Critique my timeline.

BecauseYouAre

It seems very long, 8 hours.

2:30-4:00 wedding ceremony (Catholic mass)
Travel time 20 minute drive
4:30-5:30 cocktail hour
5:30-6:00 entrance, first dance, speeches
6:00-7:00 dinner
7:00-7:30 cake cutting and dessert
7:30-9:30 party time
9:30-10:15 late night snacks
10:15-10:30 last dance and send off

AddieCake

How many speeches are there going to be? Have you been told people are giving them? 30 minutes seems like a long time to allot for walking into a room, dancing, and someone making a toast. 

manateehugger

30 minutes for speeches, introductions, and first dances seems like a very very long time. 

Also, check in with your venue or caterer about cake-cutting. Many couples cut the cake right after they walk in so that the serving staff can have it cut in time to serve at the end of dinner. 

I personally think it works out best when the couple is introduced, cake is cut, dinner is served, toasts are made during dinner so that guests can eat and listen at the same time (and aren't hungrily waiting while listening to speech after speech), and first dance comes right as dinner is ending to open up the dance floor. 

BecauseYouAre

The 30 minutes actually includes the guests making their way into the reception area from the patio & veranda where the cocktail hour is.

huskypuppy14

Is your ceremony actually 1.5 hours long? Most catholic mass weddings are right around an hour. I would start your cocktail hour at 4 or maybe 4:15. 

lyndausvi

PDKH said:

30 minutes for speeches, introductions, and first dances seems like a very very long time. 

Also, check in with your venue or caterer about cake-cutting. Many couples cut the cake right after they walk in so that the serving staff can have it cut in time to serve at the end of dinner. 

I personally think it works out best when the couple is introduced, cake is cut, dinner is served, toasts are made during dinner so that guests can eat and listen at the same time (and aren't hungrily waiting while listening to speech after speech), and first dance comes right as dinner is ending to open up the dance floor. 

Now see I like introduction, first dance, toasts/speeches during the first course.  I don't really care when the cake is cut as long as it's not late in the night.  I'm not one to eat desert right after dinner, so prefer not being given cake so soon.  Not a big deal either way, just my preference.

Your timeline seems fine to me.   Intros seemed a little long but if that included guests taking their seats it's fine.   Also desert/cake cutting taking 30 minutes seems long, but you can just instruct the DJ to start the party after the cake cutting regardless of time.

** my social group are huge dancers and even danced in between courses. Having the first dance out of the way allows guests to hit up the dance floor earlier as they won't dance before the first dance.

BecauseYouAre

We're having a dessert buffet (and dinner as well). So the half hour is for every one to get over to the tables. We'll have music going the whole time (live band).

Maggie0829

Well you definitely do not need to block off 30 minutes to cut your cake. That will take maybe 5 minutes tops.

I do like getting the spotlight dances out of the way first thing but that should take maybe 15 minutes not 30.  And those speeches should actually be toasts and be kept very short and sweet.  Also have people volunteered to say anything?  If not then you won't even have to worry about the toasts. Finally many weddings I have been to the toasts were done while guests were eating their dinner or salads.

MyNameIsNot

90 minutes for mass seems really long.  Usually wedding masses are shorter than regular Sunday mass because the communion line is shorter and the homily is shorter.  Ours took 45 minutes.  

Will the venue doors open early if the mass doesn't take that long?

BecauseYouAre

MyNameIsNot said:

90 minutes for mass seems really long.  Usually wedding masses are shorter than regular Sunday mass because the communion line is shorter and the homily is shorter.  Ours took 45 minutes.  

Will the venue doors open early if the mass doesn't take that long?

That's what we were told to plan for when we made the arrangements at the church.

JoanE2012

lyndausvi said:

PDKH said:

30 minutes for speeches, introductions, and first dances seems like a very very long time. 

Also, check in with your venue or caterer about cake-cutting. Many couples cut the cake right after they walk in so that the serving staff can have it cut in time to serve at the end of dinner. 

I personally think it works out best when the couple is introduced, cake is cut, dinner is served, toasts are made during dinner so that guests can eat and listen at the same time (and aren't hungrily waiting while listening to speech after speech), and first dance comes right as dinner is ending to open up the dance floor. 

Now see I like introduction, first dance, toasts/speeches during the first course.  I don't really care when the cake is cut as long as it's not late in the night.  I'm not one to eat desert right after dinner, so prefer not being given cake so soon.  Not a big deal either way, just my preference.

Your timeline seems fine to me.   Intros seemed a little long but if that included guests taking their seats it's fine.   Also desert/cake cutting taking 30 minutes seems long, but you can just instruct the DJ to start the party after the cake cutting regardless of time.

** my social group are huge dancers and even danced in between courses. Having the first dance out of the way allows guests to hit up the dance floor earlier as they won't dance before the first dance.

Ditto.  I've only ever seen it done this way.  

Our DJ opened up the dance floor between courses.....it was perfect!

indianaalum

laurynm84 said:

Is your ceremony actually 1.5 hours long? Most catholic mass weddings are right around an hour. I would start your cocktail hour at 4 or maybe 4:15. 

I was thinking the same thing actually. It won't last that long most likely

indianaalum

BecauseYouAre said:

It seems very long, 8 hours. 2:30-4:00 wedding ceremony (Catholic mass) Travel time 20 minute drive 4:30-5:30 cocktail hour 5:30-6:00 entrance, first dance, speeches 6:00-7:00 dinner 7:00-7:30 cake cutting and dessert 7:30-9:30 party time 9:30-10:15 late night snacks 10:15-10:30 last dance and send off

Is the CAKE your dessert? If so, you will need to do "cake cutting" DURING dinner so it gives time for them to cut the cake. At least, that is how it worked at our venue

monkeysip

We did the cake cutting later, not right after dinner, as I don't think dessert needs to be served right after.  And the cutting didn't take longer than 5 minutes for our staff, but my wedding was also smaller than most here anyway, so maybe others need more time.

Cake cutting definitely won't take that long though.  

Our mass was only an hour.  And our priest is long-winded.  I'd double check the time on that.

Other than that, timeline seems fine.  Not too long, really.  Especially if you got some party people!

Maggie0829

Even if cake is your only dessert you don't have to do it during dinner. Many weddings I have been to have had the cake cutting done about 2 hours prior to the end of the reception. I personally like getting all the spotlight stuff done up front so that nothing interrupts the party once it really gets going.