Reception timeline

For those who have gotten married or who have figured this out already, can you post what your reception timeline is. For example, when everything is happen and in what order (first dance, special dances, toasts, Hora if you're doing it, courses of the meal, cake cutting, and anything else that I may have missed). Thanks!!

Re: Reception timeline

this is what we sent to our DJ (the order of events was more important than the time):

6:30pm - Cocktail hour begins in the Atrium.
7:00-7:30pm - Family photo session in the Grand Ballroom
7:45pm - Doors open for guests to enter the Grand Ballroom for the reception.

8:00pm - Introductions:
Parents of the groom
Brothers of the groom
Groom’s nephew
Brother and sister-in-law of the bride, accompanied by her niece and nephew
Parents of the bride
Newlywed introduction

8:15-8:20pm - Speech and toast by groom’s father
8:20pm - First dance
8:25pm - Speech by Bride’s father and Speech by Bride’s friend
8:30pm- Father and daughter dance (Stand By Me by the Wedding Singers)
DJ invites all fathers and daughters to join in (after 10 seconds)
Groom invites his mother onto the dance floor (after 30 seconds)
DJ invites all mothers and sons to join in
8:35pm - Dancing begins
9:30pm - DJ announces that dinner is served
10:00pm - Cake cutting (How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You by Marvin Gaye)
10:10-10:15pm - Bouquet and garter toss
10:15pm - DJ announces that chinese slippers are available for women by the DJ booth
10:20pm - DJ announces that dessert is served – NO LATER THAN 10:30

Re: Reception timeline

We didn't put together a timeline. It all just flowed. The RH and DJ just know how to space things out.

Re: Reception timeline

I don't want to put one together--I just want to know for my own knowledge how it's going to go.

Re: Reception timeline

This is great, thanks!

Re: Reception timeline

I used to be a bridal attendant, it's usually

Intros
First Dance
Toast/Speech
Take dinner orders
dancing!!
Dinner
more dancing
cake cutting- for a wedding ending at 12 am, usually around 10-10:30 pm
father/daughter dance
mother/son dance
bouquet toss
garter removal/throw
dance till the last song!

Re: Reception timeline

Thanks, this is very helpful too--what about the hora--where does that usually fit in?

Re: Reception timeline

the hora is usually close to the beginning. at weddings i've been to it's one of the first songs played, after the bride and groom dance. unfortunately our dj asked me about 11pm if we still wanted to do it because they played so many other songs that i wanted. of course i wanted it, so we did towards the end of the night. but it's usually in the very beginning, the hora and then all the other dancing!