Wedding Timeline

Re: Wedding Timeline

• jma1983

  

  January 2010

  Thanks for the awesome input!  As for the receiving line...we are anticipating about 200-250 guests.  I wasn't clear in the timeline about the dinner time.  I was going to start the first dance and spotlight dances while everyone was eating, to try to avoid them having to sit through them.  Ceremony-we aren't doing a full mass, but we are going to have a soloist sing a song at the very beginning, right before the processional and then we have 2 readings during the ceremony and the unity candle.  We also have 5 couples and 2 ringbearers in the wedding party.  So, I was trying to figure out timing of processional, ceremony and recessional.  That's where I came up with 45 minutes.  Anyway, thank you very much for the great input! 

  Report0 Reply
• MyNameIsNot member

  

  January 2010

  I pretty much agree with everything Trix said. 
  
  I think you should try to open the reception venue and do the sodas at 3:30, even if you leave the DJ starting at 4.  Some people will skip the receiving line, and someone has to be the first one through. 
  
  I also agree that the dollar dance is really tacky, and that if you skipped it on the day of, people would get over it.  But if you must have it, I think 30 minutes is reallly excessive.  I would keep it to 1-2 songs max, and move on.  I would be bored out of my mind if after dinner we had to sit there waiting for that long for the dance floor to open. 

  Report0 Reply
• jma1983

  

  January 2010

  I agree with you guys on the Dollar Dance.  In fact, I brought it up to FI again last night and told him that my family is very uncomfortable with the idea.  But, he and his family talk about it non-stop.  I will probably take MyNameIsNot's suggestion and just limit it to 1-2 songs...and that will be my compromise to FI. 

  Report0 Reply
• landk2011 member

  

  February 2010

  So I'll be honest, I had never heard of a dollar dance, and just looked it up, but is there a way to make it a little more classy? That way his family could be glad that it's happening, but you're family wouldn't have to be embarrassed at the idea. Things I was thinking of were, for example, insisting on really nice songs to be played during it, or maybe even tweaking the "dollar" idea. One thing that jumped to mind would be to have the guys pay a dollar to buy a small flower, and putting the flower on you somehow. (This is because the site I read said that part of the dollar dance is placing the dollar on you, a la stripper, which seems kind of tacky for a wedding). I don't know if these are options, but there's gotta be a way to make it a little nicer...

  Report0 Reply
• aerinpegadrak member

  

  February 2010

  At my stepsister's wedding, she started with toasts, then their first dance, then the parent dances, then the dollar dance...  By the second guest into the dollar dance, we were out the door and went to a movie theatre (where we had a much better time).  It was just too much sitting around, especially with the awful sappy music they chose for all of the dances.
  
  My favorite dollar dance compromise is the wish dance.  You provide slips of paper and ask the guests to write you a piece of advice or well-wishes, and they give you that in exchange for a dance.  If people want to slip in a few bucks as well, it's entirely up to them, but the people who don't have cash on them aren't left out.
  
  But definitely keep it brief: the dollar dance has a tendency to stop the party dead, because most people clear the floor for it.  I would take 20 minutes off your dollar dance and put that onto dinner.

  This is a neglected planning bio.
  This is a belated married bio, with no reviews yet because I'm lazy.
  
  
  Sometimes I feel like people think that brides are delicate little flower princesses who get all dressed up and pretty for one special moment of their dreams, when really they're just normal people who just happen to be getting married. Things shouldn't have to be sugar-coated for grown-ass women. -mstar284

  Report0 Reply
• shwethasrin member

  

  February 2010

  I like the idea of a wish dance. Another option to make it less stripper-like would be to donate the money to your favorite charity, and maybe make a sign that really quickly describes the charity/foundation to your guests. 

  Report0 Reply