Or, Why We CHOSE Our Daytime Wedding :o)
It wasn't until Steve and I booked our afternoon ceremony and reception at our venue, and I subsequently got sucked into the wedding world, that I discovered that weddings are "supposed" to be at night. This is according to the wedding industry, of course. I clearly don't agree. At the time I had only been to two weddings, one during the day and one at night. I actually had more fun at the daytime wedding! (Which probably has more to do with the wedding than the time of day.) I think the myths about daytime weddings being less fun are completely false. It really just depends on the wedding. People got down on the dance floor during the daytime wedding I attended, nobody hesitated to have a mid-afternoon cocktail or two or three, and it definitely felt like a party, just a different type of party. I party I was really into.
If we had all the money in the world to spend on our wedding, Steve and I would have booked the Palm House at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. I discovered this place even before we got engaged and thought it was so dreamy...
SIGH. Just looking at these pics makes me wish we could afford the $20,000 rental and catering fee. Yup, that number is correct. And waaaaay over our budget! What attracted me to this venue was those glorious floor to high-ceiling windows that make you feel like you're outside even though you're comfortably indoors. My favorite part?
THE SUNSHINE!!!
Yes, we want to let the sunshine in at our wedding. It's a fact that natural sunlight makes people look their best in life and in photos. It's also widely believed that sunshine positively affects people's moods, making them feel happier. Sunshine does that for me. When I wake up or come home to our sun-drenched apartment, I'm automatically in a better mood.
So when I pictured myself getting married, I imagined lots and lots of sunshine coming through the windows of our reception space. When we looked for venues that did fit into our budget, the amount of sunlight that entered the room was high on our priority list. We were lucky to find a space that's a great (and much cheaper) alternative to the Palm House. There are windows and skylights everywhere! We'll be basking in the glow of the sunshine and of our marriage to each other (so cheesy I know, but true!)
I loved A Practical Wedding blogger Meg's post about her morning wedding. Ours is an afternoon affair (I'll share our timeline in another post) but besides the light, the other thing I'm excited about is the time my new husband (!!) and I will have after the celebration with our family and friends is over. We'll be able to settle into our newlywed suite, relax, recap the day and enjoy some time together on our wedding night. Because we'll have an early start, we'll get to see each other sooner and ultimately, spend more time with each other that day. I'm really looking forward to it!
I love that crisp-but-still warming sunshine that comes out to play in the fall. We are having an evening wedding, but with two ceremonies (Catholic and Hindhu), so our wedding will actually start during the day. I agree that natural sunlight is the most flattering light. Good choice!
ReplyDeleteYou make some really great points. And I do in fact like the idea of not feeling exhausted at the end of an evening wedding when you're leaving at 11 pm or later. Our wedding starts at 5 pm but the fiance and I will see each other at about 1 or 2 pm as we are doing all of our photos pre-ceremony so we have that extra time to spend with family and friends during cocktails and such. Afterall, who wants to be off taking photos while all your guests are partying up enjoying all the planning you have obsessed about for months?! :)
ReplyDeleteWe had a noon wedding that was over by 4:30, we were able to take more pro-photos together in the hours afterwards b/c the sun was still--and like you stated more time to celebrate together after the festivities. We definitely do not regret it, nor the money we saved! So I think you have a great mindset about it :)
ReplyDeleteWwo that's super expensive. I have seen weddings there that are gorgeous, but I never realized it cost so much!
ReplyDeleteI love daytime weddings! Convention is silly! :) <3 ya!
ReplyDeleteI agree! We can pick anytime we want, and I am more partial to an afternoon wedding, around 1pm. The sun will be high and bright then :)
ReplyDeleteI'm also planning on a day time wedding. I totally agree about wanting to get married in sunlight. Plus, we want to give our guests the options to tour our venues' property, play some horse shoes or frisbee and enjoy the outdoors. On a fall evening, all of that becomes limited...
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