Today on the blog, the Chancey Charm team is sharing their top tips and mistakes to avoid when planning evening weddings. This includes ideas like putting your vendors up in a hotel the night of your wedding if they’re traveling a long distance. Some vendors, like bands and photographers, might even have this built into their contract. These are important details that need to be factored into your budget. As featured on SheFinds.com. Enjoy friends!
– The Chancey Charm Team
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING A LATE NIGHT WEDDING
- Don’t forget to check the town or venue noise ordinance. Many venues or towns have a 9 pm or 10 pm stop time on entertainment or noise. So, you’ll need to factor in these hard end times and work backwards from them when making your timeline for your evening wedding and reception.
- A common mistake brides make is not checking to see what time the sun sets and scheduling the day accordingly. You might not be set on doing a first look, but it might be imperative in order to get all the photos you want in good light! If you’re having an outdoor reception, make sure that you have plenty of lighting set up for dinner and dancing by the time the sun goes down. Your photographer will thank you!
Here are a few of my favorite lighting options for that warm glow all night long-
Curtain string lights for a dramatic accent wall
Bulb lights or string lights zig zagging across the ceiling
Fairy lights in your centerpieces
Bulb lights or string lights zig zagging across the ceiling
Fairy lights in your centerpieces
- Adding to the above, many venues prefer having the band or DJ face a certain direction or set up in a certain place to help combat excessive noise, so it’s important to double check to ensure that your party that was supposed to last all night doesn’t have the plug pulled before it even has a chance to get started.
- Don’t make the mistake of not booking guest rooms. Having an evening wedding will mean guests will be drinking late, and it’s always a good idea to have a place for guests to go and spend the night if needed. Someone will always over drink and not plan on it, so it’s better safe than sorry!
- Similar to the above, always have back up transportation as well, such as Uber for guests who need a designated driver. And for guests who will be traveling to the hotel, book a shuttle from your reception to the hotel (but make sure cars can be left at your venue). If not, have them leave their cars at the hotel first when they check in, have the shuttle bring them to the wedding and then take them back after the reception.
- Wedding attire is important! Evening events are traditionally more formal than daytime weddings. Please list the dress code on the invite and on your wedding website for guests so they are comfortable and dressed correctly for your style of wedding.
- And because guests will most likely assume that they are required to dress more formal than a daytime wedding, if this is NOT your vision and you’re going for a more laid-back atmosphere, clarify that on the invite and your wedding website.
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11 Comments
I wanted to knos what is a good time to start an evening wedding
Hi Amber, Great question! It really depends on the timing of your photos. If you’re having a first look, you can have a sunset ceremony, no problem. But, if you’d like photos after the ceremony, you’ll want to leave an hour before sunset for that.
Thanks for these helpful tips on what to consider if you’re having a late-night wedding. There are definitely a different set of things to think about. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Adrienne! Happy Planning!
My sister plans to have a late-night wedding this coming Christmas. Thank you for these tips; we’ll keep in mind to check the venue noise ordinance and of course, we wouldn’t forget to book a guestroom for respective guests just in case they had so much to drink. I hope we’ll be able to find a cozy and romantic venue with a great Christmas vibe.
My daughter just got engaged on Saturday, so I am excited to help her start planning the wedding and reception of her dreams. She told me that she was thinking of having her reception outside to match the rustic theme she wants. We will have to make sure that the venue she chooses allows noise late at night because she really wants to have a nice DJ and dance party at the end.
Congrats Sabrina, so excited for y’all! 😀 So glad you found this helpful.
Late night weddings are the best. My niece is getting married, so I am looking for ideas on how to help her out and make sure it is the best day of her life.
First of all thanks to you for sharing some of the effective Wedding Planning Tips, which have assisted us a lot in our career. It is best job to share your knowledge to help others because it is well-said that “Sharing is Caring”. Keep sharing nice stuff.
It makes sense one should find a venue that allows noise late at night if planing a late-night wedding. My youngest sister just got engaged and we want to help her organize the wedding. I’ll be sure to discuss this with her in case she decides to have a late-night wedding so we can find her the right venue.
Glad you liked the article Eli!