Wedding Traditions for the Reception
Ceremony At The Reception Location...
More and more, couples are choosing to have their ceremony at the reception facility and may like for the DJ to provide the appropriate music; This is something we can do for you! Generally, while your guests are being seated, we play a music style of your choice. There are many options for the Ceremony Processional songs for the wedding party and then bride to walk down the aisle to. “Canon In D”, “The Wedding Song” and The classic “Wedding Processional” are just a few. We can suggest songs if needed. During the ceremony there is typically no music played unless you specify certain selections and when they should be played, such as for a unity candle lighting or other special part of your ceremony. Once you are married and have been formally introduced, we then play the Ceremony Recessional song of your choice as you exit and your reception begins.
When The Bride And Groom Enter The Reception...
Today, in most cases, The Bride and Groom choose to have the entire wedding party introduced into the reception. Within our "On-Line Event Planning Form" we have a dedicated area for these introductions and the appropriate line-up order. Make your wedding party aware that they should not filter into the reception prior to you arriving because it makes it difficult to find and reorganize them for your grand entrance. Your DJ/MC will then announce each wedding party-couple individually into your reception with the Bride and Groom being introduced last. If you would like, you can also include Ushers, Flower Girls, Ring Bearer and Parents into the introductions.
The Cutting Of The Cake...
You can cut your cake before or after dinner but you should check with your banquet facility and/or caterer about the best timing for this accordingly. If you plan to serve your cake for desert then it is usually best to cut it prior to dinner, as some cakes take quite a while to slice and prepare. If you are planning to have your cake wrapped for your guests to take home, then it does not matter whether you cut it before or after dinner. Either way, you should check with your banquet captain or caterer first before deciding.
The Toast...
It is etiquette for the toast to be proposed before dinner. It is a good idea to get your champagne ready and poured about 5 minutes prior to dinner being served. Your DJ/MC will quiet the crowd and then formally introduce The Best Man for his toast. It is not uncommon for The Maid/Matron of Honor to also propose a toast. In some cases, The Bride and/or Groom's parents may also like to propose a toast. It is etiquette for The Best Man to be first, followed by The Maid/Matron of Honor, and then anyone else. If you are going to have a prayer before dinner this should always be last after any and all toasts.
The Bridal/First Dance...
The Bridal/First Dance should be done approximately 5-10 minutes after dinner has been completed. Traditionally, you would dance to the song of your choice and shortly thereafter, (approximately 1-2 minutes) your wedding/bridal party would join you to conclude your dance. More often today, Bride's and Groom's have been choosing to not include the wedding/bridal party in the special dance, or to dance to their entire bridal song by themselves, and have a second song played for the wedding party. In this case, The Wedding Party Dance will immediately follow The Bridal Dance and includes the Bride, Groom and their entire wedding party. The parents, ushers, ring bearer, flower girls, etc., are typically not included in this dance.
The Father/Daughter Dance...
The Father/Daughter Dance is done immediately following The Wedding Party Dance. This is where The Bride dances with her father to the song of their choice. Occasionally, and only in the case of a deceased father, we have seen brides dance with their grandfather for this dance.
The Mother/Son Dance...
The Mother/Son Dance is not quite as commonly requested and is done after the Father/Daughter Dance. This is where The Groom dances with his mother to the song of their choice. Traditionally, this dance did not exist, however, about 15 years ago it started appearing as a requested specialty dance. In some cases, The Bride and Groom choose to combine The Father/Daughter Dance with The Mother/Son Dance and select an appropriate song.
The Parents Dance...
The Parents Dance is the last of the specialty dances to be done and is not commonly requested. This is where The Bride & Groom and their parents all dance together to a song of choice.
The Throwing of The Bouquet And Garter...
The bouquet is thrown first to the single ladies. Second, the garter is removed from the leg of the bride, by the groom, and then thrown to the single gentlemen. Traditionally, the person who catches the bouquet, and the person who catches the garter, do the reverse, that is, the gentleman who catches the garter puts it on the leg of the lady who catches the bouquet. In our experience, we see this done less and less and, in some cases, the bride and groom elect to forego the garter removal altogether. As to when this should be done, there are 2 options; Some brides choose to do this immediately after the last special dance song so they can be done with all the formalities and then just enjoy their party. Also, this is the last of the formal pictures to be taken, so if you are on a tight time limit with your photographer, this might be a good option for you. In most cases, the bride & groom prefer to wait 30-45 minutes into the general dancing before doing the bouquet & garter.
The Dollar Dance
This is usually done anywhere from 45-75 minutes after the general dancing has started. Your guests come up and dance with you and give you a dollar to do so. The only downfall of a dollar dance is that it can be very time consuming, especially at larger receptions. If you decide on doing a dollar dance, we highly recommend having an organized plan! Before the day of your wedding, talk with your Best Man and Maid/Matron of Honor and assign them to be your collectors; They will stand at the head of each line and collect the money for you. In addition, they need to keep the line moving, no more than 1 minute per person. If your guests dance with you any longer than this, you are liable to burn 30 or more minutes of your reception with the dollar dance. Dollar dances are still somewhat popular, and as long as you can keep it within a reasonable time frame, the guests generally like them!
More and more, couples are choosing to have their ceremony at the reception facility and may like for the DJ to provide the appropriate music; This is something we can do for you! Generally, while your guests are being seated, we play a music style of your choice. There are many options for the Ceremony Processional songs for the wedding party and then bride to walk down the aisle to. “Canon In D”, “The Wedding Song” and The classic “Wedding Processional” are just a few. We can suggest songs if needed. During the ceremony there is typically no music played unless you specify certain selections and when they should be played, such as for a unity candle lighting or other special part of your ceremony. Once you are married and have been formally introduced, we then play the Ceremony Recessional song of your choice as you exit and your reception begins.
When The Bride And Groom Enter The Reception...
Today, in most cases, The Bride and Groom choose to have the entire wedding party introduced into the reception. Within our "On-Line Event Planning Form" we have a dedicated area for these introductions and the appropriate line-up order. Make your wedding party aware that they should not filter into the reception prior to you arriving because it makes it difficult to find and reorganize them for your grand entrance. Your DJ/MC will then announce each wedding party-couple individually into your reception with the Bride and Groom being introduced last. If you would like, you can also include Ushers, Flower Girls, Ring Bearer and Parents into the introductions.
The Cutting Of The Cake...
You can cut your cake before or after dinner but you should check with your banquet facility and/or caterer about the best timing for this accordingly. If you plan to serve your cake for desert then it is usually best to cut it prior to dinner, as some cakes take quite a while to slice and prepare. If you are planning to have your cake wrapped for your guests to take home, then it does not matter whether you cut it before or after dinner. Either way, you should check with your banquet captain or caterer first before deciding.
The Toast...
It is etiquette for the toast to be proposed before dinner. It is a good idea to get your champagne ready and poured about 5 minutes prior to dinner being served. Your DJ/MC will quiet the crowd and then formally introduce The Best Man for his toast. It is not uncommon for The Maid/Matron of Honor to also propose a toast. In some cases, The Bride and/or Groom's parents may also like to propose a toast. It is etiquette for The Best Man to be first, followed by The Maid/Matron of Honor, and then anyone else. If you are going to have a prayer before dinner this should always be last after any and all toasts.
The Bridal/First Dance...
The Bridal/First Dance should be done approximately 5-10 minutes after dinner has been completed. Traditionally, you would dance to the song of your choice and shortly thereafter, (approximately 1-2 minutes) your wedding/bridal party would join you to conclude your dance. More often today, Bride's and Groom's have been choosing to not include the wedding/bridal party in the special dance, or to dance to their entire bridal song by themselves, and have a second song played for the wedding party. In this case, The Wedding Party Dance will immediately follow The Bridal Dance and includes the Bride, Groom and their entire wedding party. The parents, ushers, ring bearer, flower girls, etc., are typically not included in this dance.
The Father/Daughter Dance...
The Father/Daughter Dance is done immediately following The Wedding Party Dance. This is where The Bride dances with her father to the song of their choice. Occasionally, and only in the case of a deceased father, we have seen brides dance with their grandfather for this dance.
The Mother/Son Dance...
The Mother/Son Dance is not quite as commonly requested and is done after the Father/Daughter Dance. This is where The Groom dances with his mother to the song of their choice. Traditionally, this dance did not exist, however, about 15 years ago it started appearing as a requested specialty dance. In some cases, The Bride and Groom choose to combine The Father/Daughter Dance with The Mother/Son Dance and select an appropriate song.
The Parents Dance...
The Parents Dance is the last of the specialty dances to be done and is not commonly requested. This is where The Bride & Groom and their parents all dance together to a song of choice.
The Throwing of The Bouquet And Garter...
The bouquet is thrown first to the single ladies. Second, the garter is removed from the leg of the bride, by the groom, and then thrown to the single gentlemen. Traditionally, the person who catches the bouquet, and the person who catches the garter, do the reverse, that is, the gentleman who catches the garter puts it on the leg of the lady who catches the bouquet. In our experience, we see this done less and less and, in some cases, the bride and groom elect to forego the garter removal altogether. As to when this should be done, there are 2 options; Some brides choose to do this immediately after the last special dance song so they can be done with all the formalities and then just enjoy their party. Also, this is the last of the formal pictures to be taken, so if you are on a tight time limit with your photographer, this might be a good option for you. In most cases, the bride & groom prefer to wait 30-45 minutes into the general dancing before doing the bouquet & garter.
The Dollar Dance
This is usually done anywhere from 45-75 minutes after the general dancing has started. Your guests come up and dance with you and give you a dollar to do so. The only downfall of a dollar dance is that it can be very time consuming, especially at larger receptions. If you decide on doing a dollar dance, we highly recommend having an organized plan! Before the day of your wedding, talk with your Best Man and Maid/Matron of Honor and assign them to be your collectors; They will stand at the head of each line and collect the money for you. In addition, they need to keep the line moving, no more than 1 minute per person. If your guests dance with you any longer than this, you are liable to burn 30 or more minutes of your reception with the dollar dance. Dollar dances are still somewhat popular, and as long as you can keep it within a reasonable time frame, the guests generally like them!