wedding day timeline?

scissotron

I'm not sure if this is etiquette or not, but is there any chance anyone could give me a typical wedding timeline, including things like get ready, take pictures, ceremony, grand entrance for the bridal party & bride and groom, and i have no idea the order in which things are supposed to happen at the reception!  please help.    the last wedding i went to, they had food, then dancing, then cake, but because they had it in that order, lots of people were leaving by the time they cut the cake.  or it may be just because they had too much dance time between food and cake?  i just dont want anyone to leave until the only thing left is drinking and dancing.  

Summer2011Bride

Here was ours but it will really depend on when you get pics taken, when your photog wants you there, etc.

9:00: hair and makeup
12:00: arrive at church
12:30: getting ready photos of the girls
1:30: getting ready photos of guys (we didn't have a first look)
3:00: ceremony
4:30 ish-5:00: guests arrived at reception venue for cocktails/food while we took pics (It seems like we had a gap but we didn't. The ceremony lasted 45 min., then by the time we did our exit and what not, it was after 4:15. Many guests stood around and chatted before drivnig over to the reception venue which was 20 min. away).
6:00: BP and B&G entrance
6:15: salads brought out while toasts commenced
6:30ish: dinner served:
7:15 ish:cake cut
7:30: first dances
Then dance floor opened

bunni727

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_wedding-day-timeline-5?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:9a8652fe-3d05-4e1e-8b76-25ec78c8e916Post:ff09287f-7dde-4a45-a970-3ba26f0b5419">wedding day timeline?</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm not sure if this is etiquette or not, but is there any chance anyone could give me a typical wedding timeline, including things like get ready, take pictures, ceremony, grand entrance for the bridal party & bride and groom, and i have no idea the order in which things are supposed to happen at the reception!  please help.  :)  the last wedding i went to, they had food, then dancing, then cake, but because they had it in that order, l<strong>ots of people were leaving by the time they cut the cake.  or it may be just because they had too much dance time between food and cake?  i just dont want anyone to leave until the only thing left is drinking and dancing.  :)</strong>
Posted by scissotron[/QUOTE]

Generally, the cake cutting is the signal that all the "events" are over, and it's a good time for guests to leave if they don't want to stay for dancing.

Ours was something like this:
9-12: decorating
12-2:30 hair & makeup (I ate lunch while my hot rollers cooled)
2:30-3:30 bridal party pictures
4 ceremony
4:30 Receiving line and some pictures
5:00 dinner
6:00First dance, Parent dances
6:30 Cake Cutting, Toasts
6:45 Bouquet and Garter Toss

I should note that our ceremony and reception were in separate areas of the same small park. We didn't leave them stranded while we took pictures, they were able to head on over and get drinks and things. It was a dry wedding, so no one really wanted to dance and most people left after the cake cutting and toasts.

scissotron

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_wedding-day-timeline-5?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:9a8652fe-3d05-4e1e-8b76-25ec78c8e916Post:494b8c83-0be6-460a-aeaa-c9f652e228db">Re: wedding day timeline?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to wedding day timeline? : Generally, the cake cutting is the signal that all the "events" are over, and it's a good time for guests to leave if they don't want to stay for dancing. Ours was something like this: 9-12: decorating 12-2:30 hair & makeup (I ate lunch while my hot rollers cooled) 2:30-3:30 bridal party pictures 4 ceremony 4:30 Receiving line and some pictures 5:00 dinner 6:00First dance, Parent dances 6:30 Cake Cutting, Toasts 6:45 Bouquet and Garter Toss I should note that our ceremony and reception were in separate areas of the same small park. We didn't leave them stranded while we took pictures, they were able to head on over and get drinks and things. It was a dry wedding, so no one really wanted to dance and most people left after the cake cutting and toasts.
Posted by bunni727[/QUOTE]
yeah, i just think having an open dance floor before the cake cutting was where they went wrong, cuz people started leaving during the open dance time.  there was probably somewhere around 100 people there, and only like 30 had stayed long enough to see the speeches and cake cutting.  our ceremony and reception are in the same venue as well, the reception area is probably 10 feet from the ceremony area.  i was thinking about having the buffet and bar open up right after the ceremony, in case the photog wants to do pictures after the ceremony, before the reception, so the guests would have sometyhing to do.  however, im not sure at all what the proper etiquette is for this.

Jen4948

I think it normally goes something like:

1) receiving line if any
2) cocktail hour/photos
3) dinner and speeches
4) special dances
5) general dances
6) cake cutting
7) bouquet/garter toss if any

scissotron

yours sounds closest to what i'm hoping ours will be like. what time did you put on your invites for it to start?

scissotron

In Response to Re:wedding day timeline?:[QUOTE]yours sounds closest to what i'm hoping ours will be like. what time did you put on your invites for it to start? Posted by scissotron[/QUOTE]
bunni727, that was for you. not sure why it didn't quote. :

kipnus

Our reception timeline went like this: 

5:00 - Cocktail "hour"

5:45 - Buffet dinner

6:45 - Toasts and wine box ceremony (while guests are finishing their meal)

7:20 - First dance, followed by open dance floor

8:45 - Cut and served cake, thanked guests for coming

9:00 - More dancing

9:45 - Last song

Almost everyone stayed right until the end. It was a Sunday night.

loca4pook

Btw, I think the timing of "cake cutting" varies these days. I know I have been to weddings where it is cut before dinner because it needs to be "cut" by venue for the dessert part. If THAT is true, I certainly do not think it is a sign that the wedding events are over.

scissotron

In Response to Re:wedding day timeline?:[QUOTE]Btw, I think the timing of quot;cake cuttingquot; varies these days. I know I have been to weddings where it is cut before dinner because it needs to be quot;cutquot; by venue for the dessert part. If THAT is true, I certainly do not think it is a sign that the wedding events are over.
Posted by loca4pook[/QUOTE]

gotchya. we pretty much have no rules from the venue. they don't even have staff for weddings, so i feel even more on my own with this stuff. haha. relying on my fellow knotties to be my wedding planners. :