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Common format of a wedding reception:
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Arrival of guests at hall
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Introduction of wedding party
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Introduction of bride and groom
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Blessing
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Meal
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Cake Cutting
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Toasts
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Bride & Groom's First Dance
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Father & Daughter's Dance
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Mother & Groom's Dance
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Special Dances
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Bouquet and Garter Toss
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Dancing and Fun
Arrival of guests at reception site
Typically, a wedding lasts about 15 minutes. However, some guests do arrive
early to the reception. Therefore, be sure all reception to-dos are complete by
the start time of the wedding. Also, all wedding vendors should be wearing
proper attire for early arriving and late staying guests. All tables should be
set-up including cake table, entertainment's table, sign-in table, food tables,
and tables with chairs for all guests. If you have a seating arrangement, all
seating lists should be at the reception with everyone's name with where they
are sitting.
Introduction of wedding party
This step is not mandatory, but it is nice for everyone to know who
the wedding party is as many have not met before your wedding. Create a
Reception Planning Guide and give this to your master of ceremonies prior to
your wedding. This details, among other things, the order of entrance into the
reception site with their names and titles. The order of entrance is as
follows: parents of the bride, parents of the groom, ushers with bridesmaids,
flower girl and ring bearer, special guests, best man, maid/matron of honor,
bride and groom. In addition, review the pronunciations of the wedding party's
names with the master of ceremonies.
Introduction of bride and groom
This is always the last of the introductions. Everyone should stand before the
bride and groom enter. In addition, a special song can be arranged with the
music entertainment and a special announcement made to punctuate a true grand
entrance. Also, inform the master of ceremonies how you would like to be
introduced: Mr. and Mrs. Smith or John and Jane Doe.
Blessing
This is another step that is not mandatory, but for the religious
couples makes a nice setting. If you invite the person who performed the
marriage ceremony to the reception, I would recommend having them conduct the
blessing. If they are not able to attend, a parent or family friend is a good
idea. Lastly, the master of ceremonies could give the meal blessing. Be sure to
communicate with whomever is giving the blessing in advance so they are
prepared to give a personal touch.
Meal
It's time to eat! Bride and Groom, be sure to stop and take a moment to eat.
This may be your only chance in the day. In addition, it is customary for the
bride and groom to start the food line. Most guests know to wait until the
bride and groom start the food line. So don't be late!
Cake Cutting
This is the traditional bride and groom making the first cut on their
wedding cake. Then, the bride feeds half of the piece of cake to the groom and
the groom feeds the remaining half to the bride. The cutting of the cake is a
ceremony intended to symbolize the caring and sharing for one another. Forks
may be used as they make the image very attractive for the photographer. Forks
may also minimize the possibility of someone being hurt with the more playful
squashing that sometimes happens.
Toasts
The toast is when the bride and groom toast each other then interlock arms and
drink. Immediately following, the best man and maid/matron of honor make toasts
to the bridal couple. Be prepared for other family and friends to follow with
their toasts too.
Bride & Groom's First Dance
The Bride & Groom's Dance is the first dance between a bride and
groom as a married couple. The dance is also commonly known as the "First
Dance". The timing of the bride groom dance can vary in the evening based on
your preferences. The first dance can be done immediately following the grand
entrance with the wedding party circling the dance.
Father & Daughter's Dance
The Father & Daughter's Dance or the Father Bride Dance is the dance
between the father(s) of the bride and the bride. Brides, if you have more than
one father in your life, one can tap the other on the shoulder in the middle of
the dance so you can dance with both of them. If you do not have a father, a
common substitute is a father figure or even your brother would make a very
nice gesture.
Mother & Groom's Dance
The Mother & Groom's dance is the dance between the mother(s) of
the groom and the groom. Grooms, if you have more than one mother in your life,
one can tap the other on the shoulder in the middle of the dance so you can
dance with both of them. If you do not have a mother, a common substitute is a
mother figure or even your sister would make a very nice gesture.
Special Dances
There may be songs in your life that mean dear to your heart. You can ask the
music entertainment to play these songs during the night or immediately
following the formal dances. An example would be: If someone dear to you passed
recently, you may ask the music entertainment to play Angels Among Us by
Alabama.
Bouquet and Garter Toss
The traditional tossing of the bouquet is when the bride tosses the
bridal bouquet to all single women in attendance. Immediately following the
bouquet tossing, a chair is set in the middle of the dance floor. The chair is
for the bride to sit and the groom to remove the bride's garter from her leg.
The traditional tossing of the garter is when the groom tosses the bride's
garter to all the single men in attendance. The people whom catch the garter
and bouquet are said to be the next one to marry.
Dancing and Fun
This is what you pay the music entertainment to do...get people to dance and
have a good time. Give the music entertainment music examples and limitations
of what type of music you want but don't give them a list of 100 songs they
need to play.
About the Author
Matt Campbell is the owner and webmaster for Weddingmuseum.com.
Weddingmuseum.com is a place to plan, book and rate your wedding day. You can
email him at matt@weddingmuseum.com
or visit WeddingMuseum.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/