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:
Use the items in the sample itinerary below as a checklist so that you don't forget anything and as a guide to help you plan your
reception just the way you want it. 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".
Sample Itinerary for Your Reception
Here is an example of an itinerary for a four hour reception that begins at 5:00pm:
1- 2 Hours Before Reception
3:00 Caterer arrives
3:15 Florist arrives to set up table centerpieces and other floral decorations.
3:30 DJ arrives and sets up equipment.
3:40 Wedding Coordinator (or designated person) arrives to set up place cards, favors, toasting flutes, cake knife, guest book
with pen and basket or other holder for the money envelopes.
3:45 Wedding cake arrives and is set up. Florist to provide flowers and greenery to the cake designer, who will arrange flowers
on and around the wedding cake.
First Hour of Reception
5:00 Wedding guests arrive. Cocktail hour begins. Waiters serve trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres to guests.
5:15 Bride & Groom arrive and are escorted outside to take formal photographs on the lawn. All family members and wedding
party gather outside for photographs. Make sure all the family members and wedding attendants know where and when!
You don't want to waste any time trying to track down people to be in pictures.
5:20 Bride, Groom and family members take formal photographs.
Second Hour of Reception
6:00 Bride and Groom, wedding party and parents of bride and groom gather in side room to "line up" for announcements.
Line up in order... groom's parents first, then bride's parents, flower girl and ring bearer, bridesmaids escorted by ushers,
maid of honor escorted by best man and then the bride and groom.
6:05 DJ will make formal announcements. (List all names here...)
6:10 Bride and Groom's first dance (name of song here). Caterer begins serving champagne to the tables for the champagne toast.
6:20 Cocktail hour ends. (Cash bar begins). DJ to announce that dinner is served and ask that all guests be seated.
DJ introduces Officiant (or other designated person) who will say the blessing.
6:25 DJ introduces the Best Man (name goes here) who will give the toast to the bride and groom.
6:30 Dinner is served.
Third Hour of Reception
7:00 Bride & Groom cut the cake. (Name of song goes here)
7:15 DJ announces Bride to dance with her father . (Name of song goes here)
7:25 DJ announces Groom to dance with his mother. (Name of song goes here)
7:35 DJ announces wedding party dance. (Name of song goes here)
7:40 DJ plays song (i.e. Crazy Love, by Aaron Neville). Bride & Groom and wedding party dances. DJ invites all guests to join in.
7:45 Cake and coffee are served to guests.
Fourth Hour of Reception
8:00 DJ announces the Bride’s bouquet toss. (Name of song goes here). A nice alternative to the bouquet toss is for the Bride to
"dedicated her bouquet" to someone special - maybe her mother or best friend. The bride can say a few words and then give
(not throw) her bouquet away. This is a very tasteful and sentimental alternative... and be prepared for a few tears.
8:15 Garter toss
8:45 Bride and Groom’s last dance
9:00 Bride and Groom say goodnight and leave for honeymoon destination or hotel.
9:15 Parents of the Bride (or other designated person) gather all the gifts, wedding presents and other items.
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 (i.e. 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 too 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!
Use the items in the sample itinerary below as a checklist so that you don't forget anything and as a guide to help you plan your
reception just the way you want it. 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 suppose 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 have your first dance immediately after the introductions.
Sample Itinerary for Your Reception
Here is an example of an itinerary for a four hour reception that begins at 5:00pm:
1- 2 Hours Before Reception
3:00 Caterer arrives
3:15 Florist arrives to set up table centerpieces and other floral decorations.
3:30 DJ arrives and sets up equipment.
3:40 Wedding Coordinator (or designated person) arrives to set up place cards, favors, toasting flutes, cake knife, guest book
with pen and basket or other holder for the money envelopes.
3:45 Wedding cake arrives and is set up. Florist to provide flowers and greenery to the cake designer, who will arrange flowers
on and around the wedding cake.
First Hour of Reception
5:00 Wedding guests arrive. Cocktail hour begins. Waiters serve trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres to guests.
5:15 Bride & Groom arrive and are escorted outside to take formal photographs on the lawn. All family members and wedding
party gather outside for photographs. Make sure all the family members and wedding attendants know where and when!
You don't want to waste any time trying to track down people to be in pictures.
5:20 Bride, Groom and family members take formal photographs.
Second Hour of Reception
6:00 Bride and Groom, wedding party and parents of bride and groom gather in side room to "line up" for announcements.
Line up in order... groom's parents first, then bride's parents, flower girl and ring bearer, bridesmaids escorted by ushers,
maid of honor escorted by best man and then the bride and groom.
6:05 DJ will make formal announcements. (List all names here...)
6:10 Bride and Groom's first dance (name of song here). Caterer begins serving champagne to the tables for the champagne toast.
6:20 Cocktail hour ends. (Cash bar begins). DJ to announce that dinner is served and ask that all guests be seated.
DJ introduces Officiant (or other designated person) who will say the blessing.
6:25 DJ introduces the Best Man (name goes here) who will give the toast to the bride and groom.
6:30 Dinner is served.
Third Hour of Reception
7:00 Bride & Groom cut the cake. (Name of song goes here)
7:15 DJ announces Bride to dance with her father . (Name of song goes here)
7:25 DJ announces Groom to dance with his mother. (Name of song goes here)
7:35 DJ announces wedding party dance. (Name of song goes here)
7:40 DJ plays song (i.e. Crazy Love, by Aaron Neville). Bride & Groom and wedding party dances. DJ invites all guests to join in.
7:45 Cake and coffee are served to guests.
Fourth Hour of Reception
8:00 DJ announces the Bride’s bouquet toss. (Name of song goes here). A nice alternative to the bouquet toss is for the Bride to
"dedicated her bouquet" to someone special - maybe her mother or best friend. The bride can say a few words and then give
(not throw) her bouquet away. This is a very tasteful and sentimental alternative... and be prepared for a few tears.
8:15 Garter toss
8:45 Bride and Groom’s last dance
9:00 Bride and Groom say goodnight and leave for honeymoon destination or hotel.
9:15 Parents of the Bride (or other designated person) gather all the gifts, wedding presents and other items.
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