Samantha Birch, author of budget wedding bible The High-Street Bride's Guide, gives you the lowdown on tying the knot after dark...

Image by Terry Li Photography. Full wedding here.

Here in good old Blighty the evening wedding is a pretty newfangled thing: only in the last few years did that the powers-that-be sign off on us putting a ring on it as late as 6pm. Which is partly why when you tell your mum you're thinking about dusk-ish 'I do's you'll get that face and a hand-wringing talking-to about the 'best light' for your photos.

But is there anything in your mum's insistence that your album will be ruined, and what about what you heard on the grapevine about twilight nuptials saving you money? I've done some digging and here it is: the no-holds-barred truth about going from Miss to Mrs later in the day. Whether or not you choose to go for it is up to you...

It's all true: getting hitched in the PMs could help you save some serious moolah. How? Think of it like this: any suppliers who you tend to pay for the hours they put in-from photographers to bands and even your hair and make-up artist if they hang around-will put in fewer of them since everything's happening later.

Then there are the food and drink costs-often some of the heftiest of the whole day: you can choose whether to launch into the full trad three-course wedding breakfast after your ceremony, or skip it and go straight to the evening buffet. Either way, at least you won't be shelling out to feed everybody twice-and that could mean you can afford to add a few extra names to the guest list.

More? How about the venue? If you go for somewhere like a restaurant that expects you to cover the cost of all the meals they would have served to other customers in the time you're taking up space, an evening wedding means only covering the dinnertime period, and not lunch as well. In this case, be smart and consider going for a Sunday-lunches tend to be more packed than evenings on the last day of the week, so you might even be able to swing a discount.

The one part of the day that could be more expensive if you opt for an evening wedding is your registrar. It varies by council area, but some, such as Manchester, charge a little more for weddings after 4pm. Weigh it up next to all the savings, though, and you're still likely to be far better off financially than if you kissed the groom earlier in the day.

Remember the opening to Four Weddings-I won't quote it, this is a classy blog, but you know what I mean-when Hugh Grant and co. wake up late for the first big day? Whether it's guests or members of the wedding party you're worried about turning up while you're walking down the aisle, there's no excuse when they've literally had all day. The same goes for winter-wedding worries about unexpected snow putting people on a go-slow: there's a much better chance of them making it if they've got a few spare hours on their journey. As for on-the-morning supplier panics: breathe, you've got plenty of time to get it sorted.

Is there anything more romantic than saying your vows lit by a pink sunset? Yep, I drew a blank too. Six o' clock might not exactly be sundown in summer, but go for a winter wedding and it's a real possibility- plus, if you opt for the off-peak colder months, you're likely to save on the venue, too.

If you're planning an outdoor or marquee wedding later in the day, remember: there could be extra costs involved. The temperature is likely to drop, which means hiring heaters and maybe even handing out shawls to ladies in floaty dresses, and you'll need to mock up plenty of artificial light.

If lighting is a big thing for you-elegant candelabra centrepieces, twinkly fairy lights on the ceiling or feature wall, quirky industrial bulbs hanging over the tables-you can really get the wow-factor out of them with an evening do. When the lights are already low, imagine guests walking into your reception venue to a soft, romantic glow or a striking sparkle.

There's more: night falling during the ceremony gives you all kinds of unusual options for walking back up the aisle and out of the venue. Anyone for guests leading you out carrying sparklers, or fireworks on the lawn straight after your first married smooch?

Extra hours in the AM can be a blessing or a curse, depending on what kind of bride you are: even the most level-headed Mrs-to-be can get nervous on the day, so would you rather cut to the chase or have some time to wind down pre-altar?

Evening weddings can make that nervous feeling drag on for longer than you might like, but they also give you the chance to meet up with your girls for an early-morning chill-out session. Word of warning though: if you're heading for the spa, don't be tempted into last-second treatments. What if that eyebrow threading goes wrong, or the facial brings you out in a rash?!

Got lots of little ones and their parents on the guest list? Not ideal. Plan your late-in-the-day wedding schedule accordingly. You might want to go for a ceremony nearer the 4pm mark than 6 o' clock, since tinies will be in routines that involve reasonably early bedtimes. While we're on the subject, the same goes for nans and granddads who prefer to get their shut-eye.

So come on then, what about these wedding photos and your mum's niggle that you need perfect lighting? Top snapper Terry Li from Terry Li Photography -full disclosure, she shot my wedding-let me in on a little secret: there's no such thing as 'best light'.

There's natural light, and artificial light, she says, and yes, it's easier to shoot in the natural stuff and takes more skill to shoot in artificial, but the quality of DSLR cameras these days means most low light isn't really a problem anymore, and most pros should be able to handle it-just check with yours.

The style of shots you want is the only sticking point: natural light tends to be better for that softer feel, while artificial light is better for a punchier look. Even that isn't the end of the world though-clever shooters should have tricks up their sleeves, like bouncing the flash off the ceiling to create a softer look in artificial light.

Image by Terry Li Photography. Sam's wedding feature is here.

If anything's going to be a dealbreaker when it comes to the evening do, it's got to be all those hours apart from your other half. This is a big day you've been saving and hoping for for ages-how cool are you with limiting that face-time?

If time together is the only thing holding you back, there are ways to work around it: some couples go totally alternative and hang out together-yes, with each other and their guests-in the morning, pre-dress if the bride doesn't want to spoil the surprise. Others go for some hard-to-come-by 'us' time with a morning photo shoot, just the two of them, so they get that coveted natural light and lose the pressure of keeping their guests waiting. Another way to go is to factor in some quality time apart, but with bridesmaids, best men and family, like that bridesmaid chill-out sesh I mentioned. Then you could cap off your morning spent without the one you love with a cute moment-the-groom-sees-you photo sesh before you hit the aisle.

Apart from the legal bit, the rulebook was thrown out on weddings years ago. So it's not so much whether you should get married in the evening, as whether you want to.

The High-Street Bride's Guide is available on Amazon as an eBook (£2.48) now, and in paperback (£6.99) from 3rd July.
http://smarturl.it/highstbride Follow Samantha Birch on @HighStreetBride for more top wedding tips, or to ask your burning big-day questions.