Have you been to a wedding that has felt
way too long? Maybe the wedding said it started at 5 but you didn't see the bride until 6:30. Or there were 3 hours between the end of the ceremony until you were seated for dinner.
When you're planning the sequence of a wedding, it's critical to think about what your guests are experiencing. And it's up to the bride and groom (or the bride and bride/groom and groom) as the hostess and host of the party to help the guests enjoy the festivities!
If you need help with timing, a wedding planner (just a day of coordinator, even) would be a great investment. That coordinator will make your day run so smoothly, you'll have so much fun, you'll get to enjoy your guests and your new husband, get the beautiful pictures you wanted - without boring your guests!
Here are some quick tips on how to maximize your day:
CEREMONY
1.
Start on time: If you said you'd start at 5, make sure that your guests are in their seats and you're down the aisle no later than 5:20. The guests came to celebrate you, not to wait around.
2.
Give them something to do: Even when they are waiting for the festivities to start, your guests will enjoy having something to do or look at - what a perfect time to give them an interactive program (
Wedding advice Madlibs or
What tree did you fall from?).
COCKTAIL HOUR - BEFORE THE RECEPTION
3.
Fun things: We've shared some tips about
what you can do during cocktail hour (or between ceremony and reception) to keep your guests busy!
4.
Change the space & Keep them moving: If your ceremony and reception are in the same venue, maximize the space by having the guests move to a different area of the venue for a cocktail hour. Place small food stations and bar in an area where the guests will have to move a bit. Sound inconvenient? Movement increases anticipation and excitement - you know, like when you're in line for a roller coaster.
5.
Photography: Your photographer will have the best suggestions for you in terms of the best light or maximizing what light you do have. What you don't need or have is 4 hours to shoot your post-wedding ceremony photos! You want your group shots and it's doable in a smaller window. Don't forget that your guests are wanting to celebrate with you!
RECEPTION
6. The flow of things: Lots of stuff happens during a reception. Typically, there's dinner (or some kind of eating), speeches and toasting, dancing, cake cutting, cake eating, meeting all of your guests, garter and bouquet toss. That's a lot to pack into a reception. That's why it's so important to think through the order of events.
7. Don't cut it off: High energy dancing and a packed floor is AWESOME! So you wouldn't want to cut it short and make all your guests who are on the dance floor to sit down to do something that is lower energy like speeches. Envision how you'd want the flow of the event to go. If you were a guest, what would be most enjoyable?
