The twinkly lights of Royal Exchange Square shine outside the window. Bride and groom sit on the window ledge, facing one another, hands clasped together.

Planning a twilight wedding

Planning a twilight wedding? Humanist weddings are ideal! With no restrictions on timing, your Humanist Society Scotland celebrant can marry you at any time and anywhere in Scotland. So, if a sunset ceremony or vows by candlelight sounds magical to you, read on!

What is a twilight wedding?

Traditionally, wedding ceremonies take place in the morning or early afternoon followed by a wedding breakfast and then a reception from the evening (and late into the night!) However, the twilight wedding is having its moment and becoming a popular option for couples. This means having your wedding ceremony later in the day (usually late afternoon/ early evening) and late night wedding reception.

There are many benefits of a Humanist Society Scotland ceremony including full flexibility to have your ceremony at any time of the day, on any day of the week and at any time of the year. If you’re considering a twilight ceremony, rest assured our celebrants can legally marry you whenever and wherever you’d like!

What is the structure of a twilight wedding?

Like most elements of a humanist wedding, the structure and timings are totally up to you! But if you’re looking for a bit of guidance, usually guests would arrive around 4pm with a ceremony start time of 5pm. Essentially, you are cutting out the traditional, “wedding breakfast” which can be more formal and longer with the traditional speeches. Often couples will opt for a buffet in place of the traditional sit-down meal here. Then it’s straight into the reception where you can get the party started! Many venues in Scotland offer twilight wedding packages and they will also be able to offer guidance on timings and make sure the day suits what you’re after.

Natalie and Craig stand together at the bottom of the aisle during their ceremony. Candles line the aisle and chandeliers hang above them.

Bride and groom Natalie and Craig stand together in the stairwell of The Exchange. They are mid laugh, Natalie leans into Craig who holds her waist. Bride wears a white satin dress and groom a velvet, dark green suit.

Real wedding! Natalie and Craig’s black tie twilight ceremony

If you’re looking for a bit of twilight wedding inspiration, Natalie and Craig’s black tie twlilight wedding had it all! Think high glam, candlelight vows, a harpist to set the atmosphere, twinkly lights galore and a fun, meaningful humanist ceremony delivered by Claire Digance.

Claire said, “Nat and Craig’s wedding was gorgeous! With all the best night out ever vibes. My top tip for planning a twilight wedding would be to use your day time to do something special. Craig met his future father in law for lunch which I thought was lovely!

Also, if you’re having a later ceremony you can still include some of the things you might have included at dinner, like speeches or a toast for example. Just keep the energy high and the speeches short. Fun times only for evening weddings!”