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TYPICAL ORDER OF EVENTS
Your wedding reception is a time to celebrate the beautiful union of a husband and wife. But how should you start it?
You'll need some sort of agenda to make sure that the party runs as smoothly as possible. You might even want to
give your guests a program so that they know how the evening will unfold.
Below we've included a sample agenda for you. Although this is the traditional order doesn't mean that you can't
customize any portion of it to fit your circumstances. Just keep in mind that this order has worked successfully for
countless couples and is likely what your guests will expect.
5:00 PM Cocktail Hour
6:00 PM Introduction of bridal party, bride and groom
6:10 PM First dance
6:20 PM Table blessing
6:30 PM Begin food service. Having chat topics placed
at each table is a good way to get your guests to
mingle, socialize, and chat while they wait to be
served.
7:00 PM Toast by the best man (and possibly the maid
of honor or parents)
7:15 PM Mother/Son and Father/Daughter dances. By
this time, the bridal party and family should have had
enough time to eat since they are served first.
7:30 PM Music and entertainment.
7:45 PM Dance floor is open. Some buffet receptions
have the food stations close to the dance floor so you
may want to limit dancing while the food is served to
avoid food accidents on the dance floor.
8:45 PM Garter and bouquet toss.
9:00 PM Cake cutting
9:20 PM Remarks by the bride and groom. Though not
necessary some brides and grooms like to take time to
thank their parents, guests, and anyone who helped
make the day possible.
9:30 PM Exit. You may choose to have a grand exit from
the reception before the party ends with some type of
transportation, or something huge like a marching band
or fireworks display. If so, you'll want to do it before all
the guests leave. You may also choose to stay at the
reception until it ends; it's all a matter of choice.
10:00 PM The reception ends. An after party is a great
idea if you love to party and want to do something
beyond the reception.