If you’re looking for ways to make your wedding different, check out these eleven non-traditional wedding reception timeline ideas!
When people come to weddings, most of the time, they expect the same rundown of events. They know when the first dance is supposed to take place and when it’s about time to cut the cake. Most weddings have a traditional sequence they follow from the beginning of the reception until when the lights turn off.
Have you ever been to a wedding where the couple threw something new at you? You’re probably still talking to people about it whenever cool wedding stories come up. Twists on the traditional wedding timeline can be fun and memorable.
The truth is, traditions are there simply as guidelines. You get to choose how your wedding goes and craft an experience you’ll love and cherish for the rest of your life.
Wedding receptions are long, so we want to ensure we’re doing what we can to enjoy them.
Here are some fantastic ideas you can use to make your wedding reception stand out.
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The Traditional Wedding Reception Timeline
If you’re in the early planning stages of your wedding, you may not know that receptions have a traditional timeline at all. However, for generations, wedding parties have gone like this:
- Welcome – Guests arrive at the wedding reception venue
- Intros – The parents, the wedding party, and then the couple are introduced.
- First Dance – The couple goes to the middle of the dance floor and puts on a show
- Toasts – The parents or the couple toast
- A Blessing – Someone offers a blessing to the couple
- Salads – Dinner service begins
- Best Man’s Speech
- Maid of Honor Toast
- Dinner Service – The mains arrive
- Parents Dance – The couple dances with the parents on either side
- Cake – The couple cuts the cake
- Bouquet Toss – Sometimes people also toss the garter
- Dancing – Everyone can get on the dance floor now
- Last Dance – Lets everyone know the party is over
- Grand Send-Off – Wedding guests get together to send the couple off
There you have it. This is how most weddings go, and for good reason. The traditional wedding timeline is orderly and gives the night a natural progression. Things end with everyone tearing up the dance floor before one last hurrah as they cheer the couple into the car or out of the venue.
But wanting something different is totally natural. Weddings are supposed to be about more than tradition. They’re supposed to be fun! So, mixing up the timeline is a great way to make your wedding different.
Let’s get into nine ways you can make your wedding reception timeline unique.
Let the Best Man Give His Speech First
Do you have a best man that gives fantastic speeches? Well, if so, there’s no better way to set the mood for your reception than having him open things up with a rousing, funny, moving speech.
Parental toasts are always sentimental. Dads may mix in a corny joke or two, but a best man can get the party started right. They’ll set the tone for the evening and get everyone in the mood to party.
You could even have the best man do the introductions. They can make it more entertaining and move the reception into the phase light-heartedly.
Cut the Cake Early and then Go into the First Dance
People love watching the couple cut the cake. It’s a cute moment that gets a ton of attention at weddings. It’s probably so popular because it’s a moment that can go off script, and you get to see the couple relax and have fun.
A cool idea for your timeline is to cut the cake right before the couple’s first dance. Of course, it moves the cutting earlier into the reception, but it’s great for receptions where people are standing and milling about.
Have everyone gather around the cake and cheer on the couple as they slice the cake. Of course, shenanigans and smashing cake into each other’s faces are totally encouraged.
The cutting and accompanying laughter releases some of the stress around the reception and gets the couple in a happier mood before their first dance. Allow some time to clean up cake smears for photos, then move onto the dance floor for a terrific first dance.
Space Out the Toasts
Having all the toasts happen at once is an emotion-filled portion of the reception. At a lot of weddings, you’ll see or shed many tears.
If you’re going for something more relaxed and you’d rather have that positive energy spread through the reception, tell guests they can toast at any time. Encourage your wedding party and parents to give a toast at different times throughout the evening.
It will be a pleasant surprise whenever someone clinks their glasses or stands to offer some kind words.
Everyone Dances Together
Traditional weddings usually have the first dance and parents’ dances alone. After that, the wedding guests stay in their seats or stand watching as the couple dances.
If you want to change things up and make it more fun, open the dance floor to everyone!
You don’t have to put rules around who can dance and when. Plenty of weddings let guests jump on the dance floor right alongside the couple during their first dance. It livens things up, and you get special moments up close with the people you love.
Mess with Your Meal Options
It’s hard to serve a salad before speeches when no salads are found! If you’re looking for a unique wedding reception experience, start by changing the meals.
You can book food trucks to cater your wedding, serve dishes family-style, or have a BBQ buffet. It all depends on what you want at your wedding.
When the rules on when you can eat are looser, the wedding feels more relaxed and like a party vs. a scripted event.
Let the Evening Trail Off
What if you’re enjoying your wedding reception and you don’t want to leave? Well, if you’re following tradition, you have that 9 pm grand send-off to attend.
Instead, eliminate the planned exit and spend more time with your friends and family. Nothing says the couple can just hang out at the venue until things reach their natural ending.
Give yourself time to talk and be with friends after all the formal stuff is over. Of course, you can always do something like light floating lanterns or write messages on a poster for when people leave.
Plan the Afterparty
Keep things going after the official wedding reception by inviting close friends to a nearby bar for drinks. It’s a terrific way to wind down without everyone around.
You can bask in the glow of knowing the reception is finished, and now life as a married couple is officially on.
Serve Up Some Late-Night Snacks
Late-night snacks are always a welcome surprise to the people still sweating up the dance floor. Bringing out tacos, donuts, or even pizzas is a fun twist to the traditional reception timeline.
You can schedule them a couple of hours after the dinner service is over. Everyone will be a bit hungry, and the food will help people soak up some of those drinks they’ve had.
Get a Group Photo
Some couples love photos more than others. If you love taking pictures, schedule time for an aerial shot of you and all your guests.
Make a large group photo part of the reception timeline. Come in close and let someone from upstairs (depending on the venue) snap a pic of everyone together. Get someone to send up a drone to take the shot if you’re outside.
You can send the pic out to the wedding guests as a nice memory.
Conclusion
Hopefully, these ideas bring home the idea that you can change your wedding any way you see fit. Use the traditional schedule as a guideline and make changes that will best suit your theme and level of formality.
Above all, make your timeline fun, and do your best to enjoy the party!