Alot of couples ask me what time everything happens! When do they cut their cake, do their first dance, speeches, etc.
While every event is different, as a general view there are two timelines depending on what kind of wedding you are having. I have included the two most popular timelines but remember that you can chop and change whatever you like:
Buffet:
6:00pm- Guests Seated6:10pm- Bridal Party Enter6:30pm- Buffet (Always allow at least an hour)7:30pm- Speeches (Most weddings have about 4-5 speakers so allow 30 mins)8:00pm- Cake Cutting (If cake is NOT part of desert, usually this is where it is placed)8:05pm- Desert8:30pm- Bridal Waltz and Dancing11:00pm- Bouquet and Garter (Most people have had enough to drink to participate)11:30pm- Farewell Circle (If saying goodbye to everyone, best to start around about here)12:00am- Finish
Set Menu
6:00pm- Guests Seated6:10pm- Bridal Party Enter6:20pm- Cake Cutting (If cake IS part of desert, it's best to cut it early so the kitchen can take it way when needed)6:30pm- Entree (Allow 30 mins)7:00pm- Speeches (If having more than 5, put the first 2 here)7:15pm- Mains (Allow an hour)8:15pm- Speeches (Rest of the speeches go here)8:45pm- Desert9:15pm- Bridal Waltz and Dancing11:00pm- Bouquet and Garter11:50pm- Farewell Arch/Final Song12:00am- Finish
These are just rough guides to timings. They are also subject to the venue and the organization of people. For us DJs, timings actually mean very little, providing the order of events remain the same but hopefully this will give you a rough guide when planning your wedding :)
(Photo courtesy of "topweddingideas.org")