this is the code for the render ad
Community› Wedding Discussion Boards› Wedding Reception Forum
Wedding Reception Forum
New Discussion

Timeline/Cake cutting help

tcnobletcnoble member
1000 Comments 500 Love Its First Anniversary First Answer
edited October 2014 in Wedding Reception Forum
So this is where we are at with our timeline... 

6:15 - approx 6:45 Ceremony 
Guests will enter reception hall, bar will be open
Enter at 7:00pm - Dinner (buffet) begins
7:55 - Toasts
8:00 - Cake cutting
8:05 - 8:15 Spotlight dances, then open floor
10:00 Late night snack served
11:00 end reception 

 I'm not sure about the cake cutting. I saw a friend do it immediately upon entering their reception and it just didn't seem to flow, but it's been recommended to us as a way to make sure it is served at the completion of dinner instead of later after dancing has begun. What are your feelings on when to cut the cake or how to do it so as to make it a natural progression from grand entrance??
Wedding Countdown Ticker
Report Reply to Post

Re: Timeline/Cake cutting help

  • donethatdonethat member
    Knottie Warrior 500 Comments 100 Love Its First Answer
    I'm also not a fan of cutting the cake early.

    How about this.  

    At the end of dinner, you cut the cake  (the caterer now removes the cake to cut & plate it, and either serve it, or place it on the dessert table for guests to help themselves)

    Then, you go right into toasts (which will likely be a little longer than 5 minutes)  

    You can now go directly into the spotlight dances, or you can give your guests a few minutes heads up

    "please help yourselves to some cake, and in just a few moments, there will be a few special dances, and then we'll need everyone to join in on the dance floor."  

    Cake is available to your guests to enjoy while (or right before) you have your special dances.

    Your catering staff should be able to make this happen without your "first cut" right when you walk in.  




    Report Reply
  • tcnobletcnoble member
    1000 Comments 500 Love Its First Anniversary First Answer
    That sounds do-able! I will have to discuss with our venue but that definitely sounds more appealing than cutting it right when we walk in.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • photokittyphotokitty mod
    Moderator Knottie Warrior 5000 Comments 500 Love Its
    I've never seen toasts after dinner. I have only seen them prior to dinner. After dinner people will be milling about, in the bathroom, etc...prior to dinner to is  good way to get everyone seated to be released for the buffet IMHO.
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

    Report Reply
  • wrigleyvillewrigleyville member
    2500 Comments Fifth Anniversary 500 Love Its First Answer
    My family/friends always do it this way:

    Toasts right before dinner, since that's when most people are sitting with their drinks.

    B&G cut cake after they finish eating, since most guests are still eating at that point due to buffet line. Since the guests are sitting/eating, they can watch the cake cutting.

    Cake is served at end of dinner.
    Report Reply
  • CTYankeeBrideCTYankeeBride member
    100 Love Its 100 Comments Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    Our ceremony is 6-6:30 p.m., cocktail hour is 6:30-7:30.  Guests will be seated for dinner (sit-down dinner) around 7:30-7:45.  We're having introductions, then our first dance and then as dinner service starts we'll have toasts.  Cake cutting will be right after dinner.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • donethatdonethat member
    Knottie Warrior 500 Comments 100 Love Its First Answer
    edited October 2014
    If the meal is a buffet, the toast option times are before anyone goes to the buffet, or once the last table has gone through the buffet. I used to love the early toast (everyone is in the room paying attention) but around here, there seems to be a trend to go with the "after" for a few of reasons ... people are hungry, the food is hot and fresh and ready, and toasts don't have to be rushed. No one really knows how long each "toast" will be, and I have witnessed many that are more "speeches" than toasts (which is also a trend I think). @CTYankeeBride, I like your time line for a served meal. Guests are welcomed, possibly a blessing, salads are served, then toasts before entrees. Makes sense!
    Report Reply
  • CTYankeeBrideCTYankeeBride member
    100 Love Its 100 Comments Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    I agree with your logic, @donethat.  For our sit-down dinner guests will have bread and salad once they're seated (servers will be putting it out during our first dance) so they won't be sitting there starving while we have toasts.  My cousin had a buffet and there was a blessing and then two toasts and they all happened in between courses.  Her MOH even joked "they said I'm before the pasta but after the salad so here I am."  For either one though I don't like the idea of cutting the cake right when you walk in.  That would seem odd to me. 
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • wrigleyvillewrigleyville member
    2500 Comments Fifth Anniversary 500 Love Its First Answer
    It's generally a good rule to keep a toast to 1-2 minutes, no matter when the toasts are.

    Unfortunately, I've been to countless weddings where the BM and MOH ramble on and on and on with tons of in jokes and "remember when" stories. :-P
    Report Reply
  • CTYankeeBrideCTYankeeBride member
    100 Love Its 100 Comments Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    wrigleyville said:
    It's generally a good rule to keep a toast to 1-2 minutes, no matter when the toasts are.

    Unfortunately, I've been to countless weddings where the BM and MOH ramble on and on and on with tons of in jokes and "remember when" stories. :-P
    Agreed! I think a wedding toast is best when it's brief and inclusive.  
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • peachy13peachy13 member
    Fifth Anniversary 1000 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    I'm hoping to cut the cake as soon as we're done making the rounds during dinner thanking each guest, so maybe 30-45min into dinner? 

    Then party time.
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers


    Report Reply
  • PrettyGirlLostPrettyGirlLost member
    5000 Comments Fifth Anniversary 500 Love Its First Answer
    donethat said:
    If the meal is a buffet, the toast option times are before anyone goes to the buffet, or once the last table has gone through the buffet. I used to love the early toast (everyone is in the room paying attention) but around here, there seems to be a trend to go with the "after" for a few of reasons ... people are hungry, the food is hot and fresh and ready, and toasts don't have to be rushed. No one really knows how long each "toast" will be, and I have witnessed many that are more "speeches" than toasts (which is also a trend I think). @CTYankeeBride, I like your time line for a served meal. Guests are welcomed, possibly a blessing, salads are served, then toasts before entrees. Makes sense!
    They are supposed to be toasts, not speeches.  IMO it's the responsibility of the bride and groom to let people know this when they come to the bride and groom and offer to give a toast.

    I have been to a ton of weddings, and personally I like it better when the bride and groom cut the cake before dinner, as that way it's plated and ready to be served immediately following dinner. 

    It also doesn't disrupt the flow of the party that way.  Once the spotlight dances are over, it's party time!  And I find it really annoying for the dancing to be interrupted by more spotlight crap. . . cake cutting, bouquet/garter tosses, etc.  We get it, it's your wedding day, but can we please just frekaing dance now?!

    "Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends time and space."


    Report Reply
  • PrettyGirlLostPrettyGirlLost member
    5000 Comments Fifth Anniversary 500 Love Its First Answer
    CTYankeeBride said:
    Our ceremony is 6-6:30 p.m., cocktail hour is 6:30-7:30.  Guests will be seated for dinner (sit-down dinner) around 7:30-7:45.  We're having introductions, then our first dance and then as dinner service starts we'll have toasts.  Cake cutting will be right after dinner.
    I'd strongly suggest making the introductions as brief as possible- as in consider only announcing the bride and groom- and doing your 1st dance as your 1st course is served.

    With your timeline as is, your guests won't actually get to start eating until 8pm or later.  Yes, they just had a cocktail hour, but 8pm is still a bit late for dinner IMO.  Others might disagree.

    If you don't want to amend your timeline, then I hope that you are having heavy apps during cocktail hour.

    "Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends time and space."


    Report Reply
  • CTYankeeBrideCTYankeeBride member
    100 Love Its 100 Comments Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    PrettyGirlLost said:
    CTYankeeBride said:
    Our ceremony is 6-6:30 p.m., cocktail hour is 6:30-7:30.  Guests will be seated for dinner (sit-down dinner) around 7:30-7:45.  We're having introductions, then our first dance and then as dinner service starts we'll have toasts.  Cake cutting will be right after dinner.
    I'd strongly suggest making the introductions as brief as possible- as in consider only announcing the bride and groom- and doing your 1st dance as your 1st course is served.

    With your timeline as is, your guests won't actually get to start eating until 8pm or later.  Yes, they just had a cocktail hour, but 8pm is still a bit late for dinner IMO.  Others might disagree.

    If you don't want to amend your timeline, then I hope that you are having heavy apps during cocktail hour.
    Bread and salad come out around 7:45, while people give toasts.  Toasts should be brief and not speech-like and for us they will either be happening as the bread and salad come out or they'll happen between courses.  We're having a very small wedding and for most (all but maybe 10) of our guests, this is about when we'd meet them if we were going out for dinner.

    Our wedding party is us, FI's kids, and 4 attendants.  All 4 attendants are walking in together and we're walking in with the kids so it's 2 sets of names and it's not a mile-wide dance floor so this should take all of 5 minutes, maybe.  I'm not going to tack on a cake-cutting and further delay the meal.


    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • tcnobletcnoble member
    1000 Comments 500 Love Its First Anniversary First Answer
    PrettyGirlLost said:
    donethat said:
    If the meal is a buffet, the toast option times are before anyone goes to the buffet, or once the last table has gone through the buffet. I used to love the early toast (everyone is in the room paying attention) but around here, there seems to be a trend to go with the "after" for a few of reasons ... people are hungry, the food is hot and fresh and ready, and toasts don't have to be rushed. No one really knows how long each "toast" will be, and I have witnessed many that are more "speeches" than toasts (which is also a trend I think). @CTYankeeBride, I like your time line for a served meal. Guests are welcomed, possibly a blessing, salads are served, then toasts before entrees. Makes sense!
    They are supposed to be toasts, not speeches.  IMO it's the responsibility of the bride and groom to let people know this when they come to the bride and groom and offer to give a toast.

    I have been to a ton of weddings, and personally I like it better when the bride and groom cut the cake before dinner, as that way it's plated and ready to be served immediately following dinner. 

    It also doesn't disrupt the flow of the party that way.  Once the spotlight dances are over, it's party time!  And I find it really annoying for the dancing to be interrupted by more spotlight crap. . . cake cutting, bouquet/garter tosses, etc.  We get it, it's your wedding day, but can we please just frekaing dance now?!
    Our cake would be cut after dinner but BEFORE the spotlight dances.. then I guess the eating of the cake would be in the midst of dancing. I will have to talk to our venue and see what people usually do. We will have quite a bit of cake (150-200 servings) so I'm not sure when it could be expected to be served. We also have a late night snack at 10:00 and don't want cake finally making it's way out around 9:30. I would imagine a competent staff could have it out by 8:30 but it's something to look in to.

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards