Your reception timeline

The key to a smooth reception is a carefully planned timetable. Use this sample evening reception rundown as a guide to our own wedding celebration. When you've finalised your own sequence of events, make sure your caterer, photographer and entertainers have a copy of it too. Your chief bridesmaid, best man and other members of the wedding party can help everyone stick to the schedule while your guests - and most important of all, you and your new husband - simply have a great time and let everything fall in to place.

5.00pm - Arrivals
The wedding party arrives at the reception venue, ideally before the guests. The best man is in charge of wedding party transport arrangements.

5.00 - 5.30pm - Receiving
The bride, groom and main wedding party may form a receiving line to greet guests. Alternatively, they might decide to work their way around the room, welcoming guests. Guests should be greeted with a glass of wine or champagne, or even a cocktail and perhaps a few canapés. This is also a great opportunity for the bride and groom to have some photographs taken alone.

5.15 - 6.15pm - Cocktails
Welcome drinks are generally held away from the main dining room - perhaps even outside if it's a lovely sunny day. If you want to be super cool, serve themed cocktails and don't forget to offer non-alcoholic alternatives. Keep this section of the wedding fairly short unless you have seating areas and plan to serve plenty of canapés - guests can only stand around for so long before they get hungry and in need of a seat.

6.15 - 6.30pm - Announcements
Dinner is announced and the wedding party and guests enter the dining room and find their tables. The bride and groom might choose to be announced, in which case they make their grand entrance once everyone else is seated. Couples who decide to serve their wedding cake for pudding will probably choose to cut the cake

6.30pm - Welcome
Once the bride and groom are seated, the father-of-the-bride, or another person chosen by the couple, welcomes the guest. A minister or parent might say a blessing.

6.40pm - Dinner
The first course is served to the wedding party and then to all the guests, along with the wine. If you are serving canapés before dinner, you might decide to skip the first course and go straight in to the main course.

7.00pm - Courses
The first course is cleared from the top table first, and then from the guests' tables. Other courses follow in good, but not rushed, time.

8.30pm - Speeches and toasts
After pudding, champagne flutes are filled with bubbly and the speeches begin. The bride's father makes the first speech and toasts the bride and groom. This is followed by the groom who proposes a toast to the bridesmaids. The best man replies on behalf of the bridesmaids, and his speech follows.

9.30pm - Cake
The newlyweds cut their wedding cake, which can then be served along with coffee. Some couples may choose to serve it later on in the evening. The top layer is traditionally put aside to celebrate the first anniversary or the christening of their first child.

10.00pm - First dance
The bride and groom take to the floor for their chosen first dance. The next dance is reserved for the bride and her father and the groom and his mother. Then the guests take to the dance floor and the evening party begins!  

And finally...
Some couples may decide to offer more food during the course of the evening, especially if dinner has been at an earlier time. This could be a buffet, bacon sarnies, a wonderful cheese board, and perhaps a chocolate fountain. Consider offering guests a special cocktail before they leave. In winter, a hot toddy is sure to go down well. Traditionally, all the single women gather for the bride to throw her bouquet...before the bride and groom head off to their first night destination.

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