What Time Should You Start Your Outdoor Wedding Ceremony
By Jada Parrish
Posted: 04/20/17
Category: Wedding Tips
The number one thing you - THE BRIDE - can do to ensure you have insanely gorgeous wedding photos is to plan the perfect start time for your wedding ceremony!
Before you set a ceremony start time with your wedding venue, check what time the sun is supposed to set on your wedding day. Most wedding ceremonies last 30 minutes, and if you are not doing a first look you can expect to spend about 1 hour taking photos after the ceremony. Having soft golden light in your photos makes ALL the difference (if I could use the 100 emoji here I would)! So you want to make sure your wedding portraits will take place in that hour just before sunset when the light is PERFECT!
Dontcha worry though! I made it easy for you! I've listed out the perfect ceremony start time for every month of the year!
|| J a n u a ry ||
January 1 - 15: Ceremony start time --> 3:30pm
January 16 - 31: Ceremony start time --> 3:45pm
|| F e b r u a r y ||
February 1 - 14: Ceremony start time --> 4:00pm
February 15 - 28: Ceremony start time --> 4:15pm
|| M a r c h ||
March 1 - 11: Ceremony start time --> 4:30pm
*** daylight savings time happens around this time every year so pay extra attention if your wedding falls in mid-march ***
March 12 - 23: Ceremony start time --> 5:45pm
March 24 - 31: Ceremony start time --> 6:00pm
|| A p r i l ||
April 1 - 14: Ceremony start time --> 6:00pm
April 15 - 30: Ceremony start time --> 6:15pm
|| M a y ||
May 1 - 19: Ceremony start time --> 6:30pm
May 29 - 31: Ceremony start time --> 6:45pm
|| J u n e ||
June 1 - 30: Ceremony start time --> 7:00pm
*** a 7pm ceremony time can be a little late for some weddings. You could go with a 6:30pm start time and it'd be fine ***
|| J u l y ||
July 1 - 31: Ceremony start time --> 6:30pm
|| A u g u s t ||
August 1 - 15: Ceremony start time --> 6:30pm
August 16 - 31: Ceremony start time --> 6:00pm
|| S e p t e m b e r ||
September 1 - 13: Ceremony start time --> 5:45pm
September 14 - 25: Ceremony start time --> 5:30pm
September 26 - 30: Ceremony start time --> 5:15pm
|| O c t o b e r ||
October 1 - 6: Ceremony start time --> 5:15pm
October 7 - 16: Ceremony start time --> 5:00pm
October 17 - 24: Ceremony start time --> 4:45pm
October 25 - 31: Ceremony start time --> 4:30pm
|| N o v e m b e r ||
November 1 - 4: Ceremony start time --> 4:15pm
*** daylight savings time happens around this time every year so pay extra attention if your wedding falls in early november ***
November 5 - 13: Ceremony start time --> 3:30pm
November 14 - 30: Ceremony start time --> 3:15pm
|| D e c e m b e r ||
December 1 - 31: Ceremony start time --> 3:15pm
All times are based off of Eastern Standard Time and assume you are not doing a first look and that the ceremony + reception will take place at the same venue. If you are traveling between locations, the times may need to be adjusted.
