One of the most essential characteristics of a well-planned wedding is good timing. The wedding ceremony, in particular, needs to have all the elements of matrimony be carried out smoothly and promptly. It is vital to know how long a wedding ceremony will run since it is the focal event and its schedule affects the timetable of the rest of the wedding day’s activities.
How long does wedding ceremony last? On average, a wedding ceremony will run for about 30 minutes. This duration varies according to the type and formality of the wedding rites, or the cultural and family traditions that the couple intends to incorporate in the occasion. Religious ceremonies may run for up to an hour, while conventional and nondenominational weddings may take 20-30 minutes to complete.
This article further explores the details of a typical wedding ceremony. The order of events and length of time for each activity are discussed below and presented as a guide for couples to use when developing their own wedding ceremony timeline.
What is a Wedding Day Timeline
Depending on who you hire to manage your wedding day, a wedding planner, or a day-of coordinator, it is important to create a personalized wedding day timeline with them.
A wedding day timeline is a comprehensive schedule of all the activities that will be performed during the big day. This facilitates the proper and timely movement of all parties involved particularly the couple, family members, wedding entourage, and vendors.
The couple needs to go through all the details including the must-have elements that they want to incorporate on this special day. Together with their planner or coordinator, the couple is encouraged to construct the itinerary starting from the preparation, through the marriage ceremony, up to the reception festivities, and all the transitional activities in between them.
A well-prepared wedding day timeline has to consider when and for how long an activity needs to be executed, such as completing the bridal hair and makeup, taking wedding photos, lining up for the processional, serving of cocktails, and so on.
Most of the wedding day timelines are developed with the ceremony time as the starting point. Keep in mind that its schedule significantly affects the timing of the rest of the wedding activities. Thus, all the events that need to be done before and after the ceremony are plotted in the timeline accordingly.
How Long is a Wedding Ceremony
When developing your wedding day timeline, it is recommended that a time block of 30 minutes be allotted for the ceremony. This duration, however, varies depending on the type and formality of the nuptials you are having, or the cultural and family traditions that you are including in the event.
Some religious ceremonies may run for up to an hour and are not usually customizable with regards to the program structure. On the other hand, conventional and non-religious ceremonies are flexible and can last for around 20-30 minutes. Therefore, it is essential to go into the details of the program with your officiant.
Discussed below is a wedding ceremony timeline guide. It provides typical information on the breakdown of the ceremonial rites, the order of events, and the estimated length of time for each activity. This gives you an insight into how long the wedding ceremony proceedings usually run.
You can build up your own marriage ceremony timeline using this guide. As this guide is flexible, you can customize it based on what ceremonial rites you need to include, or if there are wedding elements that you can opt to forego.
Processional (3-4 minutes)
This marks the start of the ceremony, when members of the immediate family, wedding entourage, the groom, and the bride walk down the aisle and then take their places on either side of the altar, or to their designated seats.
Generally, the processional will take up to 3-4 minutes, with the bride taking about 30-45 seconds to walk down the aisle. This, however, depends on some factors such as the length of the aisle, how many people are in your wedding party, their individual pace, and the length of the chosen processional song.
The order of the processional should be taken into account when considering the timing. This also depends on the couple’s preferences, cultural, and religious customs.
For a nondenominational wedding ceremony, the officiant stands at the altar to signify the beginning of the processional. The groom and the best man come in from the side of the venue. Alternatively, the groom may choose to walk down the aisle alone or be escorted by his parents.
The groomsmen and the bridesmaids then walk down the aisle one by one, or in pairs to shorten the processional. The maid of honor comes in next, followed by the flower girls and ring bearer.
Finally, the bride makes her entrance escorted by her father, mother, or both parents. Or, she can choose to enter the venue alone and meet her parents halfway down the aisle.
Welcome Address and/or Prayer (3 minutes)
When everyone has settled down, the officiant then welcomes all the guests and thanks them for taking the time to bear witness to the marriage of the couple. The officiant usually gives some words on marriage, the importance of this occasion, and offers a prayer for the couple.
However, if prayer is not involved in the ceremony, the officiant uses this time to briefly share what he or she knows about the couple and their love story.
Readings and Officiant’s Message (8-10 minutes)
Then, if readings of any kind are a part of the ceremony, the officiant introduces each reading and invites the reader up to the altar to share the passage.
In religious ceremonies, readings are taken from sacred scriptures about love and marriage. The minister then addresses the couple and imparts his message on the sanctity of matrimony and of the vows that they are about to take. The minister also talks about their responsibilities and roles in marriage and gives general advice for the couple to observe and uphold in their married life.
The couple can also consider choosing passages from literature or poetry that speaks about love, and that which holds a special meaning or connection to them. They can request the officiant, a family member, or someone close to them to read the passages aloud during this portion of the wedding rites.
Having a secular ceremony gives the couple more control as to how long the wedding ceremony will run. They can opt to have fewer readings or choose shorter passages and may even ask the officiant to be more concise when delivering his or her message for the couple.
Exchange of Vows and Rings (5-7 minutes)
This part highlights the wedding ceremony. The couple declares their pledges to each other by repeating the traditional vows stated by the minister, or they can read out the vows that they have personally written for each other.
The wedding rings are placed on each other’s fingers, following the exchange of vows. These bands symbolize the couple’s sacred union, their love, and commitment to each other. During the ring exchange, the couple may recite traditional pledges from the minister, or opt to say a few personal words, in the same way as the exchange of vows.
Unity Ceremony (3 minutes)
Depending on the religion or cultural customs, a unity ceremony may be incorporated in the nuptials. This unity ritual is performed by the couple to physically symbolize their matrimony.
The candle lighting ceremony is a common example, wherein the bride and groom lights one candle, and then both of them light a third one together. Another easy option is for the bride and the groom to bind their hands together using a ribbon.
Keep in mind to allocate enough time for this segment. Other traditions may need to carry out elaborate rituals. So, it is vital to accurately estimate how much time this activity will take.
Proclamation, Closing Remarks, and Recessional (3 minutes)
Finally, the minister officially declares the couple as husband and wife. The bride and groom are encouraged to have their first kiss as a married couple. The officiant then concludes the ceremony by delivering his or her final words of blessings for the couple, or by leading the assembly in prayer.
Once the ceremony is done, the newlyweds walk down the aisle and exit the venue together. The wedding party and/or the officiant may follow suit.
