Choosing ceremony time

Once you have set the date and location for your wedding, you are then ready to choose the ceremony time. Sometimes the time of the ceremony depends on the part of the country in which the ceremony will take place. Due to the climate, the southern and the southwestern states tend to have more evening weddings, whereas the northern and northeastern states tend to have more afternoon weddings. The time of your wedding might also depend on religious preferences. If you aren't completely familiar with a religion's customs, you may want to check with a clergyman for information on appropriate ceremony times. Formal Catholic weddings, for example, usually occur at ten o'clock a.m. during Low Mass or during High Mass at noon. If the couple chooses a simple informal wedding without mass, then it may take place in the afternoon or as early as eight or nine o'clock in the morning. Protestant weddings are commonly held at noon and followed by a lunch reception. Other common times include a two o'clock to three-thirty ceremony with a teatime reception or a four to four-thirty ceremony. Jewish weddings are held any day of the week except for the Sabbath, between sundown Friday and sundown on Saturday. Most Jewish weddings take place Saturday evening, Sunday noon, or Sunday evening. For more information on ceremony times, contact a wedding consultant.