Setting an Itinerary for Your Reception

No matter how formal or informal you want your reception to be, it’s important that you plan ahead and establish a sequence of events for your reception. Spending time and effort before the wedding can save you from a lot of confusion and unnecessary distractions on your wedding day.

Here are a few hints:

• Put your schedule in writing and give it to all of your wedding vendors. Also, give this schedule to your wedding attendants and immediate family members so they know where they are suppose to be and when (for picture taking, formal announcements, or special dances).
• Be as detailed as possible when preparing your reception itinerary. Include names, times, specific locations and song titles of special dances.
• When putting together your schedule, don’t get hung up on the exact times. The times on your schedule should act only as a guide and to keep things moving in the right direction and make sure that everything gets done.

The order of events is up to you - but should be firmly established ahead of time. For example, some brides prefer to do their first dance with their husband very early into the reception - before dinner is served. Other brides prefer to do it after dinner, when the “real dancing begins”.

Etiquette Rule: Wedding guests are not supposed to begin dancing until after the bride and groom have had their first dance. So, if you want people to start dancing early in the reception, schedule your first dance right away.

Order of Reception Events

First Hour:
Cocktail hour (waiters serve guests champagne and hors d’oeuvres)
Formal photograph’s taken (of Bride and Groom, family and wedding party) 

Second Hour: 
Announcement of wedding party
Traditional order: groom’s parents, bride’s parents, flower girl and ring bearer, bridesmaids escorted by ushers, maid of honor escorted by best man, Bride and Groom.
Bride and Groom’s first dance
Champagne toast (marks the end of cocktail hour and cash bar begins)
Dinner served

Third Hour:
Cut cake
Dancing
Special dances in order: Bride with father, then Groom with mother, and Wedding party dance.

Fourth Hour:
Bouquet toss
Garter toss
Last dance of Bride and Groom
Grand exit