm house can accommodate for up to 28 people whilst our grounds are suitable for weddings of up to 50 people. Set amongst the stunning Yorkshire Dales, High Trenhouse is the dream locale for a wedding connected with nature. When you arrive at High Trenhouse for a pre-wedding tour, we can gain more insight into the ideal length of your wedding including start and finish Tims.