| 6-8 weeks before: |
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Send out invitations. Be sure to include RSVP cards. |
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| 1 week before: |
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Finalize your head count. Janet will call to confirm details.
Pre-payment of the catering fees appreciated. |
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| 1 or 2 days before: |
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Rehearsal: Decide before hand how you would like parents, grandparents
and bridal party to enter the scene, and who will sit where.
Do not invite “extra” people to your rehearsal. Keep
it simple! It is a good idea to bring any wedding items such
as favors, table decorations, etc., and your alcohol to be chilled. |
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| 3-4 hours before: |
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Bride & Women arrive to get prepared. If the Men are dressing
on site, they should arrive 2 hours before. Make sure you discuss
pre-wedding photo plan with your photographer. Most photographers
take photos for 45 min to 1 hour before ceremony. You want to
be finished before guests arrive. |
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| 1-2 hours before: |
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Bouquets and Boutonnières arrive. The men will need
assistance. |
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| 20-30 minutes before: |
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Prelude music begins. Hostess & Ushers begin greeting and
signing in guests, delivering gifts to gift area, and showing
people to their seats. |
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| Ceremony: |
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Ceremonies usually begin about 10 minutes late and last
between 15 and 45 minutes. We will help everyone get in position
and
begin.
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| Immediately Following: |
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Receiving Line (optional); Maid of Honor & Best Man must
sign the Marriage Certificate;
Photography-if not done before
ceremony, usually takes 30 to 45 minutes; We recommend that
after photo session, Bride & Groom take a few minutes alone together
before coming out to greet everyone. Nice options are a walk
through the orchard, or time alone in the house. During this
time, the guests are enjoying hors d'oeuvres and the lawn is
being transformed for reception. Depending on your arrangements
for music, background music may begin playing now, or wait
for dinner. |
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| 60-90 minutes after the start time of ceremony: |
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Bride & Groom , followed by family, wedding party and guests,
begin the food line. For larger weddings, we ask guests to find
a seat at a table and then we release them to the food line table
by table. After the Bride & Groom have a chance to eat and
relax, it is a good time to greet guests table by table. (This
can be an alternative to a receiving line.) Some couples choose
to hand out favors as they greet guests. I've also seen the Mothers
do this. |
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| 60-75 minutes after the start of buffet line: |
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When everyone is finished eating and the food is cleared, we
invite everyone fill their glasses or pick up a glass of champagne
and gather around the cake table. The toast is given, usually
by Best Man, and then the couple cut their cake. After feeding
each other and taking photos, they head up to the deck for the
Bouquet and Garter Toss. The cake is being cut and served to
guests. If there is to be dancing inside, the outside bar is
now being moved inside. |
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| Approximately 3 hours after the start of ceremony: |
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Dance and Party to your heart's content! This Outline applies
to moderate and large (75-250 guests), outdoor weddings. |
