Does the ceremony usually start on time?

caroljosh

Our invitations say the ceremony starts at 6:00 pm.  What time do people generally show up and get seated so we can start the ceremony?

lindseyann410

You start the wedding at 6.  It's rude to the guests who show up early and on time to start later.

For the record, my wedding started on time.  People came in late.  It happens, unfortunately.

GoodLuckBear14

You start at six.  Unless you are providing the transportation and it hasn't arrived with the guests, you do not wait for the guests to show up.

Summer2011Bride

Start at 6 and don't keep your guests waiting. I absolutely hate when weddings start super late. I usually arrive about 15-20 min. early so if you start 10 or 15 min late, I'm sitting around for a half hour or more. Guests will come in late (most likely) no matter what time you put on the invitation, so no use punishing those who arrive on time or early.

Right before my parents and I started processing in, an aunt and uncle were sneaking in the door. It'll happen. I would just let ushers/coordinator/whoever know to hold off on seating people if they sneak in at a bad time, like during the WP walking in or you walking in. They can stand out in the foyer and watch and be seated once everyone has processed in if they are late.

LeiselEB

Start at the time listed on your invites. 

We had a few late comers and it was not a big deal at all. They just waited until everyone was down the aisle before taking their seats. 

Don't try to plan around people being late - start the ceremony on time. Most people will arrive at least 10 minutes early. We had some guests there 40 minutes early. 

lyndausvi

invites said 5:30.  Ceremony started at..... 5:30.

I'm a very prompt person.

coraloc

Our ceremony started at 2 PM and had to be over in time for confession for church-goers so everything was prompt.

The bridal party was actually ready and waiting for the priest and groom to stop chit chatting in the rectory.  It was pretty funny because it's usually the groom waiting for the bride but everything went smoothly.

Viczaesar

Start at 6.

The last wedding I went to started an hour and forty five minutes late.  It was supposed to start at noon.  When we arrived at 11:45 the bride wasn't dressed and the groom was running to his house to get dressed.  At 12:30 the bride still wasn't dressed and they were working on the bouquets.  The groom showed up dressed at 12:45 and told us that it would be a while because the sound system hadn't arrived yet.  At 1 pm the DJ and sound system showed up, but he had forgotten his ipod and went back home to get it and get dressed.  He got back at 1:15 and spent 30 minutes trying to get the sound system to work, but finally gave up and they pressed my nephew into service playing the bridal march on the piano.  Ceremony finally began at 1:45.

So.  Don't do that.

MyNameIsNot

Most people will start getting there between 5:30 and 5:45.  People know that they need to be early for the ceremony, but if anyone is late, you can have the staff or ushers hold them back while you do the processional.

rascal17

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_does-the-ceremony-usually-start-on-time?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:2e05c23f-6ec1-4bb3-85b0-90ca5839a959Post:f7d54167-4e37-4a2d-90e6-91f8ac406f91">Re: Does the ceremony usually start on time?</a>:
[QUOTE]Start at 6. The last wedding I went to started an hour and forty five minutes late.  It was supposed to start at noon.  When we arrived at 11:45 the bride wasn't dressed and the groom was running to his house to get dressed.  At 12:30 the bride still wasn't dressed and they were working on the bouquets.  The groom showed up dressed at 12:45 and told us that it would be a while because the sound system hadn't arrived yet.  At 1 pm the DJ and sound system showed up, but he had forgotten his ipod and went back home to get it and get dressed.  He got back at 1:15 and spent 30 minutes trying to get the sound system to work, but finally gave up and they pressed my nephew into service playing the bridal march on the piano.  Ceremony finally began at 1:45. So.  Don't do that.
Posted by Viczaesar[/QUOTE]

<div>hey you must of been in my home town lol. Weddings where I grew up always seemed to start 1-2 hours late. If someone was only 30 minutes late then that was a "good" wedding. Guests from there learned to not even bother showing up til 30 minutes after the invite time. I made sure to tell my mom and siblings to pass the word around that I will be starting at 3 no matter who is there or not. (our wedding is in the city im currently living but most of our guests are from my hometown).</div><div>
</div><div>Start your wedding at the time stated. Dont make guests wait because like other pps said its unfair to other guest. Plus you dont know if the officiant or other venders have other plans afterwards.</div>

angelsong21

Start at the time listed on your invitation.  Our ceremony was scheduled to start at 6:30, and I know I was walking down the aisle by 6:35.  We didn't have a problem with any latecomers, but its almost inevitable that most weddings will have them and its NBD.  

caroljosh

Great!  Thanks everyone!  That was the answer I was looking for.  I don't want to delay things.

librababy

Well, I was so worried about latecomers to the wedding but I have since given up worrying about that.  People will be late (as fi's family is NOTORIOUS for running to late to even funerals).  Start time is 3pm and I do plan to start on time.  Someone did tell me that people do try to make it ontime for a wedding but I know even I've been late to the ceremony (I even missed fi's cousin's ceremony completely last year, which did start on time btw).