Planning A Wedding Reception: A Step-By-Step Guide

Planning a wedding reception involves a lot of work, from choosing vendors and venues to deciding on food, decor, and entertainment. The reception is a chance for the newlyweds to celebrate with family and friends and let loose after the ceremony. A typical wedding reception includes a cocktail hour, dinner, speeches, and dancing, lasting between four and seven hours. To make the reception fun and memorable, it's important to create a timeline, choose the right vendors, and keep guests entertained with music, interactive activities, and delicious food.

Grand entrance and first dance

The grand entrance and the first dance are two of the most memorable moments of a wedding reception. They can be approached in many ways, but the key is to make them feel authentic to you as a couple. Here are some ideas to make your grand entrance and first dance spectacular:

Grand Entrance Ideas:

• A wedding grand entrance typically happens at the start of the reception. It is when the newlyweds are announced and introduced to the guests as a married couple.
• You can allow your wedding party members to make their entrances first, building anticipation for your grand finale.
• If you want to make a glamorous entrance, walk down a grand staircase with your initials lit across them or illuminated by a spotlight.
• For an adventurous touch, arrive at your reception in a hot air balloon or on horseback.
• Make a fun entrance by riding in on kids' scooters, in a vintage car, or on a tandem bike.
• Create a magical atmosphere with a candlelit path leading into the reception space.
• Make a dramatic entrance by pulling back a draping curtain to reveal your family and friends ready to celebrate.
• If you're feeling extra festive, start the celebration with a confetti shower or sparklers as you enter the room.

First Dance Ideas:

• The first dance usually occurs early in the reception, right after the grand entrance, or it can be done after dinner.
• Doing the first dance early in the reception can ease nerves and create a joyful and celebratory atmosphere.
• Alternatively, doing it after dinner signals a shift to party mode and offers a more relaxed and energised vibe.
• If you want to build anticipation, wait until after dinner, when you've had a chance to freshen up and mentally prepare.
• Involve your guests by encouraging them to applaud as you begin and finish your first dance.
• Combine your first dance with another key moment, such as the cake cutting, to keep the energy high.
• Surprise your guests with a non-traditional first dance, such as a choreographed routine or a medley of your favourite songs.
• If dancing isn't your thing, it's perfectly fine to skip the first dance and replace it with a group toast, a special performance, or a fun game.

Food and drink

Planning Your Menu

When planning your wedding menu, it's important to consider your taste preferences, budget, dietary restrictions, and the overall tone you want to set for the reception. Here are some tips to help you plan:

• Incorporate your favourite foods: Include dishes that reflect your relationship, such as something you ate on your first date or your go-to drinks as signature cocktails.
• Consider your guest list: Think about any dietary restrictions your guests may have and try to offer a variety of options, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free choices.
• Choose a plating style: The plating style you choose will impact the cost and atmosphere of your reception. Options include plated sit-down dinners, family-style meals, buffet-style meals, food stations, and cocktail-style receptions with small bites.
• Work with a caterer: A professional caterer can help you create a menu that fits your vision and budget. Be sure to review your venue contract first, as there may be in-house catering services or preferred vendors you need to use.

Food Ideas

• Appetizers: Tomato Mozzarella Caprese Skewers, Smoked Salmon & Potato Skewers, Crudité & Smoky Hummus Cups, Bruschetta with Romesco & Pine Nuts, Polenta Toasts with Herbed Ricotta & Bacon, Ham Biscuits with Honey Mustard Butter, Meatballs in Tomato Sauce.
• Entrées: Surf and turf (steak and lobster), roasted chicken with seasonal vegetables and potatoes, tacos, colourful salads (e.g. Caesar salad, Cobb salad), pasta (e.g. ravioli, spaghetti, penne alla vodka), sushi, lobster rolls.
• Desserts: Wedding cake, gelato station, make-your-own donuts, cupcakes, cookies, mini tarts, chocolate truffles, spiced sugared nuts.

Drink Ideas

• Cocktails: Signature cocktails like the Turf Club or a Spritz, mimosas, margaritas, mojitos, Bloody Marys.
• Wine: Red Cabernet or Merlot with red meat sauces, Pinot Grigio or white Chardonnay with lighter cheese or seafood sauces.
• Other drinks: Rosé, Baja Blasts, milkshakes, strawberry lemonade, ginger lime sparkler, coffee.

Toasts and speeches

Timing

Order of Speakers

The order of wedding reception speeches usually goes as follows: the best man goes first, followed by the maid of honour, and then the parents of either spouse (traditionally, this was reserved for the father of the bride, but any parent can speak).

Content

Speeches should be kept light-hearted and entertaining. It is customary for the speakers to share stories or anecdotes about the couple, offer words of wisdom or well-wishes for the future, and perhaps include a few jokes. It is also common to propose a toast to the happy couple, wishing them health, happiness, and a long life together.

Interactive Elements

To make the toasts and speeches more engaging, you could incorporate some interactive elements. For example, you could have a slideshow or photo montage playing in the background, featuring pictures of the couple growing up and meeting for the first time. Alternatively, you could organise a game or activity, such as a bouquet or garter toss, to get everyone involved and break up the speeches.

Thank You Speech

The couple may also give a thank-you speech at this time. This is an opportunity for them to express their gratitude to their guests for attending, as well as to the wedding party, parents, and anyone else who has helped make their special day possible.

Open Dance

After the toasts and speeches, the couple and their parents usually hit the dance floor for the parent dances, such as the father-daughter and mother-son dances. This is a great way to kick off the open dance floor and get everyone in the mood to celebrate.

Music and dancing

The newly married couple typically open the dance floor with their first dance. This is usually followed by the couple dancing with their parents and/or in-laws. However, there is no set order for the couple, their families, or the wedding party to begin dancing in.

If you want everyone to dance as soon as the dance floor opens, ask your DJ to announce that everyone should come to the dance floor for a group photo. Play a fun song to keep the energy high after the photo is taken.

To keep the energy high, play songs that are around 30 seconds to 2 minutes in length. This will allow your guests to freak out and have fun singing along to their favourite parts of the song.

If you're hiring a band, a good one will require at least seven pieces. A male and female vocalist, plus guitar, bass, keyboard, trumpet or saxophone, and drums generally make the most versatile combination.

If you're hiring a DJ, they will usually play a mix of upbeat songs and romantic ballads to draw all of your guests to the dance floor.

The average wedding reception is about 5 hours long, including one hour for cocktails and 4 hours for dinner and dancing. The length of your reception is important—the goal is to make it fun without being so long that people end up waiting for it to end.

If you don't want to include dancing, you could focus on the food instead. Great food makes any party awesome. You could also create layers of entertainment, with different areas to explore, each with their own form of entertainment.

Cake cutting

The cake-cutting ceremony is a special moment in a wedding reception and plays a significant role in the event. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you plan the cake-cutting ceremony for your wedding reception:

Timing is Key:

The timing of the cake-cutting ceremony sets the tone for the rest of the reception. Traditionally, cake cutting was the last event of the reception, signalling to guests that they could leave. Today, it usually happens earlier, towards the end of dinner, and is the last "official" event of the evening. Cutting the cake early, especially before dinner, ensures your photographer gets those precious moments on camera. It also makes it easier for the catering staff to slice and serve the cake as a plated dessert course before dancing begins.

Make an Announcement:

Before the cake cutting, have someone from your wedding party make an announcement. This will gather your guests around you and the cake. You can also have your DJ play a fun, food-related song or a tune that everyone knows to make it more enjoyable.

The Cutting Technique:

Now it's time to cut the cake as a couple. A neat way to do this is by using the box or wedge method. With one partner in front of the cake and the other behind, place both your hands on the knife and cut about an inch into the cake, slicing down cleanly. Then, make a connecting cut to form a wedge. Use the knife to lift the wedge and place it on a plate. Skip the serving spatula, as it will make a mess.

Feeding Each Other:

Tradition dictates that the bride and groom feed each other the first bite of the wedding cake. Whether you choose to delightfully smash the cake into each other's faces or feed each other with a fork is entirely up to you. This is a sweet and sentimental moment that your guests will cherish.

Serving the Cake:

If you cut the cake early, the catering staff can work on slicing it while your guests are having dinner. After dinner, they can pass out the cake slices as dessert before the dancing begins. Alternatively, the cake can be served later in the evening, giving your guests time to rest and dance before indulging in the sweet treat.

The cake-cutting ceremony is a wonderful moment to celebrate with your partner and share a sweet treat with your loved ones. Enjoy this special moment and savour the memories!

Frequently asked questions