Okay ѕο first οff I аm getting married οח Mау 23, 2009 аחԁ I аm pretty much јυѕt working οח tһе small details. Sіחсе wе аrе οח a budget wе аrе pretty much doing everything ourselves. Aѕ far аѕ tһе photography wе аrе having a friend take tһе pictures fοr υѕ. I dont see tһе need tο spend thousands οf dollars οח a photographer. AƖѕο wе аrе having two οr mу fiances friends bе ουr D.J.’s. I аm јυѕt pretty much having tһеm introduce ουr parents, tһе marriage party аחԁ tһеח υѕ. I аƖѕο аm having tһеm ѕау a touch a small bit before wе сυt tһе cake аחԁ ԁο tһе special dancing. Dοеѕ аחу person rесkοח I ѕһουƖԁ һаνе tһеm ѕау anything еƖѕе. Jυѕt mаkіחɡ sure I’m חοt missing anything. AƖѕο wһаt order ԁο things normally ɡеt done аt a wedding reception? Tһе reception іѕ frοm 6 p.m. tο 11 p.m. Sο I figured tο introduce everybody wουƖԁ take аbουt 15 tο 20 minutes. Tһеח I didnt know іf wе ѕһουƖԁ eat. (buffet style). Sο I јυѕt need ѕοmе tһουɡһtѕ οח tһе order wе ѕһουƖԁ ԁο things. I dont want һіѕ two friends tο һаνе tο ԁο tο much. Thank уου tο аחу person fοr tһеіr ехсеƖƖеחt advice.
Tags: bridal party, budget, buffet style, good advice, little bit, parents, photographer, photography, special dancing, thousands of dollars, two friends, wedding reception
Please make a list for your friends to follow as you and they will be in a different mode once your reception starts.
1. Guests arrive (soft music should be playing)
2. Marriage party announced (this includes flower girl,ring bearer,bridesmaids,groomsmen,maid/matron of honor and best man)
3. Bride and Groom announced (Mr. & Mrs. ________)
4. Bride & Groom go directly to cake table (This gets the cake picture taken at the perfect time before the cake starts to droop due to room temperature)
5. Bride & Groom (should be served even with a buffet)
6. Marriage Party (goes owing to buffet line first)
7. Guests now may go owing to buffet line
8. After you have finished intake (please know that your guests and relatives will be interacting with you as you eat) have them announce that the first dance (Bride & Groom) will be taking place before long.
9. Father/Daughter dance,Mother/Son dance
10. Everyone else can join in
11. Bouquet Toss (clear dance floor, have single ladies stand and wait to catch the bouquet)
12. Garter Toss (Bride sits in chair, groom comes up to remove garter, then garter is tossed to single guys)
13. Announce that the guest can delight in the cake!
There are variations to the above, but you want to make sure that all posed (portrait) pictures are done at the beginning of the reception and not at the end. This allows your dress, makeup, shoes, flowers to look fresh in the pictures. Otherwise your dress will be smudged with dirt, makeup smeared from crying, shoes off the feet because after awhile you want to be comfortable and flowers will not be wilted.
There are two ways to do it:
First after you are announced then you come in do your special dance go aptly from your dance to cut your cut then open the buffet.
Or
Open buffet, eat while your guests get their food, and as soon as the last guest sits from getting their food, go and do your special dances after the special dances go over and cut the cake.
This will open the floor to others and will keep the party going.
Have a fantastic day.
Stacey
This is a hard question to answer because of the volume of information people could give you.
I will only make one suggestion- be sure that you make a list of pictures that you DO want. As the pictures are taken they should be checked off of your list. There will be posed pictures and action pictures. Don’t assume that the person taking pictures is going to know what you want, except your friend has a really excellent camera and has done weddings before.
excellent luck and best wishes!
http://www.theknot.com has a reception timeline. Here’s the basics of that timeline broken down by the hour:
00:00 | The Cocktail Hour
01:00 | Newlyweds’ Arrival/First Dance
01:20 | Cheers & Toasts
01:30 | Main Course (Dinner)
02:45 | Party Time (DANCING! bouquet toss, the garter toss, the centerpiece giveaways, etc)
04:00 | Cake Cutting
04:15 | Shake a Leg
04:45 | Last Dance
05:00 | Final Farewell