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Beginner October 2023 Lincolnshire

Order of reception

Alice, 23 July, 2023 at 19:24 Posted on Etiquette and Advice 0 1

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Hi everyone, we're planning to start our wedding reception at 5pm. The plan is to have a buffet, toasts, about 30 mins of speeches, cake cutting, the wedding cake being served as dessert. But I'm not sure what order this needs to be in!

One idea was to have a couple of speeches (short) first, then the buffet, then cake cutting, then the rest of the speeches and toasts while the catering staff cut the cake, and then cake as dessert. But I've not heard of a wedding where the cake cutting is before the speeches! It would just be for practical purposes, so it could then be cut for dessert afterwards.
I also thought it might be a good idea to split the speeches so guests don't get restless, but should I just have them all after the buffet rather than splitting them?
Any advice gratefully received 😊

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Latest activity by Hayley, 23 July, 2023 at 20:31

Expert November 2022 Lincolnshire
Hayley · 23 July, 2023 at 20:31
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I think you've got a good plan there. If you are serving your cake as dessert then it makes sense to do speeches whilst it gets prepared so guests are kept occupied and stay sat at the tables for it to be served to them. I do think it's nice to have some form of toast at the start of the reception to welcome everyone and thank them for coming, so splitting them up can work.
I just wonder about the practicalities of cutting your cake between buffet and speeches. If you want your guests to surround you as you do it then you will be getting everyone out of their seats, watch you cut the cake and then immediately sit back down again so speeches can start. I also worry that if guests think it's now ok to leave their table then you will lose them to the bar/bathroom/cigarette breaks and you won't have everyone present for your speeches. If you just want to cut the cake discreetly with your photographer present then you could do that after dinner, because your table will be sent up to the buffet first so you will have finished eating before everyone else.
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