How long should we have our Ceremony last?
Q. How long should we have our Ceremony last?
A. It depends on the content and spiritual dynamics of the Ceremony. If you are a spiritual couple, your friends and family will understand your need for substance, expression and symbolism. If you’re having a Catholic wedding you will have far less control in terms of length and content depending on the Priest. A full Mass may be a requirement, which can last an hour to an hour and a half. On the other end of the spectrum, some couples want a five minute Ceremony just to “Get it done”.
I was about to officiate a wedding once and the bride literally grabbed my jacked with both hands and said, “Make it fast!” She wanted more time for pictures, but more than that she was nervous about being emotional in front of friends and family.
If you are outside, your Ceremony will by necessity be faster. The average that we see is 20-30 minutes. Beyond that, the guests tend to get fidgety, and either too hot or too cold. Anything less than 10 minutes is too short. There is no sense in even setting up chairs at that point, and more importantly the brevity may convey a lack of substance in your relationship or a flippancy in your commitment to marriage. That may not be the case, but perception is reality.
If you are inside, 20 minutes should be your starting point. Your minister have no problem filling that time and not losing the attention of the people.
