Question about reception order

melntaitt · February 2012

After we are first introduced at the reception, we want to do our first dance, parents' dances, toasts then blessings. I anticipate 3 songs at 4 1/2 minutes (13 1/2 minutes), 5 toasts at about a minute each and the blessing it shouldn't come to more than 25 minutes, give or take.

Is this too long to make people wait for their dinner? There will be a full cocktail hour with 5 food selections just before this with the open bar so we thought it might be a good idea, but we are told that the parents' dances should be done after the cake while dessert is being served.

Thoughts???

Thanks

kelsey+brandon · February 2012

I would do the toasts after dinner or as people are finishing up. Just to break things down a bit. People will be ready to eat as soon as they sit down.

chelseakopperud · February 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_june-2012-weddings_question-reception-order?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:3ae4d68d-f10a-4dec-8810-da13c14a7b86Discussion:1458a229-5274-404e-a0f2-1d4afba2c261Post:4d3b0135-027a-494a-bf22-82f5d4d1d087">Re: Question about reception order</a>:
[QUOTE]I would do the toasts after dinner or as people are finishing up. Just to break things down a bit. People will be ready to eat as soon as they sit down.
Posted by kelsey+brandon[/QUOTE]

This!

Zimsgirl · February 2012

I would do toasts after dinner as well.

Amynutrition · February 2012

We are doing something close:

first dance, father/daughter dance, mother/son dance
blessing
Serve first course (maybe 10 min break so waiters can take entree orders) then toasts during the dinner courses (dinner will probably be ~1hour, toasts will be maybe 8 minutes spread through out)

The last wedding I went to the toasts were throughout dinner and it was fine. It's not that the guests will be hungry, but they will be sitting a table just watching/listening for 30 minutes -- so I say let them start eating.
I don't recommend doing dancing after dinner because my friend did this and no one was paying attention when they were dancing. You will have the most attention right after your entrance.

It might not be a big deal to others, but I was in the photobooth when they announced her first dance so I missed it and a lot of people where talking/milling around during the dances.

Ash61612 · February 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_june-2012-weddings_question-reception-order?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:3ae4d68d-f10a-4dec-8810-da13c14a7b86Discussion:1458a229-5274-404e-a0f2-1d4afba2c261Post:4d3b0135-027a-494a-bf22-82f5d4d1d087">Re: Question about reception order</a>:
[QUOTE]I would do the toasts after dinner or as people are finishing up. Just to break things down a bit. People will be ready to eat as soon as they sit down.
Posted by kelsey+brandon[/QUOTE]
This, We are doing the toasts before we cut the cake.

Zimsgirl · February 2012

FI doesn't even want any toasts. He hates when the spotlight's on him but I'm sure we'll end up having them and we'll do them after dinner

melntaitt · February 2012

This where we're at right now:

(5) Reception: 7 pm
Wedding party intro
Parent intro
Intro of Mr. & Mrs.
First dance (Mr. & Mrs.)
Father/daughter dance
Mother/son dance
Blessing
Let's eat
Toasts following dinner- (Best man)/ (MOH)/ (FOB)/ (MOG)/ (Mutual friend tentative)
Let's party
Cut the cake
Bouquet and garter
Generations dance
The party continues

Bouquet are garter are still in the air for me, but I figured I would include them just in case we decided to do it...

L&J2012 · February 2012

We're saving all dancing for after dinner, but that's mainly because the tables are in one room and the DJ will be set up in the foyer where the dance floor is. So, if we did the dancing beforehand then people would end up going to their tables and then be told to go back out to the foyer. I just don't think it'd be feasible. My mom was saying something about having us introduced and walking in to a song (and having the BM and GM do a little twirl/dance which I can NOT see them doing haha), so if there's room maybe we can do our first dance by our table.

Ok, I'm not being much help, but I agree that that's too much before dinner. If I had to wait 25 minutes between sitting down and dinner I'd stop paying attention to the B&G and start monitoring the movements of the waitstaff hoping they're bringing food. Though, if your reception starts early enough it might work.

MMRoberts11 · February 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_june-2012-weddings_question-reception-order?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:3ae4d68d-f10a-4dec-8810-da13c14a7b86Discussion:1458a229-5274-404e-a0f2-1d4afba2c261Post:4d3b0135-027a-494a-bf22-82f5d4d1d087">Re: Question about reception order</a>:
[QUOTE]I would do the toasts after dinner or as people are finishing up. Just to break things down a bit. People will be ready to eat as soon as they sit down.
Posted by kelsey+brandon[/QUOTE]

This.

Kfudge0714 · February 2012

I haven't even thought about this! I'm hoping my DJ will help figure this out!

dellusion · February 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_june-2012-weddings_question-reception-order?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:3ae4d68d-f10a-4dec-8810-da13c14a7b86Discussion:1458a229-5274-404e-a0f2-1d4afba2c261Post:71f952bf-2ba8-4dbc-b950-1c245e3e835f">Re: Question about reception order</a>:
[QUOTE]We're saving all dancing for after dinner, but that's mainly because the tables are in one room and the DJ will be set up in the foyer where the dance floor is. So, if we did the dancing beforehand then people would end up going to their tables and then be told to go back out to the foyer. I just don't think it'd be feasible. My mom was saying something about having us introduced and walking in to a song (and having the BM and GM do a little twirl/dance which I can NOT see them doing haha), so if there's room maybe we can do our first dance by our table. Ok, I'm not being much help, but I agree that that's too much before dinner. If I had to wait 25 minutes between sitting down and dinner I'd stop paying attention to the B&G and start monitoring the movements of the waitstaff hoping they're bringing food. Though, if your reception starts early enough it might work.
Posted by L&J2012[/QUOTE]

We're doing our dance after dinner too. The reception venue is in an old historic mansion, so space is a bit tight. Tables will be set up for dinner when everyone arrives. After dinner we'll move to the foyer for cake cutting (which is when a few of the tables will be pulled away for the dance floor) and then first dance and all of that will happen after. Not completely ideal, but better than what the coordinator suggested first- which was to do the cake cutting right after our entrance, before dinner. which seemed odd.

melntaitt · February 2012

but better than what the coordinator suggested first- which was to do the cake cutting right after our entrance, before dinner. which seemed odd.

What is up with the coordinators? It seems like they have all these weird ideas that they seem to think are going to fly and they're all just really odd.

Our area is one big ballroom with the SH table near the dance floor then "preferred seating" like the parents' tables that they're hosting, older family members, etc.

The buddies from work, college and other acquaintances are sitting on the raised "balcony" which is closer to the bar so I'm sure they will be happy.

Yours sounds pretty good too Dellusion...

casey_romaine · February 2012

Can I just say that I am SO GLAD you asked this?? I was having some trouble figuring our timeline out, too!! Kudos, ladies, for some good advice!! Now that I've read this, I think our timeline will look like this:

3-4:30pm: Cocktail hour (and a half)
4:15: wedding party entrance/intro
4:16: parents entrance/intro
4:17: Bride and Groom entrance/intro (we're having our pictures done, since we don't want to do first look, so won't be there for the first part of the cocktail hour)
4:18: Bride and Groom first dance
4:21: mingling with guests
4:30: Dinner starts (this is buffet style, so it might take some time for everyone to get their food and sit down)
4:50: Slideshow
4:58: toasts start
5:05 : father/daughter mother/son dances
5:15: cake cutting
5: 35: boquet/garter toss
5: 40: more dancing!
12-1 am: reception ends

kimiandgary · February 2012

We moved things around a bit so people wouldnt have such a wait:

Cocktail Hour
BP Entrance
B/G Entrance
Unity Candle (interesting, I know)
B/G First Dance
Toasts
Dinner (Slide show running on loop)
Before dinner ends F/D Dance and M/S Dance
Cake Cutting
Bouquet
Garter
Button Ceremony
Dancing (maybe Money Dance)
Pennant Send-off

melntaitt · February 2012

Hey Kimi; what's a button ceremony?

Question about reception order

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