This is a question that many couples ask. And the answer is ... it depends! And, of course, there is no such thing as an ‘average’ wedding. Every wedding is special and unique.
But, knowing how long your ceremony will be is important for the timing of the rest of your celebration, so you can work out how the the whole day/evening will flow, including when and where your post-ceremony photos will be taken, what time the reception will start, and so on.
So, here goes:
The length of the ceremony will depend, firstly, on the type of ceremony you are having.
If you’re having a registry office wedding, (which are now all outsourced to selected local celebrants at a venue you mutually agree on), the standard ceremony takes about ten minutes. There are two options available (in both English and te reo Māori). Add in some chat time at the beginning and end, as it’s now much more relaxed than when they were processed in a government registry office.
If you’re having a religious ceremony, the length of the ceremony is normally prescribed by tradition. (Some of them can be quite long!) Or if you’re having something like a Wican wedding, or a ceremony tied to a particular culture, then different timings will apply depending on the accepted rituals and words.
What I’m talking about here, though, is a celebrant-led, non-religious ceremony. And there are various things that affect the length of this type of ceremony. Your celebrant will help you to work out the details and timing exactly, but in the meantime here are some pointers:
· Where and when is your ceremony taking place? This can influence the length of your ceremony. If you’re having an outdoor wedding – standing on the beach in the heat of summer, or on a wind-blown paddock late-autumn or winter – then it pays to keep it to no more than half an hour, or your guests may expire from the heat or cold! Likewise, if you’re planning your ceremony to coincide with sunset, or sunrise (yes, I’ve officiated a dawn wedding and it was beautiful!), then timing is critical for photos, and so that your celebrant has enough light to read the words!
· Venue or local restrictions – if you’ve applied to use a public place, there may be a specified time you have permission to use it for.
· If you’re hiring a venue just for the ceremony, you may be paying for a particular time slot.
· People’s attention span – This is an important one! People start to get twitchy after about half-in-hour of sitting in one spot and concentrating. If you want to keep your guests engaged for the whole ceremony, be mindful of the time it will take. Changes of pace and speakers will help keep things interesting. Your celebrant will help you with how to fit everything in. The main components of any ceremony are, unsurprisingly: A beginning (the welcome), a middle (vows, rings, and sign the paperwork), and an end (Yay, we’re married!). And in between you may choose to add in a reading (or two), some music, and other rituals.
So, ultimately, although the short answer to the question: how long is a wedding ceremony? is: it can be as short or as long as you like ... I find most of mine fit into around the 30 minute mark, give or take.