Advice needed re: Evening Reception....

We're doing a similar thing to you. One thing you'll need to bear in mind is that, if it's an evening reception, it's likely that some people won't turn up at the time stated on the invitiation (I am a very punctual person and HATE being late to anything, but I always consider an evening reception to be less formal as to start times). That might impact on your decision to have a receiving line. We wanted to make some form of entrance, but for the same reason, decided this wouldn't be possible.

Are you having some sort of buffet? Are you serving your cake as dessert? If so, I would do the cutting of the cake until after the buffet has finished being served. You could get the DJ/Best Man to announce the cutting.

With regard to your first dance, do you want it to kick off the dancing? If so, you'd have to do it early on in the evening and risk some people missing it. Otherwise, you could have a session of dancing, followed by a break for food and then start off the second session of music with your first dance.

With the presents, I'd personally give them to the parents the next day. I'm not a fan of displays of presenting presents on the day, but that's just me.

It would normally go... (I've put the extra bits in too FYI!)

1. Receiving Line

2. Speaches

3. Cake Cut

4. First Dance

5. Throw Bouquet

6. Open Dance Floor

7. Open Buffett

But you might have an issue with receiving line if people are turning up over 30/45mins.

Hope that helps!

Thank you Bates2be and JonCraven for your replies you have both given me some great ideas,

Yes Bates2be we are having a hot buffet and serving cake as dessert. lots of things to think about....

All the best

ClaireX

We're getting married abroad and having a party when we get back too so I'll follow this thread with interest :-)

At the moment I'm thinking H2B and I will be there first to meet and greet the guests as they arrive over 30 mins or so, we'll have live music starting a bit after that. Once everyone has settled in we'll cut the cake, have our first dance and then just party the night away. TBH I'm not into having anything too formal, that's one reason why we're going abroad ;-)

I'm not sure if we'll be doing gifts at all as we're doing all the arranging/paying for everything ourselves, our families will have minimal input in the preparations. But I do like the suggestion on here to do that the next day in private :-)

Hello

Yes i agree I think we shall go and visit our parents the next day with gifts then the guests in the evening won't get bored either!

all the best

claireX