Reception Timeline?

Does anyone have a timeline for the order of events for a reception?

I really could use help with this topic to. Hopefully some past brides will post!!

OMG... I was just thinking about this! We just hired our DJ for our AHR and I had no idea what time to have everything!

HELP!!!

Me too! Esp b/c most resorts give you a four hour reception so you have to fit; dinner, speeches, first dance, father/daughter dance, and then actual dance into that timeline!

The only thing i know for sure will be:

Introduction of wedding party

Introduction of bride and groom

Straight into first dance, followed by father daughter dance

MC talks a bit, then dinner will be served. Probably will do speeches b/w courses?

We are actually having two receptions - one destination and one back home. So I will give what we are thinking for both.

Destination - since we are having an afternoon wedding

- champagne toast after the ceremony

- pictures

- cocktail hour where we will have the guests mingle, sign the guest book, maybe the cake cutting and of course some toasts since everyone will have drinks in their hands

- since the actual dinner & reception is only 4 hours, we wanted to get some of those things out of the way so there will be more time for the dancing/party portion

- dinner

- first dance, father/daughter, mother/son and then wedding party dance

- dance with the garter & bouquet toss sometime in the middle of the dance timeline

In Canada

- 8:00 p.m. appetizers & cocktails

- 8:30 p.m. guests will be asked to go into the room

- 8:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. wedding party introduction, slide show, centerpiece game and some very small speeches

- 9:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. lots of dancing

Our reception starts at 6pm and we asked the DJ to start at 7pm (we didn't want to pay $300 just for music during the meal so we are just going to use our ipod for the first hour) so I think our will go like this:

6pm-intro wedding party/bride and groom

begin serving dinner right away (or soon after we are seated)

speeches between courses

cake cutting

first dance, father/bride, mother/groom dances

dancing into the night!!

My time line looks like this

- introduction of bride and groom

- bride & groom's 1st dance

- dinner id served

-toasts

- garter & bouquet toss

- cake cutting

- dancing into the night

we are not having father/daughter dance etc, but if you do i would fit it in right after your first dance. Hope this helps!!

Thanks for the thread, very very helpful!!

Very helpful- thanks all!

-4pm ceremony start time. Vows, sand ceremony, sign license.

-4:30pm champagne toast after the ceremony

-4:40pm-5pm pictures with family, bridal party and group

- 5pm-6pm cocktail hour --guests mingle & sign the guest book while we take pics

-6pm everyone gets seated

-6:10pm intro of bridal party

-intro of bride and groom

-first course is served

-toasts from MOH and GM

-main course is served

-first dance

-dancing begins (30 mins)

-Cake cutting

-Bride and Groom thanks speeches

-Fire Dancer Show (10/15 mins)

- father/daughter, mother/son

- dance with garter & bouquet toss sometime in the middle of the dance timeline (around 9:30pm garter toss)

-9:45pm last dance

-DJ invites everyone out to wish us goodbye (sparklers!)