The 10 Wedding Reception Itinerary Mistakes Every Couple Makes When Timeline Building

• Avoid these Wedding Reception Timeline Slip-ups
• What NOT to Do When Building a Wedding Reception Timeline
• 1. Start the Wedding Reception Earlier than You Think
• 2. Don't Overfill the Wedding Reception Timeline
• 3. Consider the Moments In-between the Moments
• 4. Keep Track of Speeches
• 5. Buffers are a Wedding Day Timeline Must-have
• 6. Schedule Realistic Travel Times
• 7. Allow Time to Enjoy the Moment
• 8. Share Your Wedding Reception Order of Events
• 9. Not Scheduling Vendor Breaks
• 10. Leaving Without a Grand Exit
• It's Time to Start Building Your Own Wedding Reception Timeline

What NOT to Do When Building a Wedding Reception Timeline

To help you achieve that smooth flowing celebration feel, we've put together 10 mistakes we regularly see couples making when building a traditional wedding reception timeline. Alongside some simple sidesteps to avoid them!

1. Start the Wedding Reception Earlier than You Think

A traditional wedding reception typically begins between 2pm and 5pm, if taking place in the afternoon. And while it's tempting to delay the reception, and host it closer to the 5pm mark, just to squeeze a few more things in - we wouldn't recommend it.

If, for example, you want an extended portrait session with your wedding party, or a longer wedding ceremony, push the timeline forward, rather than delay events. Get up earlier in the day and use that time for any extended or extra activities.

You should plan your wedding with both yourselves and your guests in mind. Their experience should not be secondary to your enjoyment or desires on the day. And this is because not only have loved ones taken time out of their busy schedules to celebrate with you. But their enjoyment on the day will also greatly impact the vibe of the occasion.

Keep guests hanging around after cocktail hour because you're still shooting portraits, and the mood of the room may not be what you expect when you make your grand entrance.

Photo sessions should be scheduled realistically with your wedding photographer, and guests should feel like the transition from ceremony, to cocktail reception hour (and appetizers / hors d'oeuvres), to dinner service is seamless.

2. Don't Overfill the Wedding Reception Timeline

The average wedding reception only lasts around 5 hours. And during that time there needs to be toasts, a first dance, dinner, time on the dance floor, cake cutting and a last dance. Not to mention bouquet tossing and garter throwing! And while these activities may not sound time-consuming on paper, in reality it can often take time to prepare and pull off these mini-events.

Around each of these activities, guests should also feel free to mingle, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Rather than be rushed from one moment to the next.

Think like a wedding planner when building your timeline, and prioritize the moments that matter to you. Would you like extended parent dances or extra moments built around the first dance? Or would you like to give the best man and maid of honor more time for their introduction toasts?

There's no rule to say that every reception tradition needs the same amount of time. Schedule each event as you see fit, while leaving flexibility for guests to embrace the celebration.

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3. Consider the Moments In-between the Moments

Think about how guests will be spending their time when not dancing to the DJ set, or watching you cut the cake. How and where will they relax? Is there entertainment, food, or drinks available?

We've found that couples often build their reception schedule around key events, and forget about those moments in-between. Which typically leads to bored guests, just waiting for the next thing to happen.

Keep every wedding guest engaged 100% of the time by providing music and refreshments during quieter moments or transitions. For instance, lounges are great areas for guests to relax in when they don't feel like making their way to the dance floor, or sitting at the dinner table. While photo booths and entertainers circling the room help to kill restless energy and ensure there's always something going on.

4. Keep Track of Speeches

We all love a good wedding speech. Whether it's a tear-jerker toast or a rib ticker roast, thoughtful speeches can help bring a room full of people together and set the tone for the rest of the reception. On the other hand, long and boring toasts from the bridal party can really make an event drag...

Ensure wedding party members keep things tight by limiting them to 2-3 minutes each. And by having someone brave and polite on hand to stop them if they're running over by more than a minute or so.

5. Buffers are a Wedding Day Timeline Must-have

As we mentioned above, delays during your special day are inevitable. But they needn't derail your wedding reception schedule all together.

We've found the best way to keep a solid flow of events is to predict when delays may occur and simply add a buffer to the schedule. For instance, sometimes guests aren't ready to enter the formality of a reception just yet, and would like a few more minutes to enjoy their cocktails. By adding in a 15/20 minute buffer between cocktail hour and reception, you'll allow them to relax and enjoy the moment, rather than feel rushed.

Building flexibility into your timeline template will help you stay on track even when delays occur.

6. Schedule Realistic Travel Times

We've found that couples often don't allow enough time for guests to get from A to B. Whether it's a short drive from the ceremony to the reception venue, or a stroll from cocktail hour to dinner. Things may take a bit longer on the day, and it's important to recognize that in your schedule.

If possible, do a dry-run of every journey your guests will need to make on your wedding day. Whether it's in the car or on foot, just to get a feel for how long will be required for each transition. Also consider the oldest members of your wedding party, and add on a few extra minutes to each journey if you feel it's necessary. Be sure to also do your test runs on the day of your week you're getting married on. To ensure traffic can be accurately accessed.

7. Allow Time to Enjoy the Moment

So many of our couples have struggled in the past to leave the party for fear of missing out, or the worry that someone will need them. But if you don't set aside 5 minutes to grab some air with your partner, the day will pass you by so fast!

Whether you take time after the first look to mentally prepare for the day, or you sneak out mid-reception for a private moment with your partner, it's essential you schedule something. Otherwise you'll get swept up in the excitement of it all and forget to soak up just how special it all is.

8. Share Your Wedding Reception Order of Events

One of the great things about building your wedding itinerary online using a tool such as ours, is having the ability to easily share your work. Whether you want to zap your schedule over to your caterer, or share timings with the father of the bride, we make it super easy to do.

At a click of a button, you can download your finished schedule in either PDF or spreadsheet format, ready to be emailed wherever you need it to go. If you require a little help fine-tuning your evening reception, or want to include your wedding party in the planning of it. You can invite loved ones and professionals onto your wedding project and work alongside them. Either by giving them full editable access or just the ability to view your itinerary, and any other projects you've created.

Bringing fresh eyes to any wedding planning project lessens the chance of potential errors further down the line, and can often inspire new ideas! After all, some of your friends and family have likely tied the knot before, and their experience could be invaluable.

Once your itinerary is complete, with every timing confirmed, it's wise to share various versions of it with everyone involved. For instance, your wedding planner or coordinator, venue, vendors and bridal party should be given the most detailed version of your timeline. Complete with contact numbers and addresses, if necessary. A streamlined version of your itinerary should then be published on your wedding website for guests. Sharing only the key timing details they require.

9. Not Scheduling Vendor Breaks

Your vendors will likely talk to you during the planning stages about the breaks they'll require on the day. As each of them will need to eat, rest and catch their breath before rejoining the party! These breaks are important, and as long as they're scheduled, shouldn't impact your wedding schedule.

Be sure to schedule vendor breaks carefully, considering any clashes or delays they may cause. The last thing you need when preparing to perform a special dance, or make your grand exit, is to find out the DJ is on break! But that could happen if you don't mindfully schedule service pauses for each vendor.

When you send the final wedding reception timeline out to vendors, confirm that the breaks you've allocated for them are sufficient and that the timing of them will not impact their work.

10. Leaving Without a Grand Exit

You entered the reception in grand style, performed your first dance as a married couple under the spotlight. And now, at the end of the night, you're just going to sneak out the back door!? Your wedding deserves a finale. Whether it's a last dance set, or a grand exit from the venue flanked by sparklers. The final moments of your celebration should be considered as important as the first.

Not only do grand exits leave guests with a warm feeling at the end of the reception, but they also help to bookend a wedding photo album or video. Giving your story a proper beginning, middle and an end. Something we've found couples often forget about, hungry instead to capture moments, rather than tell a narrative.

If your wedding photographer/videographer is not booked to stay until the end of your evening wedding reception, consider scheduling a fake exit. Something that's not too time-consuming, such as a last dance, or perhaps a few portraits getting into your 'getaway car'. Something fun, yet simple that'll help to complete your photo album.

It's Time to Start Building Your Own Wedding Reception Timeline

We think you're ready to start putting together your own wedding itinerary! And we have an amazing free tool that'll help you do it quickly and easily. In moments you'll be creating the perfect wedding reception timeline using our simple-to-understand symbols and scheduling system. Designed to get you planning straight away, with no experience required.

Once your schedule is complete, it can then be exported in either spreadsheet or PDF format. Ready for whichever vendor or member of your wedding team requires it.

Start building your wedding reception itinerary today, and discover how straightforward the process is with our free tool.