Reception Wedding Venues
Queensland
New South Wales
Victoria
Australian Capital Territory
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
Wedding Receptions
The formalities are mostly over and it’s time to mix and mingle and enjoy the wedding feast. There is a traditional order of proceedings for wedding receptions that you may wish to follow or adapt to your own requirements.
You may decide to break with tradition altogether and plan a really short and simple reception or a major celebration where you and your guests party on into the night… and why not! A big party for a momentous occasion!
Here’s a rough guide for planning your wedding reception which may look something like this:
- Your guests arrive at the reception venue.
- The bridal party and both your parents arrive and welcome the guests.
- Pre-dinner drinks and hors d’oeuvres are served as guests mix and mingle in an informal outdoor area, bar or lounge.
- Guests are invited to take their seats in the main reception area and the MC introduces the newly married couple and the rest of the bridal party, including parents.
- Dinner is served.
- At the end of the meal, the MC invites different family and friends to speak and toast the bride and groom and reads out any letters, faxes or emails from well-wishers who could not attend. Keep in mind that around five speakers is usually enough. Tip# Allocate a set time for all the speeches and ask each person to keep to their time limit. Put the lengthier and more entertaining speeches towards the end so you finish on a high note.
- Cutting of the cake. This is also a good time for the bride to make a short speech, if she hasn’t already.
- Time to show off those moves – the bride and groom begin the dancing with their bridal waltz. The bridal party, parents and all your guests are then invited to join you.
- The bride and groom mix and mingle with the guests.
- All the single ladies line up for the throwing of the bouquet.
- The groom tosses your garter to all the single men.
- You and your new husband change into your going away outfits.
- Your guests form a circle and you both go around the circle in opposite directions, saying farewell to each of your guests.
- You meet up in front of your parents and say your final farewell.
- Guests say goodbye to your parents and depart the reception.
Use the above outline as a guide and decide which parts you would really like to include in your wedding reception. Be creative and have fun – traditional is not for everyone. For example, you could organise all the formal speeches and cutting of the cake early on in the reception and spend the rest of your time eating, drinking and mingling with your guests.
Wedding Receptions - Wedding House Your Online Wedding Directory Australia