Couples are increasingly swapping traditional all-day weddings for shorter evening events, with venues reporting a rise in twilight ceremonies and reception-only celebrations as couples rethink guest lists, budgets and wedding traditions.
Wedding specialists at Deer Park Golf & Country Club in Livingston say the shift reflects changing priorities among couples planning their big day, with many choosing to structure their wedding day around moments that feel more personal, while managing rising costs.
A twilight wedding typically features a late afternoon or early evening ceremony, usually between 4pm and 6pm, followed immediately by an evening reception. The format omits the traditional sit-down wedding meal in favour of more time spent with guests on the dancefloor. Many couples are also drawn to twilight celebrations for the atmospheric and romantic photoshoots at dusk.
This trend is something Deer Park’s events team say they are seeing first-hand, with more couples opting for later ceremonies and reception-led celebrations. This shift towards more flexible formats is reflected in wider industry data, with the Bridebook 2026 UK Wedding Report showing couples are inviting 11% fewer guests than in 2024, while one in eight did not have their legal ceremony on the day, instead choosing to separate the legal process from the celebration itself.
Couples are also becoming more flexible around when they get married. The same report found that just 47% of weddings now take place on a Saturday, the lowest ever on record, while younger couples in particular are picking midweek weddings as a way to manage costs. One in three Gen Z couples now choose to marry between Monday and Thursday instead.
Natasha McAllister is General Manager at Deer Park Golf & Country Club, said: “We’re seeing more couples move away from the idea that their celebration has to follow a set formula.
“Twilight ceremonies allow them to concentrate on the atmosphere and the time spent celebrating with their guests, and starting later in the day often makes planning feel more relaxed and manageable while still creating a really special occasion.”
The trend also reflects couples placing greater emphasis on celebrations that feel authentic to them rather than following long-standing expectations. Some couples are choosing smaller guest lists, while others are holding their legal ceremony separately, preferring to host guests only for the reception portion of their nuptials.
The venue’s events team say enquiries for later ceremonies and reception-only events have grown steadily, with many couples planning their weddings on shorter timeframes than the traditional two-year lead-in.
They expect the trend to remain strong throughout 2026 as they continue to take bookings for the rest of the year and into 2027, with more couples looking for flexible and unique ways to celebrate whilst being mindful of the economic impact of their big day and placing less importance on traditional wedding formats.
Chiara Woodhead and Paul Leven recently held their wedding at Deer Park in a twilight format and praised it for offering the perfect balance between an intimate ceremony and a larger celebration.
Newlywed Chiara (top) said:“We decided to have a twilight wedding as we wanted to keep the ceremony intimate but also celebrate with our family and friends, so this was great and kept the costs down too.
“Despite it not being the traditional wedding, we didn’t miss out on anything such as food, speeches and first dance, and we had so many compliments from our guests as it wasn’t an extremely long day and everyone just had fun with no stress or waiting around.”
Deer Park Golf & Country Club is West Lothian’s premier golf and leisure destination with four function suites that can cater any celebration from 20 to 200 guests.
The venue offers tailored wedding packages, in-house catering, and an experienced team to guide couples throughout their planning process. For more information visit deerpark.co.uk
