# What's the Longest Wedding Ceremony You've Attended **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 29, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097 "2009-05-29T22:24:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/1 "2009-05-29T22:24:14Z")
Once again, I was listening to someone’s conversation on the bus, because people can’t seem to NOT talk on a cell phone…LOL Anyway this time, the woman says that she attended a wedding…“And the ceremony was FOUR hours, yes the ceremony was FOUR hours…Well you think…” Now I’ve only been to two weddings in my life and the ceremony part, in both was about, 15 mintues, it was pretty quick. So my questions are: 1. How long is the longest ceremony you’ve attended. Not total wedding with reception and all, just the ceremony part 2. How long is TOO LONG, in your opinion for a ceremony. I put this in Cafe…because…well it seems like the kind of place it’d go ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Alan\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Bird)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/2 "2009-05-29T22:34:45Z")
1. 45 minutes. It was at a Mennonite Brethren church, and the pastor used a lot of the time to sermonize. I was in the wedding party so had to stand there for the whole time. Worse, I was wearing a kilt (groom was Scottish) and the elastic in my underwear was loose. I could feel them starting to slip. 2. I think 15 minutes is probably enough, maybe half an hour. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/3 "2009-05-29T22:39:23Z")
While most of the weddings I’ve attended were pretty short, a Catholic wedding can include a Mass, and can thus run 45 minutes to an hour. It’s not just Catholic weddings. I once attended a Jewish wedding that was an all-day affair (counting the pre-wedding festivities – with tons of appetizers and music, followed by the ceremony, followed by a nine-course meal. It ended at 3 in the morning. The actual edding ceremony, which had lots of bells and whistles and ceremony, lasted 45 minutes or more. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/4 "2009-05-29T22:55:57Z")
Russian Orthodox, like the one in _The Deer Hunter._ Been to way too many of those; my dad’s family is Russian Orthodox. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/5 "2009-05-29T23:04:28Z")
I think my longest sitting-in-the-pew ceremony was about an hour, most of that was the pastor rambling on. 20-25 minutes seems to be about normal for my friends’ (mostly secular) weddings. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/6 "2009-05-29T23:29:22Z")
Greek Orthodox, hour and a half. A Roman Catholic wedding lasted almost an hour. Shortest wedding was about five minutes. This happened twice. Both couples, at different time, simply had the vows read during a regular Sunday morning service. Stood up, said their “I do’s” sat down again. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/7 "2009-05-29T23:36:06Z")
“Greek Orthodox, hour and a half.” Yeah, went to one of those. i didn’t time it but it was at least that long. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/8 "2009-05-29T23:47:47Z")
I went to a Hindu wedding ceremony years ago. The ceremony was several hours long. There was a buffet dinner served simultaneous with the ceremony, so the guests were eating and chatting among themselves while the ceremony was being conducted. I was about the only one watching the ceremony, I guess everyone else had already seen it. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/9 "2009-05-30T02:01:53Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > While most of the weddings I’ve attended were pretty short, a Catholic wedding can include a Mass, and can thus run 45 minutes to an hour. And the Mass includes communion. Most of the Catholic wedding ceremonies run a good hour or more. ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/10 "2009-05-30T02:50:36Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I went to a Hindu wedding ceremony years ago. The ceremony was several hours long. There was a buffet dinner served simultaneous with the ceremony, so the guests were eating and chatting among themselves while the ceremony was being conducted. I was about the only one watching the ceremony, I guess everyone else had already seen it. Same (except I only watched a part of the ceremony since it was all in Sanskrit). The actual ceremony probably ran between 3-5 hours (not counting the half-hour lining up waiting for the horse), but the simultaneous party lasted until midnight. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/11 "2009-05-30T03:52:58Z")
Hour or so. The minister just wouldn’t quit talking… ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/12 "2009-05-30T04:13:17Z")
The longest wedding I’ve been to was also a Catholic wedding. Full Mass with communion and had a lot of things I’ve never seen in a wedding before. Their reception also wins the award for the longest. I left at 9pm, seven hours after it started. The bride and groom expected to be partying several more hours before they took off for the honeymoon. The shortest ceremony was the most recent one I attended. I clocked in at under 10 minutes including processional and recessional. This was good because they had it in a park with no chairs for the guests (except the grandparents and parents.) I like to see them last about half an hour. Short enough that the pews aren’t that uncomfortable yet, but long enough to give the ceremony some weight and importance. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/13 "2009-05-30T04:31:35Z")
1. Just over an hour and a half: a full, sung Latin nuptial mass. 2. I’ve no idea. If it’s what the bride and groom want, and it takes that long, then so be it. I’d prefer a long ceremony to a long reception any day though. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/14 "2009-05-30T12:57:51Z")
5 hours - Hindu wedding That was about 4 hrs 45 minutes longer than it needed to be, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/15 "2009-05-30T13:41:55Z")
Getting to this a trifle late, but I think this is not really Cafe Society material – it’s kind of a stretch to think of it as arts or entertainment. I’m moving to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/16 "2009-05-30T14:04:09Z")
I’ve been to an awful lot of Catholic weddings with a full Mass, which is pretty funny because I come from a bunch of heathens. The only time we \*ever \*go to Mass is to get married. It’s kinda funny to watch everyone flounder through it, the motions only dimly remembered from the last wedding. While allowing for cultural traditions, honestly I think anything over an hour is waaaaaaaaay too long. It’s your wedding, it should be however you want it to be, but I have no desire to sit through it, and since you don’t really need me here for this, I’m out. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/17 "2009-05-30T14:49:05Z")
What are they doing for 5 hours during a Hindu service? Do the bride and groom ever leave to use the restroom in the middle? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/18 "2009-05-30T15:07:10Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > 1. I’ve no idea. If it’s what the bride and groom want, and it takes that long, then so be it. I’d prefer a long ceremony to a long reception any day though. Why? The reception’s a lot less boring, and you can move around and eat and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/19 "2009-05-30T16:10:45Z")
> [@Alan\_Bird](#): > > Worse, I was wearing a kilt (groom was Scottish) and the elastic in my underwear was loose. I could feel them starting to slip. I’m sorry- what? Your underwear?!? As my friends at [Utilikilts](http://www.utilikilts.com/) would say, if you were wearing something under it, it was a skirt, not a kilt. 😃 Regimental all the way, baby… 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097/20 "2009-05-30T16:22:26Z")
I went to a Catholic wedding where the mass was well over 2 hours, and there was some hymns before the mass started (not practice, in the program) so we were at the church for a full 3 hours. I honestly don’t remember why it took that long, the priest was a family member and gave a long sermon but it wasn’t that long. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-longest-wedding-ceremony-youve-attended/498097.md?page=2)