this is the code for the render ad
Community› Wedding Discussion Boards› Wedding Vows & Ceremony Discussions
Wedding Vows & Ceremony Discussions
New Discussion

How's my timing?

ChelleJayneChelleJayne member
Third Anniversary 100 Love Its 100 Comments Name Dropper
in Wedding Vows & Ceremony Discussions

This is my potential timeline for the day. Did I give myself enough time for everything or am I rushing it? The ceremony should be 15-20 minutes long and the guest would go straight to the reception after the ceremony for the cocktail hour.

Thank you!


Time    Event   

4:30

Ceremony

5:00

Guests arrive at reception/Cocktail hour

5:45

Wedding Party Grand Entrance

6:00

Best Man Toast & Maid/Matron of Honor Toast

6:15

Dinner

6:45

Bride and Groom first dance

6:50

Mother /Daughter Dance

7:00

Mother/Son Dance

7:15

Cake Cutting

7:30

Garter Toss

7:40

Bouquet Toss

8:00

Open Dance



Midnight

Conclusion of Event


Wedding Countdown Ticker Wedding Countdown Ticker
Report Reply to Post

Re: How's my timing?

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    500 Love Its 100 Comments First Answer Name Dropper
    Can you combine the mother/daughter and mother/son dances? Those two can occur at the same time and three spotlight dances are kind of a lot for people to pay attention to. 
    Report Reply
  • ILoveBeachMusicILoveBeachMusic member
    Tenth Anniversary 5000 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    Ten minutes for the spot light dances is a long time. They usually don't last more than 3 mins or so. I think it is ok to keep them separate if they don't go on forever. I also think you may need more time for dinner. Is it a plated meal or a buffet. You also need to make sure you have time to do table visits during the dinner since you don't have a receiving line.
    Report Reply
  • missfrodomissfrodo member
    Eighth Anniversary 500 Love Its 500 Comments Name Dropper
    Just curious: Is dinner going to be plated or buffet?   If you're having a buffet, I would make sure everyone has enough time to go through the buffet and eat before you redirect them to the dance floor.  Also, are you doing table visits?  Factor in time to go to each table and eat your own food if you are.  I agree with Ironring about the three spotlight dances.  At our wedding, we combined those 2 dances and it worked great.  
    Report Reply
  • ei34ei34 member
    Knottie Warrior 2500 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    Props on no gap!
    The time allotted to some of the events seems a bit off. I'd give more than 30 minutes for dinner, and I don't think you need 15min for the toasts, 30 consecutive minutes of spotlight dances, and 30 minutes for bouquet and garter tosses.  A six hour reception would be a touch long for me as a guest, I'd probably leave early.

    Report Reply
  • STARMOON44STARMOON44 member
    Knottie Warrior 5000 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    After spotlight dances, which I agree should be shorter, I'd move immediately into open dance floor. And the do the cake cutting/garter/boquet later. All of which should be very short. 
    Report Reply
  • missJeanLouisemissJeanLouise member
    Eighth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    Are you doing pictures between the ceremony and the reception? Will 45 minutes be enough? I agree 30 minutes might be too long for spotlight dances but it is nice to include a buffer. 30 minutes for dinner seems fast to me.
    Report Reply
  • SP29SP29 member
    Sixth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    I think 30 mins for dinner is not long enough. That's pretty quick eating, never mind multiple courses involving conversation.

    Your spotlight dances will be 5mins (less) each.

    What I have commonly seen, is to do the cake cutting, garter and boquet toss later in the evening. There is no right or wrong though. But I think if you want to cut your cake earlier, do it before your spotlight dances, cutting your cake for dessert.


    Report Reply
  • ChelleJayneChelleJayne member
    Third Anniversary 100 Love Its 100 Comments Name Dropper

    Thank you for all your input :) This is why I posted it.

    I screwed up on the times for the spotlight dances. I'm not sure what I was thinking haha.. I figured they would be less than 5 mins each. Because my wedding party is so small and we are doing a first look, my photographer said that it shouldn't take more than 45mins to an hour at the absolute most for pictures. 

    A few questions now.

    1. Would 45mins to a hour be better for dinner? We are doing a buffet and then table visits after FI and I eat.
    2. Should we do some open dancing before the cake cutting and garter/bouquet toss? And then after those, go back to doing the open dance?
    Wedding Countdown Ticker Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • SP29SP29 member
    Sixth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    edited August 2016
    ChelleJayne said:

    Thank you for all your input :) This is why I posted it.

    I screwed up on the times for the spotlight dances. I'm not sure what I was thinking haha.. I figured they would be less than 5 mins each. Because my wedding party is so small and we are doing a first look, my photographer said that it shouldn't take more than 45mins to an hour at the absolute most for pictures. 

    A few questions now.

    1. Would 45mins to a hour be better for dinner? We are doing a buffet and then table visits after FI and I eat.
    2. Should we do some open dancing before the cake cutting and garter/bouquet toss? And then after those, go back to doing the open dance?
    Personally, I would do an hour for dinner. Allows guests time to stand in line for the buffet (if there is one), time to eat slowly and converse, time to get seconds, time to use the washroom before the next thing happens, time to get a drink from the bar (if it's open over dinner).

    As for #2, that is what I have most commonly seen. Those events are usually later in the reception. But I think it's up to you. No right or wrong, just what I have commonly seen. I also do not think you need to pair the cake cutting with the garter/bouquet toss.

    Do you have a dessert course as part of your buffet? If not, I would do the cake cutting after dinner, then go into your spotlight dances, some opening dancing, then do your tosses later in the evening (say around 10pm). When I have seen the cake cut later at night, it is usually paired with a late night buffet, and there has been a dessert course with dinner; thus the wedding cake is an additional snack versus "the dessert".
    Report Reply
  • ILoveBeachMusicILoveBeachMusic member
    Tenth Anniversary 5000 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    DD and SIL did the cake cutting immediately after they were introduced. That way the caterers had time to cut the cake into pieces for later. They didn't do a bouquet/garter toss.
    Report Reply
  • ChelleJayneChelleJayne member
    Third Anniversary 100 Love Its 100 Comments Name Dropper
    edited August 2016

    Revised.. I would do the cake cutting after dinner, but I have this feeling that FI is going to smash it into my face (even though I told him not to) and I don't want cake on my face for the dances. Does that make sense?

    4:30 - Ceremony

    5:00 - Guest arrive at reception

    5:45 - Wedding Party Grand Entrance

    6:00 - Toast

    6:15 - Dinner

    7:15 - Bride & Groom first dance

    7:20 - Mother/Daughter dance

    7:25 - Mother/Son dance

    7:35 - Cake cutting

    7:40 - Open dance

    8:45 - Garter Toss

    8:50 - Bouquet Toss

    9:00 - Open Dance

    Midnight - Conclusion



    Wedding Countdown Ticker Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • OurWildKingdomOurWildKingdom member
    2500 Comments 500 Love Its Third Anniversary 5 Answers
    edited August 2016
    ILoveBeachMusic said:
    DD and SIL did the cake cutting immediately after they were introduced. That way the caterers had time to cut the cake into pieces for later. They didn't do a bouquet/garter toss.
    This is a really sensible idea. Very efficient and doesn't lose the effect.

    @ChelleJayne, I like your revised timeline.
    Report Reply
  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    10000 Comments 500 Love Its Fourth Anniversary 25 Answers
    edited August 2016
    Tell FI that if he smashes cake in your face, he won't enjoy his honeymoon, and that he will regret the cake smashing for the rest of his life.  Truth.
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards