One of the most difficult aspects of planning your wedding is the reception timing. You know that you'll want to have your first dance, cut the cake, maybe do a dollar dance, toss a garter belt, throw a bouquet, dance with your parents, eat dinner, visit guests and party...That's a lot of stuff to fit into a small window of time. No one wants their reception to feel like a never ending series of events MC'd by a drill sergeant, but how do you squeeze it all in?
Obviously, hiring a professional planner will take a lot of the mystery out of the logistics, we've been there and know how to time everything. Also, talking to your recently married fiends to see what they liked/disliked about the flow of their weddings if helpful, too. Here is an example of how a typical wedding would work:
4:00 Church
4:45 Service ends, receiving line, bridal party heads out for photos
5:00 Guests arrive at reception hall, cocktail hour
6:00 Dinner is announced, guests take their seats
6:15 Bridal party is announced, the couple dances their first dance
6:30 Dinner is served, toasts are made, the couple visits with the tables
7:30 Cake is cut, the couple thanks everyone for coming
7:45 Dessert is served
8:00 Dancing begins
8:30 Father/Daughter dance
9:00 Garter belt/boquet toss
9:30 Final dance
9:45 The couple makes their grand exit
That is a lot of action for just a few hours, and I left a bunch of stuff out! What if you want to add some cultural traditions? A special dance honoring your grandparents? Group photos? A food truck? There is an awful lot to consider and you only get one chance to do it right!
A day-of-coordinator can make all the difference in the world - a DOC will make sure that everything runs smoothly and on time, will give cues to your DJ to make announcements and can gently nudge groups of people in the right direction. How many times have you missed a cake cutting at a reception? Wouldn't it have been nice if there was someone in charge to let you know what was happening?
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