Early Morning Weddings

By Bridget Mora

Most weddings take place in the afternoon, but a lovely alternative is an early morning wedding. What better way to start the day than by getting married? These are some tips on how to plan a beautiful early morning wedding.

First ask yourself just how early you would like your wedding ceremony to begin. If you are a true early bird, consider a sunrise service at an outdoor location. A site overlooking a body of water would be especially magnificent. Imagine exchanging your vows with the first rays of the morning sun dancing on the ocean. It would be truly spectacular and very moving. On the other hand, it would also be really early, particularly so in the summer months, so be sure to realistically practical having such an early start to your wedding would be for you and your family.

Not quite so daunting is a wedding ceremony starting at around 9am. Why get married so early in the day? There can be many good reasons. Certainly if you are an early-to-bed, early-to-rise sort of person, an early ceremony will make more sense for you than a late day service. Additionally, you might gain access to locations which are already booked for afternoon and evening events, which is very helpful if you are planning your wedding in six months or less.

The style for a morning wedding should be less formal and glitzy than for an evening affair. This is not the time to wear a very sexy or sequin-encrusted bridal gown. More simple styles in fabrics such as silk organza or silk mikado would be elegant and fresh for an early ceremony. Tea length or knee length dresses will look lovely for the bridal party, perhaps accented with classic pearl bridal jewelry. If you do prefer a formal wedding, be aware that in the morning the gentlemen would wear gray morning suits, never tuxedos. Floor length dresses would be appropriate for the bridesmaids for a formal morning ceremony, still worn with fairly understated bridesmaid jewelry. Too much sparkle just does not suit a wedding before noon, no matter how elegant it may be.

The proper reception to follow a morning ceremony is a brunch. This type of reception will be considerably less expensive than a dinner reception, which is one very good reason to consider a morning wedding in the first place. Guests will eat less and if you serve alcohol, they will also drink considerably less than in the evening. Depending on the size of your guest list, you can opt for brunch where guests order from a menu (if your group is small enough, this could easily be done in a private dining room at a restaurant which regularly serves brunch). For a larger group, a brunch buffet would be nice. It can be a smaller menu with eggs, waffles, fresh fruit, and pastries, or you can set up a lavish spread with a carving station, a custom omelet station, crepes, and shrimp cocktails in addition to the standard breakfast fare. You do not need a full bar for a brunch reception; mimosas and Bloody Marys would be sufficient, along with fresh fruit juices, coffee, tea, and soda.

As lovely as an early morning wedding can be, the one thing to be aware of is that you may get a larger rate of declined invitations, especially for a sunrise ceremony. Not everyone can get up that early! For a non-church wedding, Sunday morning would be a good time, as it would give your guests Saturday to travel to your location and they could head home on Sunday afternoon. Whatever you do, don’t have a rehearsal dinner that goes late into the evening the night before a morning wedding! With these tips in mind, you should be well on your way to planning a gorgeous early morning wedding ceremony and reception.

About the Author: Bridget Mora writes for Silverland Jewelry about wedding planning, style, and etiquette. Treat your attendants to

bridesmaid jewelry

from http://silverlandjewelry.com/ and receive free shipping on any jewelry order over $99.

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