Wow, you’re getting Married! Congratulations! Now you're thinking where do we begin? How long does each event take? We just show up at the church, have a ceremony, and then rush over to the reception hall, right?

Not exactly.

A wedding day is an all day event, encompassing many smaller events. First of all, are the photographer & videographer. What role do you want them to play? Do you want them to just take pictures at the church, and the reception? Or, would you rather have them to chronicle the whole day, from the moment the bride starts to prepare to the when she first arrives at the church until the end of the reception, Pictures of the family and guests? Pictures outside the church? Pictures at a scenic place between the church & the reception hall? Pictures of family members the bridal party in different poses and arrangements?

These are all time considerations. A good photographer will have a firm grasp on the times these photo OP’s will take. I personally recommend allowing at least an hour and a half between the beginning of your ceremony and the time you reach your reception location for a 15 minute JP ceremony with a receiving line where the reception hall is fairly close to the ceremony location. Two hours for a full religious ceremony with a receiving line, but check with your photographer for best accuracy. If you want to socialize, relax, or get pictures taken, this is your time to do these things. Once you are at your reception, time for these things will be very limited.

Will there be a receiving line? How long will it take? An average receiving line takes about a half hour, but there are some questions you can ask yourself in order to get a more accurate picture of just how long your receiving line might take; Are your relatives talkers?

Do you have a tough time keeping conversations short(I do)? Think of an approximate per guest time, take the guest whom you will most likely be talking to the longest, and cut that person’s time in half, then multiply by the # of people you expect to come through your receiving line (avg. is 50-75%). It’s better to overestimate than underestimate, the final consideration, is how long it will take to travel from the ceremony site to the reception site. This is the point at which most good DJ’s and coordinators take over. They should have ready an itinerary for you, so that you have a rough idea of what is happening when. A sample itinerary would be as follows:

Please realize that all times are approximate. Your MC will let you know at least 5 minutes ahead of time when an event is going to take place, giving you plenty of time to run to the bathroom, check your hair/makeup, etc.

Below is an example of an evening wedding reception itinerary:

6:00 p.m. Bridal Party Arrival
MC gets everyone lined up and ready to enter (anywhere from ten minutes to a half hour, depending on the readiness of the bridal party. Make sure EVERYONE being announced in is awar to stay outside of the reception hall until the bridal party introductions. (No more than 7minutes)

Best Man’s Toast, (other toasts?)
Usually done immediately following the introductions or after the first course of a sit-down dinner.

Blessing (If officiant is present)

Dinner
(depending on how the meal is served; buffet, food stations, french served, or regular served, and how many courses. This can take anywhere from 45 minutes (buffets with smaller crowds), to upwards of two hours (sit-down dinners)

Since the Bride & Groom finish their meal about 15-30 minutes before everyone else, this is a good time for them to go around & greet any guests they may have missed during their receiving line

Cake Cutting Ceremony (takes about 10 minutes)

The photographer will usually ask for a formal pose or two before beginning, the the Bride makes a cut, followed by the groom. Then, depending how this has been worked out, generally speaking the groom feeds his new bride first, followed by the bride feeding the groom.

Formal dances: (approximately three to four minutes each is the rule of thumb for the length of special dances)

• Bride/Groom First Dance

• Father/Daughter

• Mother/Son

• Bride & Groom 1st Dance

• Bridal Party Dance

• First Dance set

• Dollar Dance

• 2nd dance set

• Garter & Bouquet

• Party on

From the announcement into the hall, to the bouquet & garter ceremonies, timing is generally a minimum of two and a half hours, . If this is going to be a four hour wedding reception, this leaves you an hour & a half to let loose (two & a half for a five hour reception, some DJ companies run special pricing on the fifth hour for this very reason)

Last Dance?
At this point, you may be off to the airport or a nearby hotel in preparation for your honeymoon, enjoy, you’ve earned it!

Why is all of this important?

First, so that you don’t feel like your being handled and directed without any clear view of what should happen & when & how.

Second, so that you get the maximum value out of each of the wedding professionals you hire. I wish you all the best in your journey toward the perfect wedding. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to give me a call at 207-797-9289.

 

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