How much time for dinner?

mrstrevor15

We are having about 60 people at our wedding and dinner will start at 7pm. We will be having a buffet. I am just wondering if I should allot an hour or an hour and a half for dinner? Also, I'm not sure of the rest of the timeline for the night. During dinner will be the maybe 2 or 3 toasts, should we cut the cake right after dinner or wait about 45 min - 1 hour to serve it? I always hear of people leaving right after the cake is served but there will be music and an open bar. The wedding is on a Saturday in June.

flantastic

mrstrevor15 said:

We are having about 60 people at our wedding and dinner will start at 7pm. We will be having a buffet. I am just wondering if I should allot an hour or an hour and a half for dinner? Also, I'm not sure of the rest of the timeline for the night. During dinner will be the maybe 2 or 3 toasts, should we cut the cake right after dinner or wait about 45 min - 1 hour to serve it? I always hear of people leaving right after the cake is served but there will be music and an open bar. The wedding is on a Saturday in June.

The coordinator at our venue suggested a dinner timeline. It's their job to know how long this will take. Just ask them and then plan the rest.

You should cut the cake immediately after dinner, or even right when you come in so that it's ready to be served after dinner. People who leave after the cake is served do so because they want to go home and are waiting politely until dinner is over. If it is clear the reception will be continuing with dancing, as it often does, those who want to stay for dancing will do so. They won't feel the need to leave just because the cake's been served.

thisismynickname2

I have to say the same as the PP. The venue coordinator or caterer should know this. 

Tip: Make sure it's as efficient as possible. If this means you have to pay to have duplicate stations or extra people dishing out the food (as with some buffets), do so. It stinks to have people starting on dessert when others haven't even gotten their first course.  Make sure someone is releasing tables, like a head waiter or the DJ. A free-for-all isn't fun either. 

mrstrevor15

thisismynickname said:

I have to say the same as the PP. The venue coordinator or caterer should know this. 

Tip: Make sure it's as efficient as possible. If this means you have to pay to have duplicate stations or extra people dishing out the food (as with some buffets), do so. It stinks to have people starting on dessert when others haven't even gotten their first course.  Make sure someone is releasing tables, like a head waiter or the DJ. A free-for-all isn't fun either. 

I agree! I went to a wedding last year but they had a family style dinner. Everyone at our table got the soup but me ( I would not have eaten it anyway, but still!). I will make sure everyone eats dinner at and within the same time everyone else will be eating.

mlg78

We made our entrance and went straight into our first dance. After that we cut the cake and sat down to eat. While we were eating they were able to cut and plate the cake. Very efficient.

novella1186

An hour doesn't sound long enough for dinner, to me. It takes everyone time to get through the buffet line, and make their way back to their tables. And people won't be super focused on eating because they'll likely also be chatting since this is a social event. 

But I agree with PPs, ask your venue coordinator or whoever works on-site for a realistic timeline. I'm sure they've done this tons of times and have a pretty good idea of how things run. 

flantastic

mlg78 said:

We made our entrance and went straight into our first dance. After that we cut the cake and sat down to eat. While we were eating they were able to cut and plate the cake. Very efficient.

We also did this. It broke up the series of 3 spotlight dances and just made more sense. Toasts happened during dessert, then father/daughter and mother/son dances, then we got on with the party.

afaber24

I would  say just give an hour for dinner. People can finish eating or have their dessert while you're doing spot light dances.

Cut the cake as soon as you enter so it is ready to eat as soon as dinner is finished. And be sure that your caterer is moving people through the buffet serving line quickly. Maybe salads or soup can already be available at the table? Just to move things along a little quicker.

Nothing makes a reception boring like sitting at the dinner table for hours!