How To Keep The Party Going!
It’s party time people!!! 🥳 By the time the entrances for your wedding reception roll around, everyone is ready to take a break, eat some food, and have some fun! To make sure your guests stay engaged and don’t start planning to leave, you want to work with your wedding coordinator/DJ to make sure things are laid out in a way that keeps things flowing. There is nothing more awkward than large gaps of time where nothing (sometimes not even music being played! 😱) is happening. Nothing gets guests up and out the door quicker!
When I am working with my couples to create their photo timeline, the reception is not something I dive deep into planning. As the photographer, I really just show up and am ready to photograph whatever I need to whenever I need to. I’m really there to work around whatever the other vendors have planned! Your wedding coordinator or DJ should be the ones keeping the schedule moving smoothly so you’re free to relax and enjoy the party!!
Just like your ceremony, you are really free to make your reception your own! While there are key events that happen at most weddings, you can plan them in any way you want. Looking to eat as soon as you get into the reception? Awesome! Want to get your First Dance done and out of the way? Sounds great! Cutting the cake first makes the most sense to you? Do it! Here’s a look at the key events that often happen at receptions and what you should plan for them:
1. Guests Seated: 10 Minutes
If you’re moving a large number of people from point A (the bar) to point B (their seats), it simply has to be accounted for in the timeline. This seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people need the extra reminders and time to find their seats so the reception can get started!
2. Entrances: 5-10 Minutes
Now that guests are seated, it’s time to get everyone introduced! These get more and more creative with wedding parties doing dances and stunts, it’s hilarious!! If you have a really large bridal party and/or are including your parents and grandparents, it’s probably best to give it 10 minutes on your timeline.
3. Welcome/Prayer: 5 Minutes
Often times the bride/groom’s parents will take time to give a welcome speech to thank everyone for coming. Make sure you talk with your parents about who is doing this and how long it should be. I’ve seen welcomes turn into full speeches that last 20 minutes, which immediately throws the entire rest of the evening behind schedule! After the welcome, then it’s time for a blessing of the meal and everyone can chow down.
4. Dinner: 60-120 Minutes
This really depends on the type of dinner service you’re having. Guests need time to move through a buffet or vendors need the time to get the plated dinners out and served. Make sure to ask this when you’re going over the final details with your caterer to make sure nothing has changed!
5. Speeches: 15-20 Minutes
Like entrances, this really depends on the number of people you’re letting give a toast. The best thing you can do is give them a time limit! I’ve seen speeches from one person take 30 minutes. 30 minutes! You don’t want your guests to lose interest because they don’t understand the story being told or don’t get the inside joke a wedding party member is sharing. It’s best to have them keep it short and sweet! Most people don’t love the idea of having to give a speech anyway, so they won’t mind the limit!
6. First Dance: 5 Minutes
It’s time for your newlywed turn on the dance floor! Twirls, dips, swaying, and choreographed dances are fun, so have a blast together!
7. Parent Dances: 5 Minutes
8. Cake Cutting: 5 Minutes
Make sure you talk together about the expectations you have around sharing the cake during your cutting. I can’t tell you the under-the-breath arguments I’ve heard between couples because they didn’t want cake on their face and their partner did it anyway. Especially if we still have sunset portraits to do!
9. Open Dancing: All Night Long!
Now that all the main events are done, the DJ/band can get the party started and people out on the dance floor. I always recommend a group dance as one of the first in the music queue, like the Casper Slide or the Wobble. Those are the songs that get people out of their seats the most!! Once the dance floor opens up, if we haven’t done sunset portraits, this is where we’d sneak out to do those before you get sweaty breaking it down on the dance floor!
10. Sunset Portraits: 15 Minutes
This is the one part of the reception timeline that I make sure I have a say in because it depends on that beautiful golden hour light. Sunset portraits are the most requested but, from my experience, the number one thing not included in the final reception timeline. Depending on the length of time needed for dinner service or the scheduled sunset time, this is something that is flexible for me during the reception. When the light is best, I’m going to find you and we’ll sneak out when before another main event so you’re not missing out on anything!
Reception timelines really don’t have any hard and fast rules to the order of events. So while this is all listed, these are really just suggestions! Do them all, keep just a few, or add some that didn’t make it to this list (I’m talking about you, garter/bouquet toss). Have a blast and make the day your own!!
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