timing from buffet start to first dance?

strawberrybee9

Timeline help, please.

If our buffet opens at 2:45p (FI and I will grab food first), when should we plan for the first dance? Would 3:30 work, or should we do it earlier/later?

Thanks!!

southernbelle0915

How many guests do you have? Is there just the one buffet or more than one/two sided buffet?

strawberrybee9

southernbelle0915 said:

How many guests do you have? Is there just the one buffet or more than one/two sided buffet?

It's a three-station buffet, so three different stations featuring different foods.

We're having about 140 guests.

ETA: The dance floor is not quite the same area as where people will be eating -- they are connected by a wall of French doors, but the dance floor is inside the house, and the dining area is connected but is an outdoor patio. I honestly don't expect many people to get out of their seats to watch us (which is fine -- not crazy about being the center of attention, and we're also not the best dancers anyway...).

tcnoble

What about doing your first dance right after you make your grand entrance?

strawberrybee9

tcnoble said:

What about doing your first dance right after you make your grand entrance?

What's funny is that I'd posted on this board previously with that on my timeline, and several people discouraged me from doing that. http://forums.theknot.com/discussion/1054234/timeline-help#latest

strawberrybee9

tcnoble said:

What about doing your first dance right after you make your grand entrance?

Oh, also, we'll be attending our cocktail hour so there will be no big entrance.

Maggie0829

I think there is a big difference between having the spotlight dances before dinner and opening up the dance floor for a few songs to get everyone in a celebratory mood.  For our wedding we walked in and did our first dance and then our parent dances.  Then our stations were open and everyone ate.  I think dinner lasted about an hour and a half in which during that time we did table visits. Then the DJ started playing music to get everyone up and dancing (previously was playing nice background music for dinner).

And even though you are attending your cocktail hour you can have your DJ announce something like "Good afternoon.  At this time X and Y will have their first dance as blah blah blah."  Then you do your first dance.

southernbelle0915

If the buffet opens at 2:45, I would do the first dance around 3:45 or 4 giving everyone a chance to get to all 3 stations, eat and mingle for a bit.

tcnoble

strawberrybee9 said:

tcnoble said:

What about doing your first dance right after you make your grand entrance?

What's funny is that I'd posted on this board previously with that on my timeline, and several people discouraged me from doing that. http://forums.theknot.com/discussion/1054234/timeline-help#latest

They discouraged opening the dance floor/inviting GUESTS to dance, closing it, and re opening after dinner.

It is not uncommon to make your grand entrance (which doesn't have to be "GRAND", just your entrance to the reception) and then go right in to your first dance.

We did grand entrance, first dance, cake cutting, buffet dinner. We did table visits and talked with people during dinner so it would have felt more weird for us to stop mingling for our first dance.