After your photo session (and depending on the style
of reception you have chosen) you will either adjourn
to a bridal suite at your selected reception
venue prior to the commencement of your marriage
celebration (more traditional), or simply arrive at
your reception celebration and begin mingling with
your guests.
There are several styles of wedding reception that
you may have planned for, traditional, cocktail, informal,
or destination. In this section we will look at the
more traditional style of wedding reception.
If you have chosen a traditional 5 hour reception,
then your guests will already arrived ahead of you,
and be liaising over drinks and hors d'oeuvres in
a 'Pre Dinner' celebration, usually in a separate
room to the main wedding formalities.
In your bridal suite you will begin your reception
celebration with just your bridal party, and freshen-up
in anticipation of the main event.
Your reception will commence after your guests have
been summoned to their seating positions, and both
you and your bridal party are welcomed into the wedding
reception area to an arousing applause and music provided
by your selected entertainment, duo,
trio, band or dj.
You will most likely be seated at the 'bridal table'
with your bridal party (traditional) or even take
up a seating position at a special table surrounded
by your invited guests. Your MC (master
of ceremonies) will coordinate all of the vents
that are scheduled, so you are free to sit back and
relax and enjoy your marriage celebration.
Entrees are traditionally server early in your reception,
and may be either a catered table or buffet style
service. After your entrees you will want to spend
some time mingling with your guests before your main
meal, giving you about 30 minutes of casual time.
Your main meal will soon be served, after which the
traditional formalities will commence. Your speeches
should be in the following order, Father of the Bride
(followed by the Father of the Groom, although not
strictly traditional), Best Man, and then either the
Groom by himself or the Groom and Bride together.
After your speeches you may decide to read telegrams,
although this is an old tradition that is less frequently
practiced at modern wedding receptions.
After your speeches you will cut your wedding
cake, which up until this point has been on display
either in front of your bridal table, or in a poignant
viewing position somewhere in your main celebration
area. You will cut your wedding cake with your partner,
and then make your way onto the dance-floor for your
first official dance as husband and wife, more commonly
known as the 'Bridal Waltz'.
This is where your valuable dance
lessons will have pay off, as you strut your moves
together in front of your entire wedding reception
entourage. Your bridal waltz will be performed by
your selected entertainment, which will most likely
be either a soloist, duo, trio, band, or dj.
During your bridal waltz, you will be eventually
be joined by your bridal party and parents, and then
finally your wedding guests, after which the 'dance
floor' will be officially opened to everyone at your
reception.
Sweets will be served after a couple of short dance
brackets, which may consist of small portions of wedding
cake, or set menu or buffet deserts. After this, you
will continue to dance and mingle with your guests
until the final formalities commence about half an
hour towards the end of your wedding reception schedule.
In a traditional wedding reception, you will adjourn
to the dance floor to throw your bridal
bouquet to a group of anxious bachelorettes. After
this, your partner will toss your garter to a group
of anxious and anticipating bachelors. One option
is to have your partner remove your garter from your
leg with their teeth, encouraged all the while by
your wedding guests.
The final formality is to say good-bye to all your
wedding guests, as you begin your new life as a wedded
couple and dash away to your honeymoon. There are
three methods for departing your wedding reception,
farewell circle, guard of honour, or casual departure,
the more traditional being the 'farewell circle'.
If this is your chosen method, then both you, your
bridal party and your close family members will gather
in the centre of a circle created by your wedding
guests. You and your partner will make your way around
the circle in opposite directions and meet at the
starting point, having said good-bye and thank-you
to your invited guests.
At the completion of this formality you will run
with your partner (hand-in-hand), off to your honeymoon,
to a celebratory tune (traditionally 'Wish me Luck').
You will be exhausted, so be sure to have your departure
transport awaiting in readiness, as you may also be
followed by a throng of excited guests.
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