Wedding Reception

When Should A Wedding Reception End?

Even under the greatest circumstances, there can be a lot to take in when you create the timeline for your wedding day. When the globe is dealing with a pandemic and social alienation at the same time, and nothing ever remains the same for more than two minutes, it's already difficult enough to put together a wedding timetable. While we wish we could make the world a more orderly and manageable place, we can only help you get through this one, albeit crucial, challenge.

Before we go into the specifics of the timeline, let's discuss why you actually need one for your wedding (and YES, you need a day of the timetable). Have you ever been to a wedding when everything ran smoothly, you know what we’re talking about: the day just seemed to flow effortlessly. It's as though people have an innate sense of direction. If you're having fun, you won't stop to consider the practicalities for a second.

That's a bit of a con. Someone (a wedding planner, an extremely organised member of the bridal couple, a friend) spent a great deal of time defining when things would happen, where people should be, and where certain items should be so that everything looks seamless to guests. The wedding day timeline is the paper that details all of this information. A wedding contract is undoubtedly the most important document in any wedding preparation, elopements included.

The reality is, even if you've been to a number of weddings, you probably haven't paid much attention to how long each component lasted (barring the rare occasion that you end up in direct sunlight at an hour-long outdoor ceremony on a 90-degree day, which nobody forgets). Planning the events of your wedding day might be overwhelming if you don't have a good starting point. To help you get started, we created wedding planning templates that may be modified for your special day. Yes, absolutely, and that includes weddings in the year 2021.

Preparation is the key to a stress-free wedding day schedule. The best way to ensure that your wedding day goes off without a hitch is to break it down into manageable chunks using a detailed timeline. The plan will serve you best if it is as specific as possible. Wedding ceremonies can span anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour (though shorter, more concise ones are quite acceptable) and wedding parties can last anywhere from four to five hours.

The wedding and reception are assumed to be held at the same site in this sample timeline, saving time and effort for both the bride and groom and their guests. Plan accordingly for the time it will take guests to make their way to the after-ceremony activities if the reception is being held elsewhere.

Your wedding, unless you're doing the elopement route, will consist of two phases. The first is actually having the wedding and saying your vows to one other. And then there's the reception, where you and your new partner can show off to your loved ones. While preparations for both ceremonies and receptions are essential, you'll likely focus more on the latter.

Naturally, if you're planning on having a lengthy and lavish ceremony, you may wish to give less thought to the reception. Though the officiant plays an important role, the wedding ceremony is truly a collaborative endeavour between the couple and themselves. Your officiant will take charge of the ceremony itself unless you have specific requests or activities in mind. The fact is that they're more seasoned pros than you are.

In the meantime, you'll be busy selecting floral arrangements (to be utilised throughout the event), selecting table centrepieces, reserving a DJ, and planning the menu. That's a lot of little things that add up to a big impact on how people will react to you. You may be wondering, "What am I going to do for my wedding?" "If you could give me some advice on what to do for the reception, that would be great. Also, do we think we have enough time?"

Wedding Length

Weddings often last between six and eight hours. That's when you'll have the wedding, the reception, the pictures, and any other unique events. The average wedding ceremony lasts around one hour, while the reception can go on for another four or five. Take into account your location when you estimate how much time you will need to devote to each component.

In the case of a wedding where the ceremony and reception will be held at the same location, every second will be crucial. However, your schedule may be affected by the distance your guests must drive to attend your wedding reception. There's no need to cut the ceremony short to accommodate the drive, but the reception will be over much sooner.

When it comes to your special day, Vogue Ballroom has proven itself to be an iconic wedding reception venue and function centre in Melbourne. 

wedding venues for reception

Wedding Reception Timeline

After The Ceremony, Guests Will Enjoy A One-Hour Cocktail Reception.

During the time that your wedding guests are mingling, you can have your formal family photos and couples session taken. The cocktail hour is a wonderful time for your guests to socialise and relax first before reception begins, even if the bride and groom will not be there. This Wedding Photography Timeline can help you determine how long your cocktails hour should be depending on the number of formal images you wish to have shot.

Seating Guests in the Reception Area

Before the festivities begin, your wedding Jockey or host will gather everyone for a quick seating assignment in the reception area. Visitors will be shown to their chairs and given any additional information that may be necessary. When creating a timeline for your wedding reception, be sure to include details such as when you plan to start allowing guests inside and how long you estimate this to take based on the amount of people you expect.

Attendees' Grand Entrances to the Wedding

Your DJ/MC will make an announcement to guests as they arrive, both immediate and extended. It's a lot of fun for the bride and groom to enter the function room with a funny dance or any other movement that gets the guests excited for the big arrival of the bride and groom.

Promising Arrival of the Bride and Groom

Time to celebrate your public debut as a married pair. Move your body to the beat of the music that moves you most. Prepare your reception schedule in advance so that you and your partner may make a spectacular entrance without having to compete with the rest of the wedding party for everyone's attention. Vogue Ballroom is your ultimate Wedding Reception Venue to create your dream wedding. 

First Danc

After everyone has witnessed you walk down the aisle and into the reception hall, it is time for your first dance as husband and wife. Whether you're performing a planned dance or simply holding hands and listening to a meaningful music, this is your opportunity to shine as a pair.

Toast of Welcome

You and your soul mate have made it to the head of the table, and now it is time to thank everyone who has joined you in celebrating this momentous occasion. This can be done by the groom and bride or by the bride's parents. A wonderful touch to any dinner is to have someone say grace before digging in.

The Dinner Is Ready

You should get your meal first, eat swiftly, and relish the cuisine you chose for the wedding. Before returning to your seat for the toasts, feel free to tour the room and greet with everyone. This is the moment to mingle with your guests if you haven't previously done so at the reception. If you want to greet visitors and pose for pictures with them, you should give yourselves at least three minutes at each table. Adjusting mealtimes as needed.

Toasts

While everyone is still sitting and enjoying their meal, you can go over the toasts. The Best Man and the Maid of Honor should start the toasting, followed by the other invited guests. If the happy couple didn't already do so before the reception started, now is the time for them to express their gratitude to those who were able to be a part of their wedding day.

Family Dances

Wedding Dance Floor Melbourne

One of the best ways to get the dancing portion of your reception started is with the mother-son and father-daughter dances. Get on the dance floor for a group photo with the DJ after the night's last dance. Everyone will get up from their places and join you on the dance floor, where they will remain in large numbers once the music starts playing.

Dessert and Cake Cutting

When you and your new spouse cut the cake around an hour before your big exit or the reception's end, you'll let everyone know that the festivities are winding down. When it's time to serve dessert, have the DJ switch gears to something more relaxed. Even at dessert, you can express your appreciation to your visitors.

Party Guest Sneaks Outside for Pictures

After dinner has been given and the last song has been played, the bride and husband should sneak away for a romantic evening photo shoot. Your wedding photographer should be included in the planning of the timeline for the reception. It's time for them to snap pictures of the gorgeous sunset that overshadowed the end of your perfect wedding day. Don't miss the last dance if you possibly can!

Get the Party Starte

It's high time for a dance party! The greatest way to kick off a power dance session is with a music that gets everyone pumped up and ready to go. You can do the garter and bouquet throw and other exciting events on your ideal wedding timeline between high-energy music sets that are interspersed with some calm jams.

Grand Exit

After the last song, have the DJ/MC usher everyone outside to a waiting getaway car. After that, it's time for the honeymoon, whenever you'd like.

Notify the DJ or band leader when it is ready for the last song. It's important to say goodbye and embrace loved ones one more time. One or more members of the bridal party should be in charge of handing out sparklers or other exit materials to guests and directing them to gather along the path you will take to leave the venue. At the sound of the final chord, join hands and fade into the horizon.

Worried That the Party Will Have to Stop Too Soon?

But once the party gets going, you might not want it to stop. The festivities should not be cut short because of your departure. There is a wide variety of locations available for the wedding reception after party. You may arrange a rideshare to take you and your bridal party to a local bar. They could also be encouraged to partake in the venue's catering services or bar scene. You can even go into a guest's room with their permission. Your room is off-limits as a party location, but other than that, there are no restrictions. It's logical that, after that long of a day, you might try to get some extra shuteye.

Conclusion

A wedding contract is undoubtedly the most important document in any wedding preparation. The best way to ensure that your wedding day goes off without a hitch is to have a detailed timeline. To help you get started, we created wedding planning templates that may be modified for your special day. The average wedding ceremony lasts around one hour, while the reception can go on for another four or five hours. Plan accordingly for the time it will take guests to make their way to the after-ceremony activities if the reception is being held elsewhere.

Tessa Lyn, a professional wedding planner, helps you plan your reception. Vogue Ballroom is an iconic wedding reception venue and function centre in Melbourne. The cocktail hour is a wonderful time for your guests to socialise and relax first before reception begins. This Wedding Photography Timeline can help you determine how long your cocktails hour should be depending on the number of formal images you wish to have shot. 

Vogue's DJ/MC will make an announcement to guests as they arrive, both immediate and extended. Prepare your reception schedule in advance so that you and your partner may make a spectacular entrance. Dinner is the perfect time for guests to mingle with each other and express their gratitude to those who were able to attend your wedding. Get on the dance floor for a group photo with the DJ after the night's last dance. The best way to start the dancing is with the mother-son and father-daughter dances.

Cut the cake around an hour before your big exit or the reception's end. When serving dessert, have the DJ switch gears to something more relaxed. The bride and husband should sneak away for a romantic evening photo shoot. Don't miss the last dance if you possibly can! After the wedding reception, there is a wide variety of locations available for the after party.

You may arrange a ride share to take you and your bridal party to a local bar. You can even go into a guest's room with their permission if you're staying in a hotel.

It is with our regret that we must inform you that your wedding reception must end at midnight. Not in your wedding location, at least! However, you and your guests will have plenty of time to dance the night away and celebrate your new union. Take the party locally if you're not ready for the night to end, or ask a member of the wedding party to let you crash in their hotel room for a while.

Content Summary:

  • Even under the greatest circumstances, there can be a lot to take in when you create the timeline for your wedding day.
  • When the globe is dealing with a pandemic and social alienation at the same time, and nothing ever remains the same for more than two minutes, it's already difficult enough to put together a wedding timetable.
  • Before we go into the specifics of the timeline, let's discuss why you actually need one for your wedding (and YES, you need a day of the timetable).
  • The wedding day timeline is the paper that details all of this information.
  • A wedding contract is undoubtedly the most important document in any wedding preparation, elopements included.
  • Planning the events of your wedding day might be overwhelming if you don't have a good starting point.
  • Preparation is the key to a stress-free wedding day schedule.
  • The best way to ensure that your wedding day goes off without a hitch is to break it down into manageable chunks using a detailed timeline.
  • Tessa Lyn, a professional wedding planner, In order to help you plan your own modern wedding reception, we enlisted the assistance of Brand of Tessa Lyn Events and used a sample wedding timetable with a 5:30 p.m. ceremony start time as our basis. 
  • Modify as needed to accommodate the start time of your ceremony.)
  • The wedding and reception are assumed to be held at the same site in this sample timeline, saving time and effort for both the bride and groom and their guests.
  • Plan accordingly for the time it will take guests to make their way to the after-ceremony activities if the reception is being held elsewhere.
  • The first is actually having the wedding and saying your vows to one other.
  • While preparations for both ceremonies and receptions are essential, you'll likely focus more on the latter.
  • Naturally, if you're planning on having a lengthy and lavish ceremony, you may wish to give less thought to the reception.
  • Though the officiant plays an important role, the wedding ceremony is truly a collaborative endeavour between the couple and themselves.
  • Your officiant will take charge of the ceremony itself unless you have specific requests or activities in mind.
  • If you could give me some advice on what to do for the reception, that would be great.
  • Take into account your location when you estimate how much time you will need to devote to each component.
  • In the case of a wedding where the ceremony and reception will be held at the same location, every second will be crucial.
  • However, your schedule may be affected by the distance your guests must drive to attend your wedding reception.
  • During the time that your wedding guests are mingling, you can have your formal family photos and couples session taken.
  • The cocktail hour is a wonderful time for your guests to socialise and relax first before reception begins, even if the bride and groom will not be there.
  • This Wedding Photography Timeline can help you determine how long your cocktails hour should be depending on the number of formal images you wish to have shot.
  • Before the festivities begin, your wedding Jockey or host will gather everyone for a quick seating assignment in the reception area.
  • When creating a timeline for your wedding reception, be sure to include details such as when you plan to start allowing guests inside and how long you estimate this to take based on the amount of people you expect.
  • Your DJ/MC will make an announcement to guests as they arrive, both immediate and extended.
  • It's a lot of fun for the bride and groom to enter the function room with a funny dance or any other movement that gets the guests excited for the big arrival of the bride and groom.
  • Time to celebrate your public debut as a married pair.
  • Move your body to the beat of the music that moves you most.
  • Prepare your reception schedule in advance so that you and your partner may make a spectacular entrance without having to compete with the rest of the wedding party for everyone's attention.
  • After everyone has witnessed you walk down the aisle and into the reception hall, it is time for your first dance as husband and wife.
  • You and your soul mate have made it to the head of the table, and now it is time to thank everyone who has joined you in celebrating this momentous occasion.
  • This can be done by the groom and bride or by the bride's parents.
  • You should get your meal first, eat swiftly, and relish the cuisine you chose for the wedding.
  • Before returning to your seat for the toasts, feel free to tour the room and greet with everyone.
  • This is the moment to mingle with your guests if you haven't previously done so at the reception.
  • If you want to greet visitors and pose for pictures with them, you should give yourselves at least three minutes at each table.
  • Toasts While everyone is still sitting and enjoying their meal, you can go over the toasts.
  • The Best Man and the Maid of Honour should start the toasting, followed by the other invited guests.
  • One of the best ways to get the dancing portion of your reception started is with the mother-son and father-daughter dances.
  • Get on the dance floor for a group photo with the DJ after the night's last dance.
  • When you and your new spouse cut the cake around an hour before your big exit or the reception's end, you'll let everyone know that the festivities are winding down.
  • When it's time to serve dessert, have the DJ switch gears to something more relaxed.
  • Even at dessert, you can express your appreciation to your visitors.
  • After dinner has been given and the last song has been played, the bride and husband should sneak away for a romantic evening photo shoot.
  • Your wedding photographer should be included in the planning of the timeline for the reception.
  • Don't miss the last dance if you possibly can!
  • It's high time for a dance party!
  • The greatest way to kick off a power dance session is with a music that gets everyone pumped up and ready to go.
  • After the last song, have the DJ/MC usher everyone outside to a waiting getaway car.
  • After that, it's time for the honeymoon, whenever you'd like.
  • Notify the DJ or band leader when it is ready for the last song.
  • It's important to say goodbye and embrace loved ones one more time.
  • One or more members of the bridal party should be in charge of handing out sparklers or other exit materials to guests and directing them to gather along the path you will take to leave the venue.
  • But once the party gets going, you might not want it to stop.
  • The festivities should not be cut short because of your departure.
  • There is a wide variety of locations available for the wedding reception after party.
  • You may arrange a rideshare to take you and your bridal party to a local bar.
  • You can even go into a guest's room with their permission.
  • Your room is off-limits as a party location, but other than that, there are no restrictions.
  • It is with our regret that we must inform you that your wedding reception must end at midnight.
  • Not in your wedding location, at least!
  • However, you and your guests will have plenty of time to dance the night away and celebrate your new union.
  • Take the party locally if you're not ready for the night to end, or ask a member of the wedding party to let you crash in their hotel room for a while.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wedding Reception

Four to five hours

As a rule of thumb, wedding ceremonies typically last 30 minutes to an hour—although short and sweet wedding programs are okay, too—and most wedding receptions typically last four to five hours.

It's possible to fit a single-location ceremony, cocktails, dinner and dancing into 6 hours if you have a planner or a DJ who is good at keeping everything on schedule. If it's just a reception for a few dozen close friends and relatives, then 5 hours may be enough.

If you already offered your best wishes and had some alone time with the couple, it's fine to leave without saying goodbye. According to wedding etiquette rules, it's acceptable for a guest to exit a reception once the wedding cake is cut; saying hasta la vista before then is considered rude.

Your typical wedding reception runs about 4-5 hours—plenty of time for cocktails, dinner, toasts and, of course, dancing! Follow this foolproof wedding reception timeline to ensure a smooth, fun-filled evening of celebration for you and your guests.

Eating – Plan for 45 minutes to 1 hour for a seated meal. For a buffet, for everyone to get their plates, sit down and eat, you are looking at approximately an hour for around 100 guests. One hundred fifty people would take about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

About The Author

Google Rating
4.6
Based on 481 reviews
js_loader
Google Rating
4.6
Based on 481 reviews
js_loader
Scroll to Top