Wedding Reception Planning: Your Checklist of Wedding Reception Activities
Wedding reception planning starts with a clear vision of the party you intend to throw. The next step is to make a checklist of the wedding traditions and reception activities you want to include in your timeline.
Visualize Your Wedding Reception
If a friend invited you and your fiancé to a really amazing party, one you would definitely look forward to and enjoy, what would that fabulous party look like?
What would make it special and memorable?
Taking your theme and level of formality into consideration, how can you plan a wedding reception that will be fun for everyone and still stay within your budget? Now think about the wedding traditions you intend to incorporate into your reception.
Deciding early which traditional family and religious reception activities or ceremonies are important to you makes wedding reception planning easier. Write it all down.
How long would you like your reception to be? The timing can vary - some religions call for the celebration to last for days!
Plan on 1 hour for cocktails while the wedding party is getting photos taken at the ceremony venue - the cocktail hour will be within the venue, but not in the same room where the reception will take place (ask your venue about options for the cocktail hour)
Plan 3-4 hours for the reception
In general, the style of meal service helps determine how long the reception will be.
Buffets are quicker than sit down dinners. Sit down timing also varies depending on the number of courses being served.
Also you have to take dancing into consideration. If you are planning on lots of dancing, it will stretch out the time needed.
To indicate to guests it will soon be time to leave, slow down the music, close the bar, and turn the lights up a little.
Sample Checklist of Wedding Reception Activities
Cocktail hour, then guests are moved to the reception location
Arrival/introduction of the couple by the best man or music provider (optional)
Receiving line (optional)
The first dance
Bride dances with father
Groom dances with mother
Bride & groom mingle with guests
Toast by the best man
Toast by the matron of honor
Dinner
Dance set
Cutting of the cake (optional)
More dancing
Tossing of the bouquet (optional)
Any other traditions you like
Tossing of the garter (optional)
Dancing
The last song
Move the guests downstairs to see the bride and groom off
Bride and groom leave
Best man or father of bride tips service personnel (can also be done while moving guests out to see the couple off)
Wedding reception activities and order can flex a great deal.
Many couples do their first dance right after they enter the reception and then a short dance set (great place for the standards), and save the father/daughter dance and groom/mother dance until after dinner.
Some couples prefer to save the first dance until after dinner and spend the first part of the reception mingling before the toasts.
If you’re having a theme wedding with dancers or other performers, you’ll need to plan those activities too.
There's a lot of room for personalization when wedding reception planning. Your checklist of wedding reception activities is strictly up to you. There are no more “rules” as to what must happen at a reception.
How long would you like your reception to be? The timing can vary - some religions call for the celebration to last for days! 
Wedding reception activities and order can flex a great deal. 
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