So, I wanted to get the cake cutting done pretty early in the reception. Especially because I know I'm going to be dancing and probably getting sweaty and I want the pictures to look nice. When I told my caterer the original timeline (which had us cutting the cake immediately after dinner), she insisted that cutting the cake is the cue that people can leave and go home. She said that in her experience, the party basically ends immediately after the cake cut. I obviously don't want this. We still have hours of time left in the venue to dance after dinner and I would love for guests to stay.
On the other hand, I was reading that cutting the cake earlier is more appropriate because it essentially allows guests to leave when tired, instead of feeling like they are being "held hostage" until the cake is cut later in the night.
Advice please! I don't really think my guests would leave right after the cake is cut, but I'm worried about my caterer's previous experiences. And I also don't want to wait too long and look a gross, sweaty mess while my guests have been wanting to leave but were too polite.