Reception timeline

petitmonstree

What was yours like? I'm not exactly sure when we should do certain things. These are things I'm thinking of so far but I have no idea when would be the right time for them at the reception (our reception is 4 hours btw).

- 1st dance

- mother/son dance

- father/daughter dance

- garter/bouquet toss (this would be the very last right?)

- speeches or anything like that

- cake cutting (I'm assuming right after everyone is done with dinner)

The reason I ask is so that when I send our DJ our playlist I can tell him what times we'll be doing certain things.

TIA!

fallbride1109

Our reception was 4 hours also.  Actually, your DJ can actually help you with your flow of events.  Here was ours:

B&G entrance
First dance
Dinner
Cake cutting and toasts (1 hour after dinner service started)
Dancing
Garter/bouquet (1 hour after cake cutting/1 hour before reception over)
Dancing
Exit

We didn't do any other spotlight dances but you can easily fit those in.  Most girls suggest doing it earlier to have them done and out of the way.  You can also have dinner first and do all the dances (including the first dance) after dinner.

Maggie0829

Do you want to do the spotlight dances before or after dinner?

Do you want to cut your cake right after dinner or about an hour before the end of your reception?

Do you want to do speeches prior to or after dinner has been served?

This is my personal preference for reception timelines...
Spot light dances (first, F/D, M/S)
Dinner served
Speeches near end of dinner
Cake cutting right after dinner
Bouquet/garter toss
Party time!! (dancing for rest of reception)

I have been to a lot of weddings where things were spread out through the night and whenever something else came up, the DJ's would stop the dancing, move people off the dance floor and then we would have to stand there and watch whatever was going on.  I find that doing this really kills the pary atmosphere.  Once the party starts just let it keep going.  If it keeps stopping and starting it is really hard to enjoy yourself and keep in that party mode.

ElisabethJoanne

I agree with Maggie, but for me it's more about not having my conversations interrupted. Our reception timeline is something like this. It's a holiday Monday, so we're skewing all the "have-tos" early so people can politely leave relatively early, but dancing can go until 9 or 10. We also have lots of elderly guests and guests with small children, and children are invited.

5-5:30 B'ruchot/Grace/Toasts
5:30-6:30 dinner
6:30-7 cake cutting and service
7- first dance

No tosses, no formal send-off

petitmonstree

Thank you ladies! Maggie you made a really good point about that so I think I might do it similar to yours. Thanks! :