Reception timeline opinions

brookelynpaisley

I'm trying to hammer out a timeline and I'm having a hard time. I know guests will be hungry, so I want to get them fed right away. On the one hand, I don't want people sitting around bored while we do dances, but I also don't want to have to stop the party. Does anyone see anything horribly wrong with this timeline? 12:45 Grand Entrance 12:50 Toasts/Lunch 1:45 First Dance 1:50 Father/Bride 1:55 Mother/Groom 2:00 Cake 2:10 Open Dancing 3:30 Bouquet/Garter Toss 4:25 Last DanceI'm at work, so I've gotta sign off, but will watch on email and come back if anyone has questions.

Calypso1977

are you having  acocktail hour with apps?  if so, then they wont be starved, so i'd get hte dances out of hte way first.if you arnet having cocktail hour, then i think this timeline is good as they will be starved.

CurlyQ284

I think the cake cutting kind of signals the end of the wedding so I would put it closer to the end so your guests don't think it's over and start leaving.  My parents always bolt from weddings after the cake cutting!

ggmae

Could you do cake at the end of dinner? That way when guests are watching the first dance and parent dances, they can just go right on the dance floor after those dances. We did: Entrance Dinner/Toasts Cake First Dance Parent Dance Tosses Open Dancing

cantblobubbles

Looks good to me! It might not work out *exactly* the way you want it, lunch might be done earlier/later than expected etc. But 15 minutes of dancing doesn't seem bad, and it won't really be that long because most songs are around the 3 minute mark.

Kati0105

I would maybe consider pushing back the cake cutting (maybe to right before the bouquet/garter toss)?  At all the weddings I've attended the cake cutting has been closer to the end - I think etiquette-wise it is supposed to be a sign to the guests that all the formal activities have ended.  Everything else looks fine though.

cantblobubbles

Responding to pp, personally I don't know if I'd do cake RIGHT after the food. Some people like to leave room for dessert, but all the weddings I've been to, the foods been good and I'm stuffed for a while before I'm ready for cake.

ggmae

Well, we cut the cake at the end of dinner, but it took them a good 30 minutes to get it cut for all 100 guests and out on the tables. We did it this way so that people wouldn't have to stop dancing to see the cake cut. Guests were able to eat it right away or save it for when they wanted it. The cake wasn't taken off the tables until the end of the reception.

brookelynpaisley

I didn't know about the cake cutting signalling the end of the formalities. I've only really been to two weddings as an adult and didn't really pay attention. The last one did all the dances and cake cutting BEFORE the dances and that really sucked, so definitely know I don't want to do that.Pushing the cake out seems like a good idea.

Kati0105

Is it weird until the knot I never knew that the cake cutting indicated the end of the wedding?I knew from watching SATC   Carrie was pissed at Big in one episode because they went to a wedding and he "wasn't even committed enough to stay until they cut the cake."

ggmae

We actually wanted to do the cake first to get it out of the way (and because most guests know that I usually eat dessert before dinner, so we thought it was kind of a funny idea) and cut in time for dessert, but the venue insisted that we do it at the end of dinner.

1104*Celsius

Where I'm from/used to work, the cake was always cut right after Grand Entrance because it was often on a small table in the center of the dance floor as a kind of centerpiece. After it was cut, it was literally whisked back into the kitchen and the first dance took place, followed by toasts & blessing. Meanwhile, the cake was being cut so that it could be served after dinner. It wasn't cleared until near the very end of the reception so that people could eat it at their own leisure, like on a break from dancing. 

brookelynpaisley

So something like: 12:45 Grand Entrance 12:50 Toasts/Lunch 1:40 Cake  1:45 First Dance 1:50 Father/Bride 1:55 Mother/Groom 2:00 Open Dancing 3:30 Bouquet/Garter Toss 4:25 Last Dance  

MissSarah786

We cut our cake an hour before the end of the reception. However, we had two sheet cakes which were already cut and waiting, so guests didn't wait 30 minutes to get cake, they got it instantly.

1104*Celsius

That's pretty exactly much what we did, although our cake didn't need to be cut, so it was there to eat at the guests' leisure or take home with them. The guests took their cake cutting photos, and then we got the party started!

MissSarah786

I think less than an hour between lunch and cake isn't great. I love cake, but I would not want it immediately after lunch and if I wait, there may be no cake left. This may sound bad, but after our cake cutting, our DJ played Cha Cha Slide (his own idea), to get people back on the dance floor, and it worked great.

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt

I like that...it's basically exactly what we're doing. I think it will limit the breaks in your dancing (people can eat before they dance, if they want, or during the tosses if they're not participating and they're full from lunch), and it gives plenty of time to get the cake plated.I would just make sure your servers don't clear the cake until the end of the reception.

MissSarah786

I would just make sure your servers don't clear the cake until the end of the reception. This.

weddnovice

What if you put the first dance up front?  I've heard that reception order is regionally different - that in different parts of the country nobody dances at all until the food is done. Is that how it's done where you are?  Here in NY people dance between courses and try to fit as much partying in as possible.What if it went like this:12:45 Grand Entrance 12:50 First Dance (since you're up there already) & everyone's looking 1:00 Toasts/Lunch 1:35 Father/Bride 1:40 Mother/Groom 1:45 Open Dancing 3:30 Cake Cutting3:35 Bouquet/Garter Toss 4:25 Last Dance

brookelynpaisley

Thank you all so much for the help and ideas! I really appreciate it.

trix1223

DD's wedding was done differently than any I've been to, but now I'd completely recommend it.After the WP entrance, they went into their first dance.  Pastor offered the blessing and the MOH and BM gave their toasts.Then dinner was served.  After dinner they cut their cake, and everyone was called to the dance floor.DD and DH had their dance,  SIL and his mom had theirs and then they opened up the dance floor.  While people were enjoying dancing, the cake was served.It kept people from having to stand and watch 3 special dances in a row and let guests begin dinner relatively quickly.It all worked beautifully.