A wedding reception is a party that follows a wedding ceremony. It is a celebration hosted by the newly married couple for their family and friends. The reception features food, drinks, music, dancing, and other activities for the guests.
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Purpose of a Wedding Reception
Wedding receptions serve several purposes:
- Allow the newlyweds to spend relaxed quality time with their guests
- Provide guests a chance to offer their congratulations and best wishes
- Thank guests for their love and support leading up to the wedding
- Celebrate the couple’s marriage with food, drinks, and entertainment
- Display the couple’s unique style and personality through the reception’s decor and details
In many cultures, receptions last several hours and represent the main celebration of a couple joining their lives together. Receptions require significant planning, coordination, and budgeting.
Common Wedding Reception Events
While the schedule varies, most wedding receptions feature:
Cocktail Hour
After the ceremony concludes, guests often enjoy cocktails, beers, wines, and passed hors d’oeuvres for about an hour while the wedding party takes formal photos. This offers initial celebratory drinks and food to tide guests over until the main meal.
Grand Entrance
The newlyweds are announced as they enter the reception to fanfare and cheers from guests. Some couples choose a lively song and dance their way in while others take a more formal route.
First Dance
The couple enjoys a romantic first dance as spouses while guests look on. After a minute, the DJ or band invites other couples to join the first dance.
Dinner
Guests are seated for a meal catered to the couple’s tastes. Depending on culture, budgets, and other factors, dinner could be a multi-course plated meal or buffet spread.
Toasts & Speeches
Loved ones toast the newlyweds, offering touching, funny, or endearing stories. Toasts traditionally open with welcoming the guests, applauding the couple, and closing with a cheer while raising glasses.
Cake Cutting
The couple cuts the first slice of their gorgeous wedding cake before feeding it to each other in an intimate moment. Guests line up for a sweet treat.
Bouquet & Garter Tosses
The bride tosses her bouquet behind her back to a group of single female guests, while the garter toss goes to single male guests. Whoever catches them is superstitiously considered next to be married.
Dancing
The dance floor opens for guests and the newlyweds to dance the night away. Upbeat music creates a joyous atmosphere.
Wedding Reception Timeline
A typical wedding reception timeline flows like:
- 5:00 pm – Guests arrive at ceremony venue
- 5:30 pm – Wedding ceremony
- 6:00 pm – Cocktail hour with drinks & hors d’oeuvres at reception venue
- 7:00 pm – Newlyweds announced for grand entrance
- 7:15 pm – First dance followed by dinner
- 8:15 pm – Toasts & speeches
- 8:30 pm – Cake cutting
- 9:00 pm – Bouquet & garter tosses
- 9:30 pm – Open dancing
- 11:00 pm – Last call at the bar
- 11:30 pm – Farewell sparkler exit
Timings get adjusted as needed, but this conveys a general order of events at most receptions.
Wedding Reception Venues
Popular reception venues include:
- Banquet halls – Offer one-stop planning for events of all sizes
- Hotels – Have ballrooms, catering, and accommodations for out-of-town guests
- Restaurants – Provide atmosphere and catering under one roof
- Outdoor spaces – Parks, gardens, ranches, and vineyards allow beautiful backdrops
- Historic buildings – Museums, farms, and estates provide charming ambiance
Venues get booked far in advance, so couples should research options early after setting a wedding date and guest count.
Wedding Reception Decor
Reception style shines through in the decor details:
- Table linens & chair covers
- Centerpieces with floral arrangements or candles
- Accent lighting like string lights or lanterns
- Eye-catching backdrop with the head table
- Themed props if applicable
The possibilities are endless, but cohesive decor and lighting transforms plain event spaces into dazzling reception venues.
Wedding Reception Entertainment
Lively entertainment keeps guests of all ages engaged:
- DJ – Takes requests and feels out the crowd’s vibe
- Live band – Brings energy and stage presence
- Dancers/performers – Surprise guests with exciting routines
- Photobooths – Allow fun poses and instant prints
- Games/activities – Lawn games, trivia, karaoke, etc.
- Favor bags – Treats, toys, souvenirs to end the night
Entertainment and take-home favors make receptions more fun while encouraging guests to mingle.
Who Hosts and Pays for Wedding Receptions?
Traditionally, the bride’s parents host and pay for the wedding reception to celebrate their daughter’s marriage. But practices are changing:
- Couples now often pay some or all reception costs themselves
- Groom’s parents may share expenses in many modern weddings
- Other family members sometimes contribute funds as their wedding gift
No matter who foots the bill, wedding receptions remain joyful events honoring newlyweds for years to come through photo memories.
