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Wedding star maps

Wedding star map: the sky over the ceremony

At the minute the vows were said, a particular sky stood over the venue: the stars of that season, the Moon in its phase, perhaps a planet low over the horizon. A wedding star map draws that sky exactly, from the time and place of the ceremony, with both names set above the date and the coordinates of the spot.

It makes a gift for the couple that nobody else will have thought of, and a keepsake for the couple themselves. Enter the ceremony's date, time and place, and the preview appears as you type.

Example wedding star map: the sky over Charleston, South Carolina at 4:00 pm on 21 September 2024, headed Maya and JonahExample
Example: the sky over Charleston at 4:00 pm on 21 September 2024, an invented afternoon ceremony, headed with the couple's names.

Set in capitals above the date, up to 60 characters. Leave it empty and the date takes its place.

How you would like it

Paid once. No account needed: the private link is yours to keep. Prices in US dollars.

How it is drawn

  • The circle is the whole sky overhead, with the horizon as its edge: north at the top and east on the left, as it looks when you lie on your back and look up.
  • Every star down to magnitude 6.5 is in it, the brightest named, with the Moon and the planets that were above the horizon at that minute.
  • Rings mark 30 and 60 degrees above the horizon, and a small cross the point straight overhead.
  • The same drawing makes the preview, the digital files and the print, so what you see here is what you receive, without the preview mark.

Questions

Which time should I use for a wedding star map?
The time of the ceremony, as the invitation or the order of service gives it, in the venue's own clock time. The time zone and any summer time are looked up for you. An evening reception is another fine choice: the stars are the ones the guests could have seen.
A daytime wedding: will there be stars?
Yes. The map shows the stars that were above the horizon at that minute, whether or not daylight hid them, so an afternoon sky is as full as a midnight one. The Sun is drawn where it stood.
What should the line at the top say?
Both first names, or both names and the date in words. It is set in capitals above the date, up to 60 characters; the date, the place and its coordinates are printed beneath.
Can I send it as a gift?
Yes. A print can be shipped to the couple's address, and the digital star map comes as a private link you can forward or print yourself.
What if I do not know the exact time?
The sky overhead turns a full circle every day, about fifteen degrees an hour, so a star map is drawn for one minute and an order needs a time. If you know it roughly (morning, just after midnight), enter your best guess: it is closer than any default. Without a time the free preview shows the sky at midday, labelled as such.
How long can the line at the top be?
Up to 60 characters, set in capitals above the date. A long line takes a second line at a smaller size rather than being cut short; words the poster cannot set whole are refused before payment, never shortened.
How is a print delivered?
Prints are not on sale yet. The digital star map is ready as soon as it is paid for, on a private page with the files to download.

Other occasions

Every star map is the same drawing of the real sky; these pages introduce it for other days. For any other date, the custom star map takes a date from 1800 to 2100 and any place.