We always say that the ceremony is the reason that a wedding day even exists, so in turn is the absolute most important part of the day.  Having said that, once your vows are said and the beautiful moment when two become one has ended, what follows should be a celebration!  This means that you and especially your guests are expecting to CELEBRATE, with dancing, laughter and all the joy that comes with it.  The key to making this happen is to allot enough time for guests to truly enjoy themselves and each other.  Timing and editing can make or break the party portion of your big day.

So how do you make sure your guests have a chance to break out those dancing shoes?  Keep an eye on how many formalities you intend to include.  We sometimes see brides who can get so overwhelmed with ideas (it is so very easy to do with all the social sites, media, magazines etc.) and want to put as many into their day as possible.  What we want to help our brides to do understand is that each moment of your day is special, unique and important and just sharing them is enough...not every second needs to be part of a pre-planned itinerary.  Remember also that every formality takes time.  Time to set up, time to carry out, time for applause...time.

A traditional wedding timeline can look something like this (remember this when you talk to your caterer)...when cocktail hour ends, depending on how many guests you have in attendance and how far they have to travel from one spot to another, it can take 15-20 minutes just to get your guests to their seats (even longer if your place cards/escort board is not out during cocktail hour or if your venue doesn't close the bar during this time).  Formal introductions can take another 10-15 minutes (depending on how difficult your bridal party is to line up and if everyone has been located and is where they need to be).  Then add first dance, toasts (let's say 2 for now), blessing....you have already used up on the low end 30-40 minutes and on the high end over an hour.  Now dinner service begins and depending on how many courses you have can be another hour easy.  Believe it or not, 2 hours left to dance is really normal and pretty standard.

Where we want to caution our brides is in adding all the extra's...some are good, too many will cut your reception short and leave you feeling like you never really had the party you dreamed of.  Your family and friends want to be with you and make memories that last forever...not sit through 12 speeches, 8 courses, 6 dances, 4 exhibitions and a partridge in a pear tree...they want you.  Keep this in mind during cocktail hour too...the later the bride, groom and bridal party run, the longer cocktail hour runs.

This is where the years of experience that our team has running these events, from not only a coordinator's stand point, but from an operational management stand point becomes a huge asset to our brides.  Contact us today to set up an appointment and learn lots of additional ways to create your dream day!