Reception Schedule

[LauraM]

Can anyone share some thoughts for how my reception should be timed out? My ceremony will be at 6pm on the beach, followed by a cocktail hour 7p-8p, during which my fiance and I will be taking photos. The reception will then begin at 8pm. We will be having a buffet dinner, father/daughter dance, mother/son dance, first dance, cake-cutting, possibly a couple toasts, and some sort of 15-30 min "wow"  factor (pinata, Mayan coffee, mariachi band - no exactly sure what yet). We'll be renting DJ equipment and doing all announcements with the help of  my brother and playing the music via a DJ app on my phone. The resort wants to know what time our reception will end. I'm having trouble planning out a time-line and deciding! Any advice to offer?

[calgarybride2015]

Sorry I don't have any sound advice.

 

I know that my reception will be from around 530-1100pm.  The reason I chose 11pm was because that was when the disco opened and if the party isn't over we can all head there.   It's a much cheaper alternative then extending my reception time any further (ie we pay for the open bar at our reception and the disco has free drinks!).

 

During that time what shall happen?  Well I know we need to eat, have cake, do speeches, and dances.  How those will happen - not sure? I plan to decided at some point and give the timeline to my MC to keep it moving but not at that point yet.

I also emailed my photog to see what times he needed to get things done (IE my package won't go until 11pm I am pretty sure, so would he like cake before dinner? dance before cake? etc.  Unsure if this is an issue but thought I would ask).

[LisaAnthonyPoppy]

I just attended a wedding last week and it was...... Horrible.

 

It drug on for FOREVER before we were permitted to dance.

Ceremony started at 5:30 and dancing didn't start until 9:30!

 

I wouldn't recommend doing first dance until after dinner, by that point people wanna get up and move and then there's parent dances etc... Too long.

 

 

Here's how we are doing it.

 

7pm ceremony

 

7:20/7:30 cocktail "hour" immediately after ceremony.

 

Not doing a full hour I think it's not necessary plus I want the energy to remain. Lots of food during cocktail hour, signature drinks.

 

8:15 guest seated and immediately have first dance.

 

8:20 dinner 2 courses.

 

9:00 party!

 

10:00 cut cake

 

10:00 - 12:00 party some more or leave early you never know

 

 

I think ppl under estimate how important flow is to a wedding.

 

Good luck. I hope I have helped a little.

[calgarybride2015]

I like the first dance before dinner - great idea!!    

 

Come in to the reception, have your dance, and eat!!!    

I think speeches can happen while you are eating, personally!   
This happened at my friends wedding and worked well.  

[BrideToBeJolie]

@@LisaAnthonyPoppy, that's a great timeline. I am starting to plan out the schedule so I'll definitely be referring back to your post for help. Thanks!

[LisaAnthonyPoppy]

@@calgarybride2015 yes, great idea speeches can causally take place during dinner. I love in movies you see people just stand up and ring their champagne or wine glass to say a few words!

 

 

 

@@BrideToBeJolie

 

thanks! Had I had not just been planning our wedding and then attending a wedding I don't think I would have been able to plan it out accordingly.

 

First dance right after a 45 minute cocktail hour people won't be starving but they won't be in a food comma ready to watch and give the waiters a chance to get first course out without ppl waiting for food.

 

As soon as we are seated I want the first plate down

 

And I want people up and moving before their trance sets in.

 

Ok I over think things! I just want everyone to have a blast ya know?

[acw271011]

I'm not sure it's entirely fair to the "important people speeches" to force them to interrupt their dinner to give a speech. By then their food is cold and that doesn't sit well with me. Why penalize them just because you're expecting them to get up and talk at your wedding? During dessert and coffee maybe, but you're also forcing people to stop eating, or socializing at their individual tables to listen to speeches! Don't think I'd count that as cool.

 

The other thing I would caution is to have too much food at your cocktail time, then have everyone sit down to eat. Too much cocktail hour food and guests won't have room for dinner. Cocktail time is fine for small snacks, but not a huge abundance of food to turn around a half hour later to eat a full course dinner.

 

Come on ladies.... lol  don't you watch "Four Weddings"??  If not start watching. You can definitely get some good ideas in terms of timing and how you would like your own receptions to work.

[LisaAnthonyPoppy]

@@acw271011 I personally LOVE @@calgarybride2015 idea of having speeches take place during dinner at peoples will:)

 

I think we all need to respect each other's ideas and not jump to making conclusions.

 

I think it's beautiful for your family and guests to feel so secure and warm that they would not hesitate to stand up impromptu and give a few words of love and blessings when the mood strikes them.

 

No one is saying that they are going to give an inaugural speech forcing them to eat cold food and thus " penalizing" them, as stated above.

 

As for OUR wedding, we will be having an abundance of yummy food during cocktail hour, followed by a light-normal portion sizes of our 2 course meal consisting of lobster bisque and salmon or steak whipped potatoes and asparagus.

 

I'm sure we have all seen four weddings and similar edited for ratings wedding shows on TV.

 

But I don't think you should live vicariously through shows like that. But instead use a variety of resources and ideas to plan your wedding.

 

I'm bumping this forum in hopes that the OP will hear from other brides and get more open minded posters sharing their time lines and redirect the focus to her question.

[LauraM]

Thank you all for the opinions! I know I will re-mold my schedule as I continue planning but here's what I have so far....

7ish-8ish cocktail hour (I don't want to leave my guests for a full hour but I know I'll need that time for pictures... this will be as short as possible!

8:00 Introduction of wedding party 

8:10 First Dance (want to do this before eating in-case I spill or feel full after - typical me!)

8:20 Welcome Speech (either a thank-you from my fiance and I or something quick from one of our immediate family members)

8:30-9:15 Dinner (buffet... hope this is quick!) - country/soft music, something upbeat to keep the mood. Maybe some of our favorite songs that aren't exactly dance-songs so that we can hear them while we eat and not miss out on dancing!

9:15 Toasts

9:45 Father Daughter and Mother Son Dance
DANCING!

10:30 Cake cutting
I'm not sure what time we're ending.... 11? 11:30? 12? Need to put more thought into this! Probably 11:30

 

[calgarybride2015]

Thank you all for the opinions! I know I will re-mold my schedule as I continue planning but here's what I have so far....

 

7ish-8ish cocktail hour (I don't want to leave my guests for a full hour but I know I'll need that time for pictures... this will be as short as possible!

8:00 Introduction of wedding party 

8:10 First Dance (want to do this before eating in-case I spill or feel full after - typical me!)

8:20 Welcome Speech (either a thank-you from my fiance and I or something quick from one of our immediate family members)

8:30-9:15 Dinner (buffet... hope this is quick!) - country/soft music, something upbeat to keep the mood. Maybe some of our favorite songs that aren't exactly dance-songs so that we can hear them while we eat and not miss out on dancing!

9:15 Toasts

9:45 Father Daughter and Mother Son Dance

DANCING!

10:30 Cake cutting

I'm not sure what time we're ending.... 11? 11:30? 12? Need to put more thought into this! Probably 11:30

 

 

 

The only thing about stopping your reception at 11 or 1130 is you don't give anyone time to party!!!!  Only about 40 mins between your dances and the cake cutting.

What if you did the toasts, then cake cutting, then opened up the dance floor until closing time?   I would go more for 12pm.