Wedding Reception Timeline

Your wedding reception is one of the biggest parts of your wedding night. A set timeline will ensure you and your guests get the best possible experience to make it a night you won’t forget! Here is a sample wedding reception timeline and other helpful tips to start the party.

Guests Move From Ceremony into Cocktail Hour | 1 Hour

While your guests mingle after the ceremony, it is a good time to do your couple’s session and formal family photos. Although the bride and groom typically won’t be able to attend the cocktail hour, it’s still a nice time for your guests to relax and enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks before they enter the main reception. Check out this Wedding Photography Timeline for suggestions on how much time should be allotted for the cocktail hour based on how many formal photos you want to be done.

Guests Are Seated in the Reception Hall | 15-20 Minutes

Your wedding coordinator and/or DJ/MC will get your guests seated in the reception hall and prepare them for the celebration to begin. Depending on the number of guest, this portion of the timeline could be longer or shorter. Any other special announcements will be made during this time as well.

Wedding Party Entrances | Bride and Groom Introduction | 5-10 Minutes

Your DJ/MC will announce your family and wedding party as they enter the room. This is a time for your wedding party and/or immediate family to have fun as they enter the reception hall, which will certainly get your guests excited and ready for your grand entrance

First Dance | | 5-10 Minutes

After your grand entrance, all eyes are on you, and it is a perfect time to go straight into your first dance as a married couple. Whether your dance is choreographed or just a slow and sweet moment to a sentimental song, this is your moment to shine together.

Family Dances | 15 Minutes

This is a perfect time to start the dancing portion of your celebration with the mother & groom and father & bride dances. We feel that guests are less likely to walk around and not give their undivided attention to the second most important dance of the evening. After the last family dance, your DJ can ask all your guests to join you on the dance floor. This gets everyone out of their seats and on the dance floor.

Welcome Speech | 5-10 Minutes

Once you are both seated at the head table, it’s time to thank your guests for coming. This can be done by the bride and groom or the mother and father of the bride. Occasionally, this is also a good time for a blessing from a family member to commence the meal!

Dinner is Served | 1 Hour

Make sure you are served first and have adequate time to enjoy the cuisine you have selected!  While your guests are seated and enjoying their dinner, that is a good time to step outside for some sunset or night photos. When you return, there might still be time for you to make your rounds and personally thank and greet your guests. If you decide to take the meal time to greet or take photos with each table, allow yourself at least 3 minutes per table and adjust the meal time accordingly. These plans should already have been discussed in advance with the venue and your photographer.

Toasts | 30 Minutes

While your guests are still seated and finishing their meal, this can be a great opportunity to go through the toasts. It’s a good idea to start with the Best Man and Maid of Honor and then follow up with anyone else who may want to participate in the toast. If the bride and groom didn’t thank their guests earlier in the reception, now would be a great time to do so… before the dancing begins!

Open Up the Dance Floor | 30-45 Minutes

It is time to kick off the celebration and get it into high gear with an upbeat song that will get everyone in the room moving. In between bursts of high-energy songs interlaced with some slow dances, that would be a great opportunity to do your garter and bouquet toss if you planned on it or perhaps some other fun activities.

Cake Cutting & Dessert | 30 Minutes

The cake-cutting ceremony lets your guests know that the party is almost over and they have about an hour or so before the grand exit or end of the reception. After the bride and groom have cut their cake, your DJ may want to play some slow to mid-tempo songs as your guests enjoy their dessert. While they enjoy their dessert, that may be another good time to thank your guests for coming or perhaps sneak in a few more photos in the reception hall. Sometimes, we coordinate with the DJ to get everyone out on the dance floor for one last big group photo of everyone with the bride and groom.

Reception Nighttime Photo Session | 20-30 Minutes

During the last dance set and after dessert, the bride and groom can sneak out for their nighttime couple’s session. This is an important time to schedule in your reception timeline with your photographer. This is when the photographer can get those romantic nighttime shots that document the perfect end to your beautiful wedding day. Just make sure to come back for your last dance!

Keep the Party Going | 30-40 Minutes

After dessert has been enjoyed and the sugar rush begins to kick in, it’s time to keep the dance party going! This last dance set will coincide with your nighttime photo session in your wedding reception timeline. Your DJ will likely announce when the last song is being played, which will give your guests that last chance to dance before the party ends.

Grand Exit | 15-30 Minutes

After the last dance, have your DJ/MC usher everyone outside for your grand exit. The grand exit can be what your heart desire and what the venue will allow you to do. Some couples will have the guests line up on each side of the entrance with sparklers so you can exit the building and walk in between everyone. Other couples will do the same with either bubbles or even glow sticks.  Use your imagination and enjoy your grand exit. Then, it is off to honeymoon and we will leave that timeline up to you.

Other sources of wedding reception timelines, such as the one from Brides, may be helpful as well.