Everything to Know About Sunday Weddings, From Timeline to Planning Tips

Planning a wedding comes with all sorts of decisions, and one of the first is when and where your nuptials take place. Weddings often happen on Saturday, but in recent years, people have veered from the playbook to have mid-week parties, Friday night celebrations and even Sunday weddings. The reasons why are plentiful, ranging from limited venue availability to substantial cost savings.

If you're toying with the idea of a Sunday wedding, we're answering all your burning questions right here. And if you do decide to go for a wedding on a Sunday, check out The Knot Vendor Marketplace to find every vendor you need for a memorable celebration. (Pro tip: You can also use the Your Favorites feature here as a way to save this article and refer back to it later.)

In this article: Can You Get Married on a Sunday? | Pros of a Sunday Wedding | Cons of a Sunday Wedding | Sunday Wedding Timeline | How to Plan a Sunday Wedding

Can You Get Married on a Sunday?

Yes, you can absolutely get married on a Sunday. Couples can get married on any day that feels right for them. "Sunday weddings are becoming more common, especially for those looking to extend a weekend celebration or secure a dream venue at a lower rate," notes Amos Gott, owner and chief event architect at Nashville-based AmosEvents. "Because Sundays are less in demand, venue rental costs may be reduced."

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Some couples may wonder if Sunday weddings are bad, impractical, or too different, but ultimately, this is a great day to tie the knot. It depends on your preferences, so don't just write it off because it's "non-traditional."

Can You Have a Church Wedding on a Sunday?

You can have a church wedding on Sunday, but timing really matters. The reality is that you probably won't be able to have a Sunday morning wedding at a church due to church services, but a late afternoon or early Sunday evening wedding is totally feasible.

"It is important to coordinate with the church well in advance to understand their availability and any restrictions," Gott says. "Some may offer limited windows or require a shorter ceremony to accommodate their schedule."

Can You Have a Catholic Wedding on a Sunday?

You can also have a Catholic wedding on a Sunday, but it depends on your parish and diocese. The Church allows weddings on most days (excluding Good Friday and Holy Saturday), but many parishes tend to avoid Sundays because of scheduling conflicts with regular masses.

If permitted, your ceremony might need to use the Sunday liturgy's prayers and readings instead of the traditional nuptial Mass options. Again, it's best to ask your parish priest early to sort out all the details.

Why are Jewish Weddings on Sunday?

While some cultures choose to have weddings on Saturday, in Jewish wedding traditions, Sunday is considered the customary day to get married. Historically, Jewish law has discouraged weddings on the Sabbath (Friday evening to Saturday evening), making Sunday the most practical and festive choice. Some couples have an "aufruf," which is a prewedding religious service at the synagogue that occurs on the Saturday before the wedding.

Pros of a Sunday Wedding

From saving money to hosting a brunch reception, getting married on a Sunday has many benefits.

More Availability

One of the biggest perks of a Sunday wedding is that you'll likely have more choices when picking a wedding date. "Sundays often have more open dates, especially at popular venues," Gott notes. This gives you more flexibility in terms of timing, and it also might mean the difference between getting married at your dream venue or moving on to option B or C.

Cost Savings

In many cases, choosing a Sunday date for your wedding can potentially mean some cost savings, says Kelley Nudo, client relations and operations director at Momental Designs based in West Wyoming, Pennsylvania. "Since Sundays are not typically popular days to host a wedding, venues and other wedding vendors might be willing and able to offer discounts to couples who help fill an open Sunday in their schedule," she explains.

When it comes to your wedding budget, one of your BFFs is The Knot Budget Advisor. It can help you learn about local wedding costs to factor into your budget.

You Can Have a Brunch Wedding

Sunday brunch is already a popular social event on many calendars, and a Sunday wedding means you can really lean into having a wedding reception brunch. "For those who choose to have alcohol at their wedding, who doesn't love mimosas and Bloody Marys at 2 p.m.?" says Lauren Tankersley, CEO of 828 Venue Management Company. She adds, "And as the sober curious movement continues to grow, a daytime Sunday event is very appealing. Guests can celebrate, get home and be refreshed for work the next day."

Allows for a Weekend-Long Celebration

The concept of a weekend-long wedding celebration is gaining momentum. If you have your wedding on a Sunday, that means you can celebrate with loved ones on Friday, Saturday and Sunday if you so choose. For some, having all their family and friends in one place is a once-in-a-lifetime event, so extending the celebration feels like a no-brainer.

Cons of a Sunday Wedding

Of course, there are always considerations when weighing the pros and cons of a Sunday wedding. Here are some potential drawbacks.

• Some vendors may cost more. While Sunday is often one of the cheapest days to get married at a wedding venue, "vendors like catering or rentals may charge more due to weekend labor rates or limited availability," Gott says. Weigh the tradeoffs and plan accordingly.
• Limited times for a religious ceremony. If you want to have a traditional church wedding or a Catholic wedding, it will likely need to take place in the late afternoon or early evening.
• There may be earlier goodbyes. When choosing a Saturday versus Sunday wedding (or even a Friday versus Sunday wedding), you could have guests who need to retire earlier. "Guests with Monday obligations may leave before the last dance, so you should front-load your schedule with key moments before people slip out," says Natasha Cardinal, photographer at The Cardinals in Ferndale, Washington. (If Monday is a holiday, this is usually moot.)
• Some guests may not be able to make it. "Be prepared for some guests not being able to attend a Sunday wedding if they have work or school obligations the following day," Nudo says. This is more common among out-of-town guests who'd come from a long way.

Sunday Wedding Timeline

When sorting your wedding timeline, Nudo says that the start and end times are most crucial. This is especially true if you're planning a wedding at a church, and if the following Monday is not a holiday that people have off work. "Build in breathing room," Cardinal says. "Start a little later, end a little earlier, and lean into the quieter kind of magic Sunday naturally brings."

Note: This Sunday wedding timeline assumes an early afternoon start time of 3 p.m., but also check out our timeline suggestion for a 4 p.m. ceremony and a morning wedding timeline. Another alternative is to move everything up one to two hours for a 1 or 2 p.m. wedding brunch.

9:30 a.m. Hair & Makeup

Hair and makeup should start in the early morning, beginning with bridesmaids, flower girl(s) and others. This will likely need to take place off-site, especially if you're getting married at a church or if your venue has restrictions.

10:30 a.m. Photographer Arrives

This is a great time for the photographer to arrive, especially if you want detail images, getting-ready shots, and a first look. They'll be able to capture moments of the wedding couple and their parties with ample time before the ceremony to photograph all the little details.

12:30 p.m. Vendors Arrive

Flowers, cake and other vendors can start to arrive. You may need to allow for flexibility here depending on your venue and the vendor's needs, but ideally, everything should be sorted by 2 p.m. before guests start arriving.

1 p.m. First Look, Portraits, & Group Shots

Your photographer can capture those final getting-ready moments along with portraits of the couple and group shots of wedding parties and family members. If you want a first look, do that first and then proceed with group shots.

2 p.m. Final Touches & Hideaway

With photos done, retreat back to your respective "hideaway" areas to relax and take care of any final touches. The vendors should have everything set up by now, too.

2:30 p.m. Guests Start Arriving

Guests will start arriving about 15 to 45 minutes before your ceremony start time, so make sure you're tucked out of sight!

3 p.m. Ceremony

Most wedding ceremonies start within 15 minutes of their chosen start time and last around 30 minutes. (This is one of the best times for a Sunday wedding to accommodate people who attend church, and to ensure the night doesn't go too late.)

3:30 p.m. Cocktail Hour

It's official! And now the partying starts. After the ceremony, your guests can move on to the cocktail hour. The couple can also have some postceremony shots at this time, and this is also a nice time for you two to take a breather.

4 p.m. Join for Cocktails

About 30 minutes into the cocktail hour, you two can join the festivities and greet your guests. Now's a great time to mix, mingle, hug and celebrate with all those familiar faces.

4:30 p.m. Move to Reception

After about an hour at the cocktail party, guests can transition to the reception area, which is now completely ready for partying. Guests can make their way there first, followed by the couple making their grand entrance.

Get things going with some of those memorable moments, like the first dance, parent dances and welcome toasts. (Our experts recommend doing these big milestones earlier for a Sunday wedding to account for guests who may need to leave a bit early.)

5:30 p.m. Dinner

By now, everyone has surely worked up an appetite, including you two! Start your meal service shortly after the first dance and allow about an hour for everyone to eat dinner. As dinner starts to wrap up, you can start toasts and speeches. (This is optional; not all couples choose to do this.)

6:30 p.m. Dancing

Cue the party music! It's officially time to get your groove on.

7:30 p.m. Cake Cutting

What's a great dinner without some delicious wedding cake? Take a pause from the dancing to cut the cake and enjoy it.

7:45 p.m. More Dancing

With a little extra sugar in everyone's system, they'll be ready to hit the dance floor with some new energy.

9 p.m. Wind Down

Start wrapping up the night (we know, it goes so fast!). Your DJ can announce last calls for drinks and music requests.

9:30 p.m. Grand Exit

Now for the festive send off! Whether you're into bubbles, sparklers or something completely off-the-cuff, this is a great way for everyone to come together one last time to celebrate you—and the photo ops are amazing.

(If you want to have a later night, you can push to 10 or 10:30 p.m., but our experts say to keep in mind that many people need to retire a bit earlier compared to a typical wedding if they work the following day.)

How to Plan a Sunday Wedding

Now that you know people do get married on Sundays—and that it can be an amazing celebration—let's talk more details. Heed this excellent advice from our wedding planning experts.

Communicate Clearly & Early

When planning Sunday weddings, make sure to communicate the date and time clearly and early to your guests. "Let guests know the timing so they can plan accordingly, and maybe even take Monday off if they're coming from out of town," Cardinal advises.

Save-the-dates really come in handy here. And Nudo adds that you should emphasize that this is a Sunday wedding versus a Saturday wedding. "If you only list your date, some guests might assume it is a Saturday, so the invitation should call out that the day is ​indeed a Sunday," she says.

Confirm Vendor Availability Early On

Because not all vendors are available on Sundays, it's important to book everything in advance, Gott says. He says rentals and catering may be the trickiest, but this also includes your florist, photographer, videographer, hair, makeup, officiant and cake. Start your search for vendors and venues on The Knot Vendor Marketplace, which houses important information on each page.

Consider the Weekend Flow

Since your wedding is on a Sunday, you may want to build in some additional activities in the days beforehand. "A Friday wedding welcome party or Saturday activity can build momentum and make Sunday feel like a natural finale," Gott says. "Most importantly, design the day around what feels meaningful to you. That is what guests will remember."