Reception Timeline
Urban Legend
Wedding Reception Outline Information, for 2012
Reception Timeline: We have listed the most popular order of major events for a wedding reception. Remember you can rearrange these events any way that you like. Make a schedule that works best for you and your guests.
1. Announcement of Wedding Party: After the wedding party arrives to the reception site the emcee will announce them as they make their entrance into the room. The wedding party should line up in order outside of the entrance to the reception room. Traditional order is the groom's parents, bride's parents, flower girl and ring bearer, bridesmaids escorted by groomsmen; maid of honor escorted by best man, and finally the bride & groom.
2. Champagne Toasts: Make sure that the toasting is done at a time when your guests are at their seats. If you are serving champagne for the toasts, allow time for servers to pass out the champagne before the toast. The first toast is proposed by the best man and may be followed by toasts from the maid of honor, other relatives, friends or the bride and/or groom. Urban Legend Emcee will get the guests attention and introduce the best man when it is time for the first toast.
3. The Blessing: Before dinner is to be served the Emcee can announce that everyone should take his or her seats for dinner. Then they introduce the officiant or other designated person who will say the blessing.
4. Dinner is Served: The bride, groom and wedding party are the first people served for dinner. In the case of a buffet, arrange to have someone dismiss the guest tables one by one to avoid long lines and general disorder. The Urban Legend Emcee and venue staff will work this out.
5. Cut & Serve the Cake: After dinner, the bride and groom cut their wedding cake together hand over hand and feed each other the first piece. Then the rest of the cake is cut and served to the guests.
6. The Bride and Groom's First Dance: The first dance at the reception is always reserved for the newlyweds, to mark their first dance as husband and wife. Some couples choose to have this dance immediately after their arrival and announcement to the reception, while others choose to dance after dinner. The timing of the dance is not as important as the sentiment! Choose a song that has lots of meaning for the both of you and this will be one dance you will never forget!
7. Other Special Dances: After the newlywed's first dance many couples choose to honor their parents, grandparents, and wedding party with special spotlight dances. Traditionally these special dances are kicked off with the bride dancing with her father, followed by the groom with his mother and then a dance with the bride & groom, parents, grandparents, and the entire wedding party announced one by one. Of course these dances are all optional and can be adjusted according to personal preference. For example, you may have the bride dance with her stepfather or delete the wedding party dance if you have too many attendants. After the completion of these special dances, the party begins and guests are invited to join the wedding party on the dance floor.
8. Bouquet & Garter Toss:
The bouquet and garter toss are fun to do after the guests have danced for a few songs, the crowd is loose and the party is starting to heat up. The bride tosses her bouquet to a group of single women and the groom removes the bride's garter and tosses it to a group of single men. Then it is said that the person who catches the bouquet or garter will be the next bride or groom. The bouquet and garter tosses are completely optional and nowadays many couples are choosing to drop them from their reception. Nonetheless the tradition is still very popular and always provides lots of entertainment and laughs for all.
9. Bride & Groom's Last Dance: If the bride and groom will be leaving before the end of the reception then this can be spotlight dance, otherwise the bride, groom and all the remaining guests can boogie down together to the last song of the night.
Remember, this is just a suggested sequence of events and you can choose to customize your own wedding day anyway you like. The way that everyone else does it is not necessarily what's best for your reception.
Work with your caterer, Urban Legend Emcee and reception site manager to determine the best order of events, create a schedule, and iron out all of the details. You may also want to print out itineraries for your parents and wedding party to make sure that everyone knows where they need to be for dances, pictures, special announcements, etc.
Wedding Receptions: Urban Legend Emcee Checklist
• Work with the couple in advance to arrange a sequence of events.
Write out the time line for event so all are clear.
This will be a written checklist with the emcee during the event.
Meet with event/catering staff for clear understanding of timeline.
• Welcome guests as they arrive.
• Announce how the event will go including smoking policy, location of
restrooms, etc.
• Announce the arrival of Wedding Party to reception
Make announcements pertaining to food service
• Announce the couple’s first dance
• Call on the persons making speeches and giving toasts
• Call the guests’ attention to the cake-cutting ceremony
• Call the guests’ attention to the bouquet and garter toss.
• Signal the farewell at the party’s end.
We look forward to speaking with you further about this important event.
Band Contact, Emcee, Producer -Mark - 260-312-1657
www.urbanlegendnow.com
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