Schedule for Wedding Reception
It’s important to plan ahead for a wedding reception. Here are some helpful tips on what to do the day of and how to prepare beforehand:
Plan the whole day – think big picture
Plan out your timeline, including when you should arrive at the venue, who will walk down the aisle with whom, what time dinner will be served, etc. Ask your DJ, venue, and photographer for help crafting this timeline, or hire a planner to help you with this (100% my suggestion!)
Think about everyone’s experience
Want your guests that are parents to stay for longer? Find someone you can trust to take care of any children in attendance (or maybe allow them for the ceremony but not the reception)
Think about events
Think about the different events. Will you have a cocktail hour? Do you want to casually greet your guests as they enter cocktail hour? Casually mingle with them? Or not see them at all until you’re introduced? What do you want to do when you’re introduced? Go straight to speeches and food or cut cake or do the first dance before sitting down? Think about what you liked and disliked in past weddings and ask friends what they did or liked at other weddings!
Think backward and forward from the ceremony
Work backward and forward from the ceremony. Do you have to travel to the ceremony from the hotel? Is there a long drive during rush hour in between your ceremony and reception? If you’re seeing each other before the ceremony, factor in a few hours for portraits and different locations. If you’re doing all photos in between the ceremony and reception instead, this needs to all take place in one location or there needs to be a more significant gap in between and not just an hour.
The wedding reception timeline is the most important document on my end for any wedding. It contains all of the information your wedding party need to know in order to have a seamless day and arrive on time. A well-organized timeline can help prevent anxiety and ensure that everyone has a great time! I hope this blog post has been helpful to you in your planning process. If it’s not, please reach out and I will be happy to help!
