PLEASE give me your opinion! Reception...

owens0410 · March 2010

I've had a lot of struggle planning my wedding between what my sister thinks is acceptable and what my mother thinks is. I believe it is a regional thing...they just have different opinions of what "normal" is based on their experiences, which are very diverse. So here's my question..

In your opinion what is the typical order of the reception and how long will most last? We are going to have a small dance floor off to the side, mainly because we have to have a place for our first dance to take place. I really don't know how many people will dance, we'll just see. But we will have music playing and all that jazz. SO...garter toss, bouquet toss, cake cutting, food buffett line, toast from the bride and groom, etc. WHAT ORDER SHOULD ALL THAT GO IN? My mom said that cake cutting usually doesn't happen until 30 or 45 minutes into the reception...I don't know!?

My sister said she thinks the reception will last an hour. My mom said she thinks it'll last 3 hours....I wanna pull my hair out! It's hard to plan a wedding (never done this before!) when you don't know what is generally acceptable and normal. This isn't a Hollywood wedding, it's just a casual, fun loving time in Pottsboro, Texas.

Please give me your opinion!

quotequeen · March 2010

What time does your reception start? The evening receptions that I have gone to usually start around 6 and go past midnight. What I have typically seen is a cocktail hour (which it sounds like you are not doing?), then B&G/WP are announced, everybody takes their seats, there are some toasts/blessing, then dinner, then first dance (you are also not doing this?), whatever other dances, then everybody is invited onto the dance floor, people dance for a while, then during the course of dancing, things are interrupted for bouquet/garter toss, and again for cake cutting.

owens0410 · March 2010

Our reception will start about 7pm. We are not having a cocktail hour, but we are having a first dance. Thank you, that information is helpful!

SuMmErKuTiE · March 2010

We are having a cocktail hour immediately following the ceremony and then having a 4 hour reception after that. So that's 5 hours. I can't believe your sister thinks the whole reception will only last an hour. How is everyone supposed to eat, dance, and drink.. nevermind the first dance, cake cutting, and bouquet toss if you choose to have one. Also, a lot of people choose to save the cake cutting until towards the end because it normally symbolizes that the reception is wrapping up. Some of your older guests would see that the cake is being cut, have their piece, and then make their goodbyes.

Your reception's timeline can go however you want it to go. Typically receptions last 4-6 hours. Most couples choose to have their grand entrance with the bridal party followed by their 1st dance and then parent dances. You can choose when to have the toasts and the cake cutting and all the fun stuff at any time. Just make sure to have planned out a timeline with your venue coordinator and/or your dj.

pandasquishy · March 2010

Your sister is on crack if she thinks the reception will only last an hour, has she ever been to a wedding?

Here's how we did things:

During cocktail hour we were taking pictures while the guests snacked on hors d'oeuvres

Grand entrance

Cake cutting right away (so the kitchen could cut the cake for dessert while we were eating dinner)

Toasts, prayer from minister

Dinner

First dance

Parents dance

Everybody dance!

Halfway through dancing we did the garter/bouquet toss

Then everyone danced some more

Cocktail hour was 6-7, then the rest was schedule 7-12, but most everyone left by 11. So you're looking at about 5 hours over all... a far cry from one hour!

Also, if you're doing a buffet, be sure to have more than one line going, it will ensure people get their food in a timely manner.

fallbride1109 · March 2010

Are you having alcohol? If so, you can plan on the reception lasting awhile, if not, it will be shorter.

Do you have an event planner at your venue that can help you with your timeline? We scheduled our cake cutting about an hour after dinner started because most people would be finishing up dinner and still seated so that would be a good time to serve the cake as dessert. But some people did get up and start dancing once they were finished with dinner which was fine.

Also, if you are having a DJ, he or she can help you with the flow and timeline also. I put our timeline in your other post--I really thought our reception flowed at a perfect pace.

Come visit us on the DFW board!

sabatron · March 2010

Uhhh... an hour!? Ha! Aside from your grand entrance and first dance, I don't think there's a customary time line to follow at a wedding reception, as long as the cake is toward the end of the evening.

hkrein17 · March 2010

I would say plan on your reception being 4 to 5 hours, depending on whether you're doing dinner or not. If it's a Friday or Saturday evening wedding, it might go longer than a Sunday wedding.

Work with your caterer (if you're having dinner), your DJ, and the coordinator at your site (if there is one). They all have very good experience about how long things take, what order things go in, etc. And remember... your day! Not your mom or your sister's!
If you want to have cake before dancing... do it!

PLEASE give me your opinion! Reception...

Re: PLEASE give me your opinion! Reception...

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