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Having a wedding reception itinerary may sound strange but it's critical to have if you want any chance of keeping your wedding reception running smoothly. To start, sit down and write out a list of everything you want to happen at your wedding reception and then put them in the order you want them to happen.

When planning your itinerary, make sure that the various events flow easily and logically; this will help keep the guests happy and enjoying the reception. One key thing to keep in mind is to make sure your guests eat before they get really hungry! Now, it certainly is not necessary to have every little thing planned down to the minute; what you want is a basic outline for all the activities you plan. This will make it less stressful on you and more fun for everyone.

Your wedding reception will likely have two central elements that you need to plan around: the wedding dinner and the wedding dance. If you are not having a dinner or if you do not plan to have dancing just modify the following ideas accordingly.

>>> Feeding Your Wedding Guests

When it's time to feed your guests, you can adapt these specifics to your personal desires and situation:

1. A dinner prayer prior to serving the food
2. Serve the head table / bride and groom
3. Either serve the guests or direct them to where they can take their food
4. Wedding speeches which can include the best man, the bride, maid / matron of honor and both sets of parents
5. Cutting the wedding cake

If there is no dancing planned, often couples will choose to give a short toast to each other and one to your family and guests for their love and support.

The food portion of the reception will usually end with the couple giving a short thank you speech and then an invitation to join them for dancing.

>>> Let's Dance

After the meal, it's time to dance; if you have a DJ and / or emcee they should take over the activities at this point.

Some of the events that are part of the dance, in the normal order, are:

1. The first dance is done to a song the new couple has chosen and should start with the couple dancing.
2. Bridal Party Dance
3. Father / daughter wedding dance
4. Mother / son wedding dance
5. Open dancing with a variety of popular dance music
6. Bridal bouquet toss
7. Garter toss
8. More open dancing
9. Last dance
10. Exit of the bride and groom

You might want to have a dollar dance or wedding line dance tossed in with the open dancing segments. Having said all that, another option is to combine the food and dancing together, for example:

1. Set the mood by starting with the first dance followed by the bridal party dance right after wedding party entrance takes place
2. Then have the meal
3. Then have the father / daughter and mother / son dance
4. Then cut and serve the wedding cake before the dancing is open to your guests
5. Finally, give your thank you just before the last dance

>>> Other Options

You could skip the bouquet toss and give it to the couple attending who has been married the longest. You may not want to make a grand entrance so ask the DJ or someone else to announce the wedding party members during the bridal party dances. Your wedding reception itinerary is meant to be a planning guide for you on your big day; something to help you focus on the day not the logistics. Some additional useful tips are:

1. Ask the wedding caterer's advice on how much time they think should be allotted for serving and dining

2. Note the order of things you've seen at the weddings you've been to and how well it all went. Did guests seem rashed to eat or was there too much time between food and dancing?

Of course, there's no need to follow any particular prescribed order for the wedding reception, but the comfort of your guests and how much they enjoy themselves will go a long way in making your wedding reception exactly what you dream it to be.

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Source by Tiffany Cole