When can I get married?

If you had to guess... What do you think is most popular day and time for a wedding in Australia? If you said Saturday at 3pm, you'd be bang on, but did you know there are other great times to hold your ceremony?  Celebrant Mel Lawson from Oberon, NSW is taking us through some of the alternatives...

Saturday at 3pm is a very popular day and time to hold your marriage ceremony as it has the advantage of giving the wedding party and the guests plenty of time to prepare and arrive at the venue, and then lots of time and good lighting after the ceremony for photos, whilst guests mingle and play games before dinner and dancing. 

This timeslot is ideally suited to big, glorious, full-shebang weddings!  However, holding a wedding on a different time of day or day of the week can open up experiences and options you may not have thought about. 

Step sideways:  How about moving one day forward and having your wedding ceremony on a Sunday afternoon?  This day gives similar benefits to a Saturday wedding but may give you more choices when booking celebrants, venues and other services.  2021 is proving to be a very busy year with lots of couples booking for postponed weddings as well as people who were planning to marry this year, so if you are having trouble finding a spot at your dream venue, why not ask about a Sunday?

Sunrise, sunset:  If being in nature is important to you, think clifftop wedding at sunrise or a sunset beach wedding.  These ceremonies are unforgettable and can give you wonderful photo opportunities.  The timing will vary greatly depending on the season and whether you are affected by daylight savings.  You just need to have willing friends and family and of course a flexible celebrant!  Then follow up your ceremony with a wedding breakfast.

Sophisticated glamour:  How about booking your wedding with cocktails in the late afternoon/early evening?  A ceremony between 4-6pm with drinks and canapes followed by a dinner could be an intimate and classy event. 

Making the most of the morning:  A late morning ceremony followed by a relaxed and sumptuous lunch might be just the thing for you.  This has the benefits of giving you a wonderful day with family and friends without ending up exhausted at midnight.  A great idea if you are travelling early the next day for a honeymoon. 

Weekday weddings:  For some, getting married on a Thursday or Friday night of any other day of the week is a great option.  If your guests are available (and most will be if you give them plenty of notice), it can be easy to arrange all the services you need during the week and you are likely to save money too.  Weekdays are a great option for a Registry style wedding followed by lunch or dinner. 

New year, new life:  For something really special, how about getting married at midnight on New Year’s Eve?  You will never forget your wedding anniversary and your guests will be talking about it for years. 

So before you book your Saturday @ 3pm wedding, why not get out the whiteboard and brainstorm some options:

Sunrise + wedding + hot air balloon = amazing!

Sunset+ wedding + harbour cruise = glorious!

Farmstay+ wedding + when the cows come home = fun!