All You Need to Know for a Perfect Wedding Reception

Having a wedding timeline for your reception is crucial as well as selecting the perfect venue for your special day. Making a wedding timeline is essential because there are many traditional moments and activities you’ll want to fit into for a limited amount of time. However, it would help if you first determined how much time you have to work with.

When establishing your first wedding timeline, it could be challenging to know where to begin. Even if you’ve been to a lot of weddings, it is likely, you have yet to give much thought to how much time is spent on each component. We will discuss the timelines of your wedding planning because we recognize that the first step is typically the most difficult.

Table of Contents

• Choosing the Perfect Venue
  • Capacity of the Venue
  • Location of the Venue
  • Availability
  • Price
• How Long Should a Wedding Reception Be?
• What Events Include a Wedding Reception?
  • The Ceremony
  • Cocktail Hour
  • Guest Enter the Reception Venue (15 mins)
  • Grand entrance and first dance (30 mins)
  • The First Course Is Served (20 mins)
  • Dance Set (30 mins)
  • Main Course is Served (45 mins)
  • Wedding Party Toast (10 – 15 mins)
  • More Dancing (40 – 60 mins)
  • Cutting The Cake And The Couple’s Thank-You Speech (20 mins)
  • Bouquet and Garter Toss (30 mins)
  • Reception Ends
• The Perfect Reno Wedding Venues

Choosing the Perfect Venue

Choosing a wedding venue is likely the most important choice you will make when organizing your wedding. While many people have spent years fantasizing about their ideal site, choosing a place for the ceremony and reception may be difficult and takes careful planning.

Capacity of the Venue

No matter how lovely a location may be, you must make sure it is the appropriate size for your wedding. If your wedding venue is too big, it will feel empty and uninteresting. Additionally, larger wedding venues often charge a higher deposit and have higher per-guest costs, so you can end up spending more than you should.

Make a guest list before selecting a venue. Even though approximately 75–85% of wedding guests actually show up, you should still look into a venue that can hold your complete guest list.

Location of the Venue

More than just deciding between a local and a destination wedding is involved in choosing the site of your wedding. Consider the practical and logistical aspects of the event while choosing a location.

Availability

Some well-liked locations will have long waiting lists, especially during the busiest wedding seasons like October, September, and June. If the selected date for your preferred venue is not available, you can either modify the date or your venue.

Price

In 2022, the price of a wedding venue ranged from $12,343 to $14,006. Evaluate your spending plan to determine if your ideal location is within your means. Most wedding planners advise allocating 30% of your budget for the location.

How Long Should a Wedding Reception Be?

A wedding reception typically lasts between 4-5 hours. This allows for plenty of time for every little event to happen, from the garter throw to the introduction of the newlywed couple, as well as plenty of time to bust a move on the dance floor.

In order to properly schedule all of this celebration, it is crucial to speak with your venue in advance. Some venues require you to pay by the hour, provide a duration that corresponds with your package or allow you to add additional “bonus” hours if you think your guest list would like to party a little longer. Here at The Club at Arrow Creek, we offer wedding reception packages with a 6-hour event time (ceremony to reception) + a guaranteed 3-hour client set-up time.

What Events Include a Wedding Reception?

A four- or five-hour wedding reception is a long period of time. But keep in mind that you have a lot of unique traditions, celebrations, and activities that you’ll want to make sure are on the schedule, in addition to having plenty of time to socialize with your wedding guests, hit the dance floor and open bar, actually consume some of the delicious food and take a few minutes to enjoy being newlyweds.

Making a wedding timeline is a must! We advise establishing a list of all the events you’ll need to fit into your wedding day to create a timeline and then working with your wedding coordinator to determine how to do them in the allocated time. To assist you in making your own below is an example of an itinerary for the wedding reception.

The Ceremony

Wedding ceremonies often take 20 to 30 minutes, giving plenty of time to address the essentials (words of welcome, a few readings, your vows, the ring exchange, and the final pronouncement). And after that comes the wedding reception.

Cocktail Hour

Cocktail hour is more than simply a chance for visitors to mingle and eat small bites. The couple might shoot pictures during this period. The wedding photographer may also seize the newlyweds for a few post-ceremony pictures or family portraits if the pair has already shot their official images.

Guest Enter the Reception Venue (15 mins)

It’s time to keep the party going after the cocktail hour! The reception area is open for guests to come and take their seats.

Grand Entrance and First Dance (30 mins)

The newlyweds are introduced, followed by the wedding party, and the couple starts their first dance. After the first dance, visitors could be urged to stay on the dance floor for a few more songs before being asked to settle in for dinner.

The First Course is Served (20 mins)

The appetizer will be served soon after the first dance if the event includes a seated meal. Welcome Toast (10 mins)

As guests finish the first course, the person hosting the wedding will make the first toast. Traditionally, this is the groom’s father. However, other parents, siblings, or close relatives may also be included.

Dance Set (30 mins)

Guests are invited to the dance floor following the opening toasts.

Main Course is Served (45 mins)

The main course is served, and guests will be asked to take a seat and enjoy the dinner. During this time, guests will be invited to get their food for a buffet meal, or servers will distribute plated entrées.

Wedding Party Toast (10 – 15 mins)

Near the conclusion of the main course, members of the wedding party make their toasts. The best man and maid of honor typically give speeches at this point, although any close family members are welcome to toast the newlyweds.

More Dancing (40 – 60 mins)

The band or DJ will often play its longest set now that the toasts have concluded allowing guests to dance and socialize..

Cutting The Cake And The Couple’s Thank-You Speech (20 mins)

There will be a brief intermission in the dancing to allow for the entrance of the wedding cake. The bride and groom will cut the cake and make a little speech to thank everyone for coming. Soon after, the cake will be served.

Bouquet and Garter Toss (30 mins)

These traditions will often occur after the cake-cutting if the couple participates.

Reception Ends

Whether the newlyweds want a complete grand exit or a quiet one, it’s time to end the party.

The Perfect Reno Wedding Venues

Planning a wedding can be difficult. That’s why we share insights into wedding timelines that you can apply to your wedding. Having the help of a wedding planner is always a good option to reduce the couple’s stress during this wonderful event. But before making the event’s timeframe, the first step is to secure your venue.

The Club at ArrowCreek offers the ideal country club setting when looking for wedding venues in Reno, Nevada. Our golf courses’ unmatched views make them the perfect location for an outdoor Reno wedding reception venue.

Your ideal wedding might become a reality thanks to our vistas and first-rate service. Starting with the moment you walk down the aisle, the stunning surroundings provide an enhanced wedding reception experience. Contact us and book a tour to take a look at our beautiful special event venues in Reno!