Don't Be Late

While talking to a group of people today, I discovered that not everyone understands what exactly the time on a wedding invitation means. When you get an invitation in the mail to a regular party, let’s say a Christmas event, and the time says 6:30, everyone knows that means the party starts at 6:30. So you don’t arrive before 6:30. In fact a little later than 6:30 is totally acceptable.

Things are a little different with a wedding invitation. When a wedding invitation states 6:00 as the time of the wedding, this means the bride will walk down the aisle at 6:00 on the dot. All the mothers, groomsmen, bridesmaids, etc., will already be down the aisle. If you arrive at 6:00, you are late! Guest should arrive thirty minutes before the start of the ceremony. So you should be arriving at 5:30. Anything later and you risk walking in as part of the processional. Ok, not really, you will be held at the back of the church and only seated in the back once the bride is down the aisle.

So the rule is, for weddings always arrive 30 minutes before the time on the invitation.