Ceremony Time/Wording on Invitations HELP!

limegreenlauren

Okay can you guys PLEASE help me figure this out.... I talked to several people BEFORE I did my invitations and now I feel like no one knew what they were talking about and everyone is telling me different things...

On my invitations I put 1:00 as the time. Does that mean music starts at 1 and processional starts at 1:30 or does that mean music starts at 12:30 and processional at 1:00?

I don't really care about traditions or "it's bad luck to get married while the hands are going down". it's too late to worry about that now that the invitations are out. I just need to know because the caterer and photographer are asking me and I don't know! Will my guests know or do I need to spread the word? Most people I have asked say if an invitations says 1:00 most people will arrive early and know that the processional starts at 1. But my Fi's family is telling me that is when music starts. Help!

JenniferC2010

It means the ceremony starts at 1pm, you'll start walking down the aisle at 1pm.

trix1223

I'm a church organist who plays weddings often, so I can probably definitively answer your question.

The time that you put on your invitation is the time that I expect to be starting the processional music so that the first bridesmaid can make her way down the aisle.

I begin playing prelude music about 20 minutes before the published start time for your wedding.  Your guests will begin arriving about 20 minutes before.  So if you put 1 pm, guests will be arriving at 12:40-1:00.  They will be expecting the ceremony to begin at 1 pm, as your invitation stated.

duckie1905

IMO, if I saw 1:00 on an invite I would assume that the processional started at 1.

girl2bewed

Yes 1:00 on the invite means the ceremony begins at 1:00, your WP begins walking down the aisle at 1

Catwoman708

If you put 1:00 on the invitation, then the ceremony should start at 1:00. 

I've heard all kind of misinformation, such as that the ceremony should start 15 mintues after the stated time.  While I think it's OK to allow maybe 5 minutes of "buffer time", in case of late arrivals, it's not really necessary.  To me it seems kind of rushed to have the bride step down the aisle right at the stated time. I think the prelude music and processionals are part of the ceremony, and give everyone a few minutes to get settled in and quiet, a little "anticipation".

Personally, I would start the seating music about 15 minutes in advance, and at 1:00 would start the (one) prelude song and seat the mothers, then the BM's processional, then the bride's processional. 

quotequeen

Something official should happen at 1:00.  I think it's ok for the seating of the parents to begin at that time.  But definitely not a half hour of music before anything happens.  You need to tell your FI's family that at YOUR wedding, the ceremony will actually begin at 1:00, so they know it's different from what they are expecting.