The best timings !! Help!! Xx

Ceremony at 2 pm

Drinks mingling and photos from 2.30 until 4pm

Call to sit a t 4pm

45 people sit down Buffett with speeches 2 hours

6pm relax / chat

7pm eve guest arrive

7-8 mingle with eve guests.

8pm cut cake and first dance

9 pm evening buffet

9.30 crack on with the party.

The eve buffet will usually be different and simpler than the day buffet was.

You could have a proper sit down fork buffet at about 4 / 4:30pm and then a simple finger buffet in the evening.

I was told that a fork buffet is a sit down meal where you can have proper main meals and that a finger buffet is more like finger food. I'm currently organising a conference for work and I'm going to choose main meals like coq au vin and another meat option and vegetarian option plus sides. I think that finger buffet is lighter meal. For my evening buffet at the wedding, I bought things like sausage rolls, quiche and other snacks.

I got married at 2.pm.

Service & signing register was done by 2.30/2.40. We had photos, mingling & canapes and sat down at 4. My now husband wanted a buffet but we opted for a sit down main & buffet dessert (it was the best decision as I was absolutely shattered & ready to sit down!)

We didn't have speeches just a quick thanks for coming! Finished eating and before dessert was served we cut the cake. By 6 all done. Evening guests arrived from 7 + evening food served around 8.30. We opted for chips, bacon & sausage buns, coleslaws etc which went down a treat! So many good comments,

Have a fabulous day ❣️

Although every wedding is different mostly In my experience weddings will have a first dance around 8pm after eve guests arrive at 7pm.

Buffett/ food van between 8.30-9pm but around 1/2 hour to 1 hour after the first dance. The DJ usually turns things down a little during this time. Or if you are having a band they may play a first 3/4 to 1 hour set - then eve food.

Then 1/2 hour or so after the eve food then the DJ cranks it up and you party on.

Some very early weddings may have an earlier eve schedule.

Some later weddings may have to push the first dance to 8.30 with eve guests arriving at 8pm

I hardly ever see a cake cut at the traditional time any more i.e after the wedding breakfast but it is cut instead just before the first dance. The eve guests get to participate and if you have a DJ they can announce it and get a crowd and at the same time they are there for the first dance. So the cake and first dance are 5 mins apart, just enough time for the staff to take the cake away and cut it up.