After you’ve saved and customized our simple Wedding Ceremony Order we are ready to provide you with the second step: your reception schedule.
Wedding receptions are different in many ways. You can choose between different types of dining: a buffet, a table-style dinner, or food trucks and stations. What wedding reception entertainment and traditions do you wish to include? You can include live Music, DJs, dancing, or live performances. You should provide activities for your guests. You can decide how complicated or straightforward your wedding reception will be.
We wanted to create a reception guide that is easy to use and can be customized. You won’t be overwhelmed by the idea of “Holy Cow, when will we do everything?” Ashley Lachney of Alston Mayger Events shares her beautifully laid-out order guide for an elegant plated dinner with us.
Like our guide to wedding ceremonies, this timeline is easy to customize. You can remove the activities you do not plan to have at your reception and replace them with ideas for your party. You can adjust the timeline to match your “Golden Hour” couple portraits. Add more time at the end of the timeline if you want to continue to party until the wee hours!
Ashley will now answer all of your questions and go over the timeline for her wedding.
I ask my clients what they liked and disliked about a wedding they recently attended during our first consultation. What is the most common answer I get on the dislike side of things? The celebration could have been better-paced; it felt stifled or as if it were stalled. This guide will help you with timing and logistics.
Reception Timeline
For a 100-guest summer wedding, you can use the following:
4:00 pm Ceremonies
4:00 pm End of the ceremony / Cocktail Hour begins
5:30 pm Cocktail Hour concludes/Guests seated for Dinner
5: 45 pm Announcement to the wedding party and couples into the reception area
6:00 pm Dinner Service begins/Salads are served
6 :15 pm Vendor meals are available
6 pm Champagne to be served at the tableside for toasts
6 :45 pm Planner to call out those toasting (typically, three guests each at five minutes).
7:00 pm Desserts and cake cutting available for guests
7 05 pm Golden Hour Portraits with Photo/Video Team
7:35 pm First Dance / Special Dance 1 / Special Dance 2
7:50 pm Open dance floor
8:15 pm Bouquet/ Garter toss (if desired)
9 :45 pm Last Dance / Line Up for Send-Off
10:00 pm Send off / Music stops/Reception ends
11:01 pm All vendors are off the property
I’M GOING TO DO A BUFFET WITH MY PARTNER. WE WON’T BE GETTING A PLATED DINNER. WHAT WILL THE IMPACT BE ON TIMINGS?
I would allow between 20 and 25 minutes for every 100 guests for a buffet. Your buffet should have two sides to accommodate the maximum number of guests. The flatware and entree plates and the flatware should be placed at each guest’s table. (Or the flatware can be stacked on the buffet with the napkin rolled up inside for easy transportation.) Salad plates are not necessary, as the guests won’t have enough hands to handle two plates with tongs.
WE WOULD RATHER OUR GUESTS CONDUCT TASTE TOASTS WITH A DRINK IN HAND THAN HAVE CHAMPAGNE POURED ON THE TABLESIDE. IS THIS OKAY
It’s perfectly fine! If that’s the case, then I would change the time allotted to staff pouring champagne so that it is meant for your DJ/MC to alert everyone about toasts coming up. Everyone will be able to enjoy a refreshing drink just in time.
THE IDEA OF THE BOUQUET OR GARTER TOSS MAKES OUR SKIN CRAWL. What can we do instead?
I totally get you! If couples choose to skip it, I suggest an anniversary dance. You can have a lot of fun seeing who has been married for the longest in your group! You could also just remove this part altogether.
OUR VENUE DOESN’T ALLOW SPARKLERS. WHAT ELSE COULD WE DO AS A SEND-OFF?
There are so many options! eco-friendly confetti is now available. It dissolves in water. Alternatively, consider rose petals if your venue allows it. Ask if there are any restrictions. You can use glow sticks, ribbon wands, or bubbles to make your guests wave as you walk through.
We don’t like being the center of attention! How can you help us?
No problem. Consider a table at the head of the table or a table with your family instead of a table for two. After a minute and a half, fade out the first dance as well as any other special dances. Be sure to inform your DJ or MC of these plans. Remember that all you need to do during the ceremony is talk. You are not performing. Just have a conversation. This little reminder can help relieve some of the stress!
You can find more tips and checklists under our Wedding Planning category.
Ashley Lachney owns Alston Mayger Event, a boutique Wedding Planning firm in the Pacific Northwest. She creates timeless celebrations for couples ranging from Seattle, Washington, to Portland, Oregon. She lives in Southwest Washington with her husband, Garrett, and their two dogs, Martin & Theo.
