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Reception Dos and Don'ts: Lessons on the Wedding Reception
Date: 06-12-2006
By Nina Davis, The Mathews House
By Nina Davis,
Vice President and General Manager of The Matthews House
Guest Columnist Special Feature
The wedding ceremony is winding down; your guests have arrived; the wedding party is under control, and your parents are holding it together. You have said your vows, placed the ring on each other’s fingers; become husband and wife; and walked down the aisle TWICE without falling. Everything seems to be a success; however, you still have one event left, the reception. The wedding reception leaves plenty of room for disasters: the reception line is in the wrong order, the best man gives a drunken speech, there aren’t enough party favors for all the guests, and the list goes on.
This is a step-by-step plan of the events involved in a typical reception.
- You arrive at the reception location with your wedding party and get in position for the receiving line. A typical receiving line is formed as followed: Mother and Father of the Bride, Mother and Father of the Groom, Bride and Groom, Maid of Honor, Best Man, Bridesmaid, Groomsman, Bridesmaid, Groomsman, and so on. Grandparents can be included after the Mother and Father of the Groom; however, normally the receiving line only includes the wedding party. When guests are moving through the receiving line, it is proper etiquette for the members of the wedding party to introduce themselves and state their relationship to the newlyweds to each guest. For example, the Maid of Honor would say “Hello! My name is Susan and I am Jane’s Maid of Honor.”
- The emcee introduces the wedding party into the room. The traditional order and proper etiquette of the wedding party entering the room is as follows: bride’s parents, groom’s parents, bridesmaids and groomsmen in couples, the maid of honor and the best man, the flower girl and ring bearer, and lastly, the newlyweds. Once everyone has arrived at the reception and the party is underway, the events of the reception can be in any order the couple desires including first dance, toast, cutting of the cake, and speeches. After all, it is your special day!
- The first dance of the newlyweds. If you are nervous about your first dance, have your wedding party jump in and dance to take the attention away from you as a couple.
- Toasts. Typically, the best man will give his toast before everyone begins eating. If there are multiple speeches, have them fall in between meal courses in order to start dinner and break up long speeches.
- Dancing and the cutting of the cake. After the meal is over, guests are free to dance. After an hour of fun, the newlyweds can cut the cake. If you want to cut down on the time your photographer is at the reception, you should cut the cake before everyone begins dancing.
- You throw your bouquet and your husband flings your garter. At this time, a late-night buffet and snacks can be offered for the remaining guests.
- Leaving the reception. You can change into your going away outfit (this is optional), have your last dance, and then say your goodbyes. Then you can leave for your honeymoon!
With so many activities, it is difficult for a young couple to balance time between friends and family. It is important to have a personal moment with each person at the wedding, especially out of town guests; everyone has taken time to come celebrate this special day and should be thanked for their presence. Spend time with the family first, leaving ample time at the end of the reception for you to hang out with your friends. Music can be played to fit different age groups throughout the reception.
The reception is a time to celebrate the love and happiness of a newlywed couple; do not stress about every little detail; relax and enjoy time with family and friends. Be creative and add personal touches to make the party your own and it will be a success. Most importantly, smile because you just got married!
 Have a question to ask our expert? CLICK HERE TO EMAIL NINA with your questions.
About our Expert:
Nina Davis has over 30 years of successful experience in event planning, marketing and management. She is responsible for managing and consulting on corporate, special events and weddings, as well as the day-to-day operations of The Matthews House, an event facility located in downtown Cary, N.C. You can contact here at 919-467-1944 or visit www.mathews-house.com. For more background information and past articles for CarolinaNewswire.com, check out Nina's Archives as well as all our other guest columns at http://www.carolinanewswire.com/expert.php.
CarolinaNewswire.com provides the thoughts and analysis of this columnist as a free benefit to our readers but without any representations or warranties as to the accuracy or efficacy of such thoughts or analysis. The opionions, analysis, and thoughts expressed here are those of the author only and should not be deemed as legal, financial, or tax advice from this publication. Readers with legal, financial, or tax questions should consult a professional.
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