Reception Timeline

chrob

Hi there I was wondering any married ladies would be able to share your reception timeline and how well you think it worked? Was it long enough? Too long? All the venues I am looking at have based their packages around 4 hours including cocktail hour- I really don't think this is long enough, especially since we want to serve a 3 course sit down meal. This seems to be the standard length in Florida but I have only ever been to weddings in other parts of the country and overseas and they have always been longer than this. Some vendors are willing to add on an extra couple hours but some are convinced that everyone would leave early. Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance

danieliza1127

Our cocktail hour was 6:30-7:30 and reception 7:30-midnight.  So it was pretty long but I felt like it was great and we did have a lot of people there until the end, especially our friends and my side of the family.You really just need to consider your guests.  Are they the types to stay all night and party, drink, and dance?  Or are they the types to have an early night.  Let that make your decision for you.  If you have 4 hours, you might want to add on one hour if you want to have lots of dancing.Our timeline:7:30 - grand entrance, toastsDinnerFirst dancefather/daughter dancemother/son dancegeneral dancingcut cakegeneral dancing/socializing 11:30 bar closed12am reception over

michelle142

Cocktail hour: 4:30PM to 6PMDinner: 6PMDJ: 7:30PM to 11:30PMI know it seems long, but for my area this type of timeline is common. Dinner took about 1.5 hours, so the DJ started almost immediately. Everything flowed well and everyone enjoyed themselves.I think if you want to do a 3 course sit down meal, I would try to extend past 4 hours. Especially if you want to have dancing or entertainment.

Leah&Christian09

We had 5 hours including the cocktail hour.  We served a buffet, and I still feel like it could have gone on longer.  The majority of our guests stayed until the end and went to an after party.  Maybe an after party could work?

grace_anthony

WPB,FLthis was mine: ceremony was at 66:30-7:00 Cocktails7:30 Bridal party arrives7:45 first dance, father/daughter, mother/son, toast8 dollar dance (while people were getting appetizers)8:30 sit down dinner served 9:15 cake cutting and served 9:30 bouquet toss, garter toss 9:45- 12 open dancing maybe it depends when you start it. the reception only allowed us until midnight. so we started at 6.

BostonBride919

Here's ours: 6 to 7pm: Cocktail Hour (Open Bar) 7:00pm: Open Bars close & Wine Service begins at tables7:10pm: Intros - WP followed by Bride & Groom 7:15pm: MOH Toast & BM Toast 7:20pm: Our Thanks/Toast 7:25pm: Mr. Colatosti Intro/Welcome & Blessing by Reverend Bryan Wilkerson7:30pm: Appetizer Course Served 7:50pm: Salad Course Served 7:55pm: Wedding Video 8:00pm: Cake Cutting8:10pm: Pasta Course Served 8:30pm: Entrée Course Served and Bars Re-Open9:00pm: Cake, Cookies and Candy Buffet Served9:05pm: First Dance 9:10pm: Candy Buffet Announcement by DJ & Dancing/Open Floor 9:30pm: Favor Table set up in Venetian Room10:00pm: Anniversary Dance 10:30pm: Flip Flop Baskets put out in Venetian Room11:30pm: Late Night Snacks – Fenway Favorites 12:35am: Last Dance & Confetti Bomb Surprise  

ExpatPumpkin

Our timeline went something like this: 2:30 - ceremony 4:30 - cocktails 5:45 - first dance 6:00 - dinner started (6 courses) 7:00 - cake cutting and toasts 10:30 - mariachi group 11:00 - late night snack 12:00ish - party over It was about 8 hours, and no one started leaving until around 11PM. We had a mostly international crowd that's used to longer receptions But the Americans stuck around until the end too

Stephanie0405

We had our reception from 5-10pm, with the bar open, I believe, the whole time.  The DJ played from 5-10pm as well.  Then we had to 11pm to say Good-Byes. Cocktail hour 5-6 (approx).  We arrived at 5:30 did our Introductions and Grand Enterance, then our First Dance, Cake Cutting, Speeches and Blessing, Dinner,  then Greeted Guests at Their Tables.  Then throughout the night we did parent dances, bouquet and garter toss.  It worked out really nice.  It was the perfect amount of time!

emh777

Ahhhhhh - this is making me nervous!!!! I thought we had a good amount of time, but now I feel like maybe not. We are having the ceremony and reception in the same place. The place (which is WONDERFUL) only gives us 5 hours for both so here is our est. time line. I don't know if it's going to be enough!!!! If you are not having your ceremony in the same place - this timeline is probably about the same as yours. 4:00 pictures (we are doing as many pictures before hand as possible - this time is not included in the five hours) 5:30: Ceremony 6:00 - 7:00 - cocktail hour 7:00: wedding party enters 7:15: couple introduction and 1st dance 7:30-8:30: dinner (stations) begins - with toasts throughout 8:30: cake cutting (DJ switches from big band music to contemporary dance music) 8:45-11:00 PARTY!!!! What do you think?

rlyttle

6:30 Ceremony7-7:50 Cocktail Party7:50 Wedding Party Intro8:00 Father Welcome8:00 Dinner & Slideshow8:30 Toasts8:45 Cut Cake8:50 First Dance/ Father & Mother Dance with Bride & Groom9-12 Party!!!

ellenb09

I think my timeline will look like this: 6:00pm - wedding                                                     7:15 - cocktails8:00- 8:15 - people find their tables8:15 - announce bride & groom, cut cake, blessing8:25 - serve salads & 2 toastsThere will be two more toasts before the end of the meal as well.9-11:30 - party with the band:)  

simplebride_24

Hi chrob. I live in Saskatchewan, Canada. I read all the other girls posts and apparently we do things a lot differently here than they are done in the states. Here is my timeline: 2:00 - Ceremony 4:00 - 5:00 - Cocktails 5:00 - entrance of WP 5:30 - buffet supper 6:00 - program begins (toasts etc.) 7:00 - first dance, father/daughter, mother/son dances 7:30 - 12:30 - dance 8:00 - cake cutting, bouquet toss, garter toss 11:00 - late lunch 12:30 - last dance out of building by 1am and off to the after party at the Hose which is a bar here in Saskatoon, (we know the owner)

dirtymartini

4:00 ceremony5:45-7:00 cocktail hour7:15 Introductions/Father of Bride Welcome/Prayer7:30-8:15 Seated Dinner8:15-8:35 Toasts/First Dance/Father Daughter dance8:35 Cake cutting8:45-12:00 Dancing

dirtymartini

Oh sorry-- forgot to mention how it worked out!  It wasn't too short or too long-- just perfect!  I think by 11:30-12:00 a lot of guests were ready to go home (mostly the older ones), the younger crowd that still wanted to party just went to the bars afterward!  (Our reception was downtown Indianapolis)

Tsteward19

I will be getting married Saturday, but my wedding is 2-5:15. That includes the ceremony and the reception. We were fine with the time because we didn't want to be exhausted by the end of the day and we are traveling after the ceremony. I guess it depends on what the rest of your night entails...we could have paid for another hour, but I list only consisted of about 150 people and most was family that was already going to be here a few days before so we have that time to spemd with them and cater to the out of town friends and family in that 3 hours..I like it that i'm not stuck there all nigh. Oh by the way I live in Louisiana, and we are not serving alcohol since it's in the afternoon so people wont feel the need to keep the party going haha! Good luck with everything.

Tsteward19

o and the photographer is going to get there earlier to get the grooms pics out of the way. My time line is 2-2:20 Ceremony, then we'll finish up pics which should only take about antother 15 min....the guest are going to be allowed to begin eating. (the wedding and ceremony are in the same venue) We'll come in and have our first dance, toast, cut the cake, then father/daughter, mother son, parents and bridal party dance....then eating and mingling with guest...the last 30 min will be the garter, bouqet toss and last dane. Our site is going to have a to go box in case we dont get enough time to eat.

chrob

Thanks everyone for sharing! That is really helpful. ExpatPumpkin, that sounds like the sort of timeline I am used to at weddings, I live in London and that's how weddings are done on this side of the pond! Half our guests will be from the UK so I know they have staying power, but actually I think my family who are American will probably outlast them all! emh777, try not to worry! You are doing stations which means all your reception time will be sociable. I want to serve a 3 course plated dinner which totally breaks up the party so it's very different, also I am really weird and anxious about timelines in general, if you were not worried before, don't worry now! A couple of the venues I am looking at have separate space to do a lounge style afterparty so I am going to look into that!

amkdp101

I am not married yet but our reception schedule is...5:00 cocktails6:00 introduction/toasts6:15 dinner After dinner we will cut the cake, due our special dances, and anniversary dance.11:00 last call11:30 reception endsHope that helps. GL!

Faye&Conrad

I recently attended a wedding that was only 4 hours long, and it seemed kinda short, of course it didn't help that while the bridal party was taking pictures they lost the keys to one of the cars! So the Cocktail hour ran much longer than it should have and by the time everyone ate, and all the activites were through, we got in maybe 4 songs worth of dancing and just when everyone was ready to party it was time to go.