WAW Wedding Tip Sheet: Anatomy of an Evening Wedding

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]While some chose a morning slot and others went for the popular afternoon slot, you decided to go for an evening ceremony slot.

What’s the usual timeline? Let’s tackle the 7PM ceremony time since a lot of churches reserve their 6PM slot for angelus, the rosary, and a public mass.
[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/AnatomyofanEveningWedding3.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]12:30 PM – Set up of the hair and make-up team
1:00 PM – Make-up starts in the bride’s room — assuming bride plus 2 or 3 heads
2:00 PM/2:30 PM – Arrival of the photo and video teams
3:00 PM – Snack delivery arrives (staggered snack schedule for all)
3:30 PM – Pictorials of the groom’s side
4:30 PM – Pictorials of the bride’s side
5:30 PM – Leaving time of the groom and his side (since those going to the ceremony usually expect the groom to be there earlier than the bride)
6:00 PM – Leaving time of the bride and her side (assuming her preps place is pretty close to the ceremony venue)
6:30 PM – Invitation time
7:00 PM – Ceremony time
8:00 PM – End of ceremony; Start of group pictorials
8:30 PM – Recessional and start of couple pictorials
9:00 PM – Cocktails
10:00 PM – Start of programme
10:30 PM – Dinner Time
12:00 MN – End of programme[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/AnatomyofanEveningWedding2-1.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]What is good?

a) If you’re not getting a peak date, you might be able to get away with just checking in early and booking your rooms for just a night instead of the usual 2 nights of other time slots.

b) People might be willing to go to your ceremony and reception even if it’s a week night because they can still go to work for half the day or even the whole day then just go to your event after work/school. (Staying on and finishing the programme might be a different story though, especially if the next day is a school/work day.)

c) This time slot is good for those who want intimate weddings. Since it’s not a common time slot, the couple can invite only those who are really close to them — the kind who would be willing to sacrifice and sleep late.

d) You can request people to wear formal attire and even jewel toned hues since you’re having an evening affair. (However, do note that you will need to spend as well for the formality of the attire of your entourage due to the time slot.)

e) If you want a fireworks display, this would be the perfect time slot. You can have it before people enter the venue, i.e. during cocktails, since you don’t need to wait for darkness.

f) You don’t really need to prepare for after party or have a band since you aren’t expecting a lot to stay beyond programme time. However, do check if yours is a crowd that parties till the wee hours. Then you’d have to prepare alcoholic drinks and at the least, a DJ who will keep the music going.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/AnatomyofanEveningWedding4.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]What do you need to prepare for?

a) Hunger… Some might not have taken their snacks to get to your wedding on time or if it’s a week day, they may have rushed through office/school work foregoing meals just to make it on time, so you do need to provide substantial food during cocktail hour. Note also that cocktail hour is also past dinner time already since your ceremony happened during dinner time. It’s a good idea to talk to your caterer re: opening the soup and salad area or a particular food station so people will be willing to wait for the main meal without getting cranky. If you’re having a hotel reception, you can opt for sit down service and request that the first course be served even before the official start of programme, just so people have something to tide them over beyond the usual nuts and chips during cocktails.

b) Shorter pictorials after ceremony… Since people are waiting and it’s late, you will not have the luxury of having time for pictorials. Also, you won’t have natural light. So, it might be a good idea to have a “first look” type of pictorial prior to the ceremony — only if your parents will allow you to be less traditional, i.e. you will see your groom already prior to the walk down the aisle. This will help in terms of lessening the waiting time of guests.

c) Since it’s not the usual type of time slot, you will need to hire really efficient suppliers since you will not have much room for schedule errors. Even the onsite photo/video editor needs to be the type who can finish quickly without sacrificing quality. That way, no need to stall or needlessly lengthen the programme just to wait for the said AVPs.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/AnatomyofanEveningWedding1.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]Bottomline:

No other time slot demands sticking to the schedule and being quick than an evening wedding. There is hardly any room for error and for tardiness as well as their domino effects, so it’s imperative to hire efficient suppliers and invite only those who really love you enough to adjust to the rigors of this time slot.

 

Note from the W@W Team: Read the Anatomy of a Morning Wedding here and the Anatomy of an Afternoon wedding here. Find more of Darlene Tan-Salazar’s Wedding Tip Sheet articles at www.weddingsatwork.com/category/waw-wedding-tip-sheet/.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_block_grid type=”two-up”][cs_block_grid_item title=”Block Grid Item 1″]About Darlene Tan-Salazar, W@W Supplier of Year (2015): Darlene started out as a Planner/Coordinator of Perfect 10 Weddings. Since she needed more time for family matters, she opted to focus on emceeing, and has since started “The Wedding Tip Sheet“, a Facebook page that tackles the practical points in planning a wedding.[/cs_block_grid_item][cs_block_grid_item title=”Block Grid Item 2″][/cs_block_grid_item][/cs_block_grid][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]