HOW TO PLAN THE BEST TIMELINE FOR YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION AND PARTY

In order to fully enjoy your wedding banquet and party, it is very important to create a detailed timeline of the wedding day. Be sure to create a draft and discuss it with the entire team that organizes your wedding. Below you will find some recommendations for organizing a banquet and party timeline.

How splendid it is to embark on the journey of crafting an unforgettable wedding celebration! Picture this: your special day, a tapestry woven with moments that shimmer with brilliance. To orchestrate a wedding party that sparkles with charm and captivates your guests, it’s all in the art of meticulous planning.

Wedding reception and party. Photo by Lala Belyaevskaya

Begin by choreographing the grand spectacle. Think of it as a symphony, with each element harmoniously synchronized. The key? A well-structured schedule that serves as the guiding star for your dream team—your photographer, wedding organizer, coordinator, DJ, animators, florists, and food suppliers. Share this master-stroke with them, for it’s the roadmap to weaving enchantment into every moment.

wedding photographer in Brussels Lala Belyaevskaya

Every couple, like a unique melody, dances to their own beat. Some crave a banquet bursting with energy, while others savor a slow-paced, romantic affair. If your heart yearns for a celebration that unfolds like a captivating tale, brimming with action and etched in memories, then heed these pearls of wisdom.

wedding party. Photo by Lala Belayevskaya

This wedding schedule, a treasure chest of insights, has been curated through the wisdom of countless newly-weds. It’s a testament to crafting an experience that banishes boredom, where the clinking of forks on plates is but a distant memory.

Crazy hour. Wedding party. Photo by Lala Belyaevskaya

Ah, but here’s a twist to consider! In the realm of Belgian weddings, time often takes its leisurely stroll when waiters serve food. To take the reins of your grand banquet into your own hands, ponder the allure of a buffet-style feast.

Plated / Table style

PLATED / TABLE STYLE. This is the most traditional and popular way to serve your wedding. Your guests choose the dishes in advance and the chef prepares the dishes, then the waiters serve them. Pros This option is luxurious, it is a high class of service.

Con – it can be very long, especially in Belgium. This way of serving dishes may have a risk that the schedule of your wedding party will not go according to plan.

BUFFET STYLE. Behold, there are two buffet styles to consider. The first—a free-spirited affair where guests serve themselves, ushering in a swift and eager queue. A delightful choice for larger gatherings, where the festivities are all about freedom and variety.

Wedding Buffet Style. Photo by Lala Belyaevskaya

Alternatively, the second option—a more regal approach, where 2-3 catering maestros artfully plate the chosen delights for your guests. It’s a touch of sophistication that ensures every dish is a work of art, delivered with precision and flair.

Buffet Style

Should your guest list surpass the 30-mark, consider this ingenious touch: summon your banquet host to announce the table numbers that may gracefully ascend to the buffet. A sprinkle of organization amidst the revelry ensures everyone enjoys their fill without fuss.

With these well-honed strategies, your wedding celebration will be a tapestry of enchantment, a symphony of flavors and festivities that your guests will reminisce about for years to come. Here’s to a day where memories are crafted, laughter echoes, and love reigns supreme. Cheers to your extraordinary wedding journey!

8:00 p.m. Entrance, introduction, and bride and groom dance

The guests are entering the dining hall. The parents, the newlyweds, and the bridal party are standing on the other side of the door.

The presenter first invites the parents to welcome the bride and the groom. The best men and the bridesmaids enter the hall after them.

It often happens to the accompaniment of a cheerful song, and young people may be doing a variety of dance steps, or someone may be doing somersaults or splits — there is no limit to the imagination.

Finally, the presenter invites you to welcome the new family. The newlyweds enter the hall to the cheers of the guests and perform their first dance.

8.15-8.25 The bride and her father dance, the groom and his mother dance

This is an incredibly touching moment that photographers love to shoot with the father and his little princess, who is beginning to write her own family story.

Meanwhile, the mother of the groom is admiring her handsome son and stealthily wiping away tears of pride and joy.

8.30 The bride and the groom open the buffet

If the food involves a kind of ““buffet”, the newlyweds are the first to come to the serving platters and take their food. The guests then follow them. If there are a lot of guests at the wedding, the presenter should help avoid crowding near the buffet. To do this, he needs to organize the guests one after another by calling the table number, the guests of which must come up for their food.

09.20 Toasts and speeches

Firstly, the presenter invites the people on the speakers’ list to deliver their speeches. The parents of the newlyweds, the best man, and the bridesmaid should speak.

Often, however, the guests happen to have spontaneous toasts of their own. After all the people on the speakers’ list have made their speeches, the presenter should address the other guests and find out if anyone wants to make an unplanned toast.

09.50 Cake cutting

This is a good time for the bride and the groom to thank their guests for their presence at the ceremony and reception.

10.00 Open dance floor

The DJ turns on an energetic popular melody, and the presenter invites all of the guests to the dance floor.

10.20 The bouquet and the garter toss

10.30-11.30 Crazy hour

What is the crazy hour? This tradition came from Latin America (Hora de loca) and quickly swept the wedding dance floors of North America and Europe. Latin Americans are famous for their ability to have fun and create a holiday.

All of the guests are given funny masks, hats, glasses, flower garlands, feather boas, balloons, and so on, and offer to continue the fun colourfully. This gives a stunning effect to your photos.

Puppeteers are often invited to come during the crazy hour. They are usually dressed in the outfits of Latin American dancers or Brazilian carnival

dancers. The invited troupe dances with the guests, exciting the audience and creating an atmosphere of tropical celebration and fun.

Nobody will remain indifferent!

11.30 Final song and exit

The presenter announces the last song. At the end, the newlyweds can also address the organizers and staff of the wedding team and thank them for the day.

It is very popular to use sparklers for the newlyweds’ departure. Be sure to ask someone to organize it and do not forget to warn your photographer about it.

When your final tune starts, hold hands and make a dash for happily ever after!