Need help with timeline!

[mrrr]

I'm working on the timeline for the reception and I have no clue what order everything goes in. Does the wedding party get introduced (wedding party song) after the dinner and cake cutting? When is the first dance supposed to happen? I'm lost! :confused:

[mrrr]

Another thought, how long after dinner served do we cut the cake?

[Kari]

The good thing about receptions is you can decide when you want to do stuff. My suggestion:

- Announce wedding party (no dance yet)
- Dinner
- First Dance
- Father/Daughter dance
- Mother/Son dance
- Wedding Party dance

As for the cake, guests sometimes use the cake cutting as a cue that it is okay to leave if they so choose. Depending on how long your reception will be and how long the dances take, I would say about an hour(ish) after dinner would be fine. But again, it is totally your choice. Some people choose to cut the cake before the dances so that guests can eat it while the dances are happening. The few times I have seen that happen was when the cake was being served by waitstaff. When the cake is cut and guests can pick it up at their leisure, the cutting usually happens about an hour or so after dinner is finished.

Hope that helps some :)

[km]

Hors d'oeuvre & Cocktail Hour

Introducing the Wedding Party
Introduction of the Maid of Honor and Best Man
Introduction of the Bride and Groom
Toast by Best Man,
Sit down Dinner or Buffet
Cutting of the Cake
First Dance
Bride & Father Dance
Groom & Mother Dance
Open Dancing
Garter Toss and Bouquet Toss
Resume Open Dancing
Last Dance
End of Wedding Reception

not an exact science, but a guide line

[Jaci]

We cut our cake soon after we were announced, before everyone got up for dinner, for a number of reasons. Our cake was dessert, so this allowed the site to cut and have it served in time for dessert, and it kept the flow of the reception going, plus at that point, nobody was out of their chairs so all eyes were on us! It worked out really nice because we got a lot of nice pictures.

[Christa]

You can do it however you want :)

We are cutting our cake before dinner so it can be served as dessert.
Then we're eating because our DJ is not going to be there until 7.
At 7 we'll do our grand march and first dance.

[mrrr]

Are you doing the grand march before your first dance?

[mrrr]

The good thing about receptions is you can decide when you want to do stuff. My suggestion:

- Announce wedding party (no dance yet)
- Dinner
- First Dance
- Father/Daughter dance
- Mother/Son dance
- Wedding Party dance

As for the cake, guests sometimes use the cake cutting as a cue that it is okay to leave if they so choose. Depending on how long your reception will be and how long the dances take, I would say about an hour(ish) after dinner would be fine. But again, it is totally your choice. Some people choose to cut the cake before the dances so that guests can eat it while the dances are happening. The few times I have seen that happen was when the cake was being served by waitstaff. When the cake is cut and guests can pick it up at their leisure, the cutting usually happens about an hour or so after dinner is finished.

Hope that helps some :)

This looks like a pretty good set up! Thanks Kari! It might be good to have the grand march last. I think we're using Get it Started by the Black Eyed Peas so that'd be a good intro song to get everyone ready to dance.