- 0:00 Cocktail Hour
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While you are off with Jamie getting your bridal portraits done,
you're guests are already at the reception venue awaiting your
arrival while enjoying cocktails and hors d'oeuvres
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- 0:45 Bridal Party Arrival
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At around the 45 minute mark of your cocktail hour you and your
bridal party have arrived to the reception venue and are hidden away
enjoying some hors d'oeuvres
and a cocktail or two. At this point, we'll find you and go
over the lineup and pronunciations of names one last
time before the bridal party introductions.
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- 1:00 Introductions / First Dance
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Here's where you get to make your grand entrance. Your bridal
party will get introduced first and make their way around the dance
floor. We'll introduce you as husband and wife and you'll share your first dance together.
Alternately you can choose to have your first dance after dinner,
but since everyone has been waiting over an hour and is already on
their feet cheering for you, it's a good time for this event. You may want to invite your bridal party to
dance with you either during or after your first dance.
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- 1:10 Toast and Blessings
- You and your bridal party have been seated at the head table and
the reception crowd has once again settled back into their seats.
Now is the time for the best man and maid/matron of honor to toast
(or roast) your new marriage. After the toast a family member or
your ceremony officiant will offer a blessing over the meal before
your dinner is served.
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- 1:20 Dinner
- Depending on the number of guest and type of dinner (sit down or
buffet) the amount of time it takes to get through dinner service
will vary. Typically an hour and a half is enough time for
everyone to be served. While dinner is is being served we will
continue to play music from your dinner music list at a pleasant
volume so that conversation at the tables isn't discouraged by
overly loud music.
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- 2:30 Cake Cutting
- After dinner the first order of business is to cut your cake.
Alternately if you are planning on serving your cake for dessert you
can cut it before dinner to allow the catering staff ample time to
prepare it.
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- 2:40 Parent Dance
- Now is the time to share that special dance with your parents.
It's customary for the bride to dance with her father and the groom
with his mother.
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- 2:50 Party Time
- The Dance Floor is now officially open and it's time to 'shake
your groove thing.' remember that your guests are going to follow
your lead so if you want a rocking reception get yourself and your
bridal party out there on the dance floor and your guests will
follow. During this open dancing portion of the evening you should
also
take the opportunity to go table to table and say hello to all your
guests.
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- 3:30 Bouquet, Garter, Money Dance
- After about 45 minutes or so of open dancing we'll take a break
in the action to take care of any other ceremonial events you have
left. We like to start the last of the ceremonial events early
enough to ensure that most of your guests are still in attendance
and able to view and participate in the fun. Once the last of the
ceremonial events is done we will go back to open dancing to finish
the evening. Couples having a money dance often use that dance
as an opportunity to make their grand exit.
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- 4:55 Last Song Of The Night
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