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Choosing to have your wedding in the afternoon can save you a great deal of money. Just because your celebration will take place during the afternoon doesn't mean it can't be just as much fun as an evening reception. An afternoon wedding reception has the potential to be even more fun than a traditional evening one because there is more time left in the day to celebrate. Surprise your guests by showing them how much fun they can have at an afternoon wedding.
Conventional wisdom suggests that those weddings that take place in the afternoon are not as formal as those weddings held later in the day. You do not have to compromise elegance for formality, however. Elegance is more about style, and modern brides have several ways to make these semiformal weddings a sophisticated affair to remember for a lifetime. The very fact that your wedding will be more understated than a traditional, formal ceremony can often lend to its elegance.
Unlike formal evening celebrations, afternoon weddings typically call for marrying couples to host a relaxed, carefree ceremony. Holding the ceremony earlier in the day lets the bride and groom move past the anxiety that can come leading up to the ceremony and enjoy a longer reception or have more time together alone on the wedding night. Whether you started planning months in advance or are pulling your big day together with weeks to spare, you can arrange an afternoon ceremony and reception you'll be able to look back on and cherish for a lifetime.
What to wear to an afternoon wedding depends on more than simply the time of day. A major factor is the location. The season of the year and the day's weather forecast also impact your choice of attire, particularly for an outdoor event. Even the time of afternoon--early vs. late--makes a difference. Finally, the style of the wedding--formal or casual--provides a critical clue on what to wear.
Choose your clothing with care when you attend an afternoon wedding in December. The exact type of attire you should wear will largely depend on the formality of the wedding, the location and the weather. The formality of the wedding is typically reflected by the formality of the invitation and any specific words, such as "black tie event." If the invitation leaves you confused, consider asking the mothers of the bride or groom or a member of the wedding party.
It is important to be aware of the proper etiquette when planning or attending a wedding. From invitations to attire, there are acceptable and unacceptable aspects of the event depending on the time of day it will occur. Though some choose to disregard the rules, it is wise to be aware of the specific etiquette for afternoon weddings.
While most weddings occur in the evening, many couples choose to hold their nuptials in the afternoon, usually between noon and 3 p.m., followed by a reception that lasts 3 or 4 hours, ending in the twilight hours. The reason for this may be financial or simply because the bride and groom would like a more casual affair.
If you've been invited to a late afternoon wedding, technically one that is held after 4 p.m. but before 6 p.m., probably one of your first thoughts is that you don't know what to wear. This is a tricky time of day for wedding dress codes, particularly because the reception runs into the evening when dressier attire is appropriate. Just read the following pointers to help you decide what to wear.
