Wedding Day scheduling is probably more important for the first half of the day which includes the ceremony and wedding pictures, so it’s easy to miscalculate the importance of time management when it comes to the Wedding Reception.
The two most important issues in determining a feasible and flowing Reception timetable are: (a) Is there a Receiving Line? (b) The timing of the Speeches.
In the absence of a Receiving Line, its all good. Keep in mind, some couples put the Receiving Line immediately after the Ceremony (ie) inside the Church. Here, the time allocated for the pictures, including, Family, Wedding Party and Couple Shots could irretrievably lost if the Receiving Line takes too much time. Then, depending on the remaining time, the Newlywed’s pictures may be compromised in order for them to make it to the Reception on schedule – and you really don’t want to be stressed out for these important pix.
Back to the Reception. It of starts at about 5:30. Guests begin showing up. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres are consumed. Dinner is usually served at 7:00.
Let’s assume you commence the Receiving Line at 5:30. How long will it take? Depends on the quantity of guests. Most weddings will have arond 150 guests. If you and/or your guests are talkative you might be looking at 7:00. On average, if you guesstimate half a minute per guest, you’re looking at 75 minutes. If there are 250 guests or more, it could be a problem (ie) Dinner is pushed, which will threaten the quality of the meal.
For the wedding photographer, it’s a non-issue whether there is a Receiving Line or not, or how how much time it takes. Anything and everthing will be photographed. What cannot be denied, though, is that the Receiving Line can be exhausting for the Newlyweds – who have been going hard for half a day already, have experienced the intensity of the ceremony, and have done all their photos. Now, they are expected to stand and welcome people for an extended period of time, with permanent smiles throughout. By the end of it, most Couples are drained. At least dinner is usually not far off at this point.
In some cases, not having the Receiving Line is not an option. No doubt, for these folks, because it is just a natural and expected part of the day, having a Receiving Line may not be quite as unfavorable as it is portrayed. However, if there is a choice, you may be partial to foregoing it.
What are the pluses of avoiding the Receiving Line? (1) The Couple can take a load off for a short time, maybe 15 minutes, once they arrive at the Reception Hall. After freshening up they can hang out with their guests who are arriving and enjoying drinks and hors d’oeuvres – as opposed to spending the entire time rooted to one spot; (2) Being a part of the Cocktail hour with their guests will afford them the chance to mingle in a more personal way than in the Receiving Line (ie) more creative wedding pictures; (3) In absence of the Receiving Line, the Newlyweds can also visit people at their tables between dinner courses.
Next item up for discussion is Speeches. How many and how long? Invariably, most say there won’t be many and they will be to the point. While that is sometimes the case, by the time the Wedding Day arrives there are frequently more Speeches than initially counted on, and there is often one Speech that is surprisingly long. Bear in mind also that by Speech-time some speakers will have imbibed a lot of of alcohol (for some, to quell the jangled nerves).
So, when is the best time to do the Speeches? Well, if you are having a sit-down dinner that normall takes about 2 hours. Speeches usually take anywhere from 30-60 minutes. Therefore, if you set the Speeches after dessert your guests will be sitting on their butts for around 3 hours – possibly longer if dinner and/or speeches take. That can deaden the action before it has even begun. Having the Speeches spaced out throughout dinner works beautifully, concluding with the Bride and Groom speaking as dessert is served. This way, at the end of their speech, the party is on.
If Speeches start after dinner the crowd may become restless and head to the bathroom or outside for air or cigarettes – which can be disruptive and even disappointing. Also, lets not forget about the First Dance. If the Speeches take place during dinner then as the guests are finishing dessert the Newlyweds can say a few, or a lot of, words and then head straight to the dance floor and have their First Dance. In this case, most of the guests are still at their tables. Conversely, if the Speeches are given after dinner then by the time they finish and it’s time for the First Dance, you may have a half-full room on your hands.
Note that some Couples decide to do their First Dance when they enter the room at the beginning of dinner. In this case, they have a captive audience and all eyes are on them. One possible disadvantage is if there are windows in the room it is usually still bright at about 7pm which may not be as dramatic as being spot-lit in a darkened room.
Take into consideration that by Reception time the Bride and Groom have been up since the wee hours. A boatload of energy has been spent. Accordingly, planning a Reception Schedule that flows nicely and isn’t burdensome can help put an exclamation mark on what should be a magnificent day.
