Every wedding is unique and there are hardly two that went according to an identical scenario. Nevertheless, there is a lot of traditionality in this event; without traditions, we would probably not be able to distinguish a wedding from dozens of other holidays. In recent years, more and more innovations have appeared at weddings. One thing that has changed the usual wedding day routine a lot is the outdoor ceremony. For the convenience of brides, Svadbodelov.ru has compiled an approximate wedding schedule with on-site registration. So that from the very beginning of preparation you can imagine how everything will happen.
Photo from the portfolio of the leading duo Vegas (Ulyanovsk).
Wedding banquet
As we wrote earlier, the banquet itself lasts about 5-6. It is also divided into several blocks, which should be written in advance.
What's important here:
- time for serving hot dishes - time for artists/cover bands to appear - dance breaks - congratulations from guests - first dance - time for taking out the cake - traditional activities (for example, throwing a bouquet) - end of the banquet
Please remember that toasting can take a long time. To prevent your evening from turning into one continuous speech from guests, we advise you to break your congratulations into blocks and insert other activities between them. Groups of congratulators can be divided into: parents, relatives of the bride and groom, close friends, etc. It is better to place the largest block of toast after the first hot one, then the guests will not remain hungry.
Dividing the evening into blocks makes it more interesting and varied. The host will help you write out the entire scenario for the evening. You also need to tell him the time for taking out the cake and serving hot dishes in order to build a program.
Morning of the bride and groom
7.00 — Get up
The outdoor ceremony saved brides from having to get up at five in the morning in order to have time to do everything before the ceremony at the registry office. After all, it used to happen that it was scheduled for 10.00 or 11.00. Now you can get up at 7.00 or even 8.00.
Still, you shouldn't sleep too long. The day is going to be busy, you should get up early in order to get everything done without rushing. The first hour should be spent waking up: taking a shower, having breakfast, admiring the nature outside the window, and getting ready for the event.
8.00-11.00 — Getting ready
These three hours are spent getting ready in the morning for the bride and groom. When they happen at home, less time is required - all the experts come themselves, which means time is saved on the road. The same applies if the gathering takes place at the hotel where the future newlyweds spent the night.
In cases where the bride goes to a photo studio and the groom to a barbershop, it takes more time to get ready, taking into account the road to the place. And then you still need to get to where you planned the long-awaited first meeting in wedding dresses.
You also need to take into account that now special attention is paid to photographing the morning of the bride and groom. That is, you need to set aside time to have time to work with the photographer.
Photo by Tatyana Chaplygina (Noginsk).
11.00 - 12.00 - Meeting
Somewhere around this time the couple meets. The photographer captures the first and brightest emotions that grip the bride and groom at this moment. The meeting is often attended by close friends and relatives - parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents. If the groom takes the bride from home, a small buffet is held.
Buy-outs at weddings are now becoming less and less common, and this saves a lot of time and effort.
End of the evening
Usually the end of a wedding banquet is a whole ritual. There may be a fireworks launch immediately after the cake is brought out, or guests may light sparklers. This is the highlight of your day, give it special time. Allow at least 30 minutes to cut the cake. This time will include taking it out, presenting the first pieces to the parents and a response speech from the newlyweds. Accompanied by beautiful lighting and romantic music, the atmosphere is perfect. Let's say it again: don't rush. Enjoy this moment. The evening is the most touching part of your wedding. Let it be remembered by you for a long time.
The week before the wedding
Since an outdoor symbolic ceremony will take place on the wedding day, you need to go to the registry office in advance. Usually, the signing of all official documents occurs in the week before the wedding - three days before the holiday.
This is convenient because you can sign up for any time on a weekday. Come calmly, complete all formalities and wait for an exciting celebration. Some newlyweds do not refuse a ceremony at the registry office. They come there, although not in wedding clothes, but still elegant. Parents are invited to the event. This is also a good option that you can take note of.
Road
When planning travel time, the svadebka.ws portal advises you to take into account several important factors:
- time of year - it can be problematic to start a car in cold weather;
- traffic jams are a common problem in big cities;
- quality of the road surface - the lack of a high-quality road can significantly slow down traffic;
- weather conditions are an important factor affecting driving speed;
- Seating guests by car.
Restaurant
Before deciding on a wedding banquet, you should understand an important truth: this is the most expensive item of the event. Both when preparing a restaurant version and a home-made one, you will have to pay - and not a little. So choosing between public and private eating places is based solely on personal wishes.
Advantages of a banquet in a restaurant/cafe:
1. Selecting a menu, sometimes even a separate cuisine. Some establishments practice a mixed menu. 2. Chefs, as a rule, are specialists. They cannot fail to make a dish: burnt or not meet their standards. 3. Availability of fresh products. Rarely, brides fussing before the wedding will find fresh squid or excellent quality caviar in a store far from home. But the masters of the restaurant business always have fresh supplies of those goods that are constantly present on their menu. 4. The right to pleasant pre-wedding chores. Why should the future wife worry throughout the holiday about what was enough on the table and what was not to the taste of friends and family. 5. Wedding hall. This is where you can feel more relaxed and festive.
In addition: there is nothing wrong with taking leftover food or untouched dishes with you! All the same, on the next, second day, close people will gather again to continue the holiday.
Among the disadvantages of this option may be the following: distant location, underweight dishes, funeral feasts taking place in the next room. The possibility of such moments can be stipulated in advance, but it is difficult to foresee everything.
Tips for organizing a wedding reception in a restaurant
There are general rules for creating a menu for a wedding.
If possible, you can contact specialists in this field - caterers. But then, in addition to the amount for the menu, you will have to pay money for the service of a professional.
When organizing banquets in restaurants, it is useful to study Internet portals. The cost per person is multiplied by the number of all guests; it is advisable to feed the presenters, photographer, and cameraman (at least snacks and water). There are decent options starting from 1200 rubles. You can look for something cheaper. It all depends on the menu.
And:
1. You should inspect the room to see if there is enough space for seating guests and dancing. Are there smoking areas, are there toilets nearby? 2. What is the most convenient way to arrange the tables - separately, parallel, around the perimeter. 3. Is it possible to decorate the hall or does the restaurant itself provide such services. 4. Is there equipment, live music and other services, for which you will then have to pay extra separately. 5. Find out if other events are planned in the neighboring rooms so that the wedding celebration does not disturb other people and vice versa.
An important question: is it possible to bring some of your own products?
The order is made approximately a month before the planned wedding. It is better to close the issue with the restaurant one of the first.
According to statistics, restaurant banquets are the most successful ways to have a great wedding. Young people can celebrate their wedding not with a full feast, but by resorting to a buffet table. This is a buffet-type organization, where chairs are located only at a few separate tables: sometimes some guests, due to health or leisure, need to sit down. The menu is dominated by hot and cold appetizers, but hot dishes in the form of kebabs or pies will not be superfluous.
Day
12.00-15.00 – Walk with photo session
During this period, a wedding photo shoot is held. The newlyweds, along with the groom's friends and bridesmaids, walk around the city and go into nature to take great photos. At this time, the bride’s hair and makeup look great, the dress has not wrinkled, and the groom is cheerful and fresh.
The photo shoot can take place right at the wedding venue. Then it will most likely take less time.
Photo by Liza Duraeva (Cherkessk).
15.00-16.00 — Gathering of guests, preparation for the ceremony
By this time, guests usually begin to arrive at the wedding venue. They are greeted with a welcome buffet, they are immersed in the festive atmosphere, entertained by attractions in the welcome zone - they take pictures in a photo booth or photo zone, communicate with mimes, get to know each other, treat themselves to drinks, listen to music.
At this moment, the bride and groom have time to get themselves in order after a walk. The bride's makeup and hair are corrected, the groom's hair is combed, and his shoes are wiped.
16.00-17.30 — Wedding ceremony
The climax of the wedding day takes place around this time. The ceremony itself takes a maximum of 40 minutes, usually even less - 20-30 minutes.
After the ceremony, you need to leave time for congratulations with a buffet table and a photo shoot. All guests will want to hug the heroes of the occasion and say a few parting words in their ears. And then many will line up to take photos.
17.30-23.00 — Wedding banquet
Here everything goes according to an understandable scenario. Welcome toasts and feast, presentation of gifts mixed with entertainment. The cake is served at approximately 21:00 and the fireworks display, if scheduled, is at 22:00. Guests will then have time to say goodbye to the newlyweds, pack up and leave the wedding venue.
The nuances of seating guests in a banquet hall
The wedding seating plan for guests and the arrangement of tables must be drawn up based on the number of guests, the shape and area of the banquet hall at your disposal.
Most often, one of the following classical schemes is used:
- T-shaped - a traditional option for placing tables, designed for 20-25 people;
- rectangular - an option that is suitable for small weddings held with the closest relatives;
- U-shaped - the best option for a medium-sized banquet (up to 50 people);
- w-shaped - an ideal solution for seating a large number of guests in a small area;
- a semicircle is a great idea for spacious banquet halls;
- “herringbone” - a scheme that involves separate placement of tables designed for small groups of people (4-7 people), which are formed according to interests and age;
- a buffet is a good choice for small buffets (in this case, long tables can be placed around the perimeter of the hall, and the central area can be used as a dance floor and a platform for holding a festive program).
When drawing up a seating plan, it is important to ensure a good view of the newlyweds’ table from any angle. Competent organization of the banquet guarantees comfort for guests and a sincere atmosphere during the wedding celebration
Practical points
For the convenience of drawing up a day plan, you can use the special Wedding Day Schedule service, which we have on our website. You can add all the points of your wedding day to your schedule, mark all the necessary places on the map, and easily share the plan with your guests by simply sending them a link.
A detailed plan prepared in advance will help you avoid difficulties during your holiday. You can ask a responsible person, for example, a witness, to monitor the implementation of the schedule. To do this, you must remember to print out the plan so as not to accidentally miss or mix up anything. It is worth noting that a situation may well occur when the planned stages do not go as planned
The main thing in this case is not to panic or worry, because your plan can always be adjusted, and the most important thing is to maintain a positive attitude and good mood
By creating a schedule before your wedding, you can simply enjoy what's going on at your celebration and bring maximum pleasure to your guests. Therefore, it is worth treating this matter with full responsibility.
Is it possible to abandon the standard scheme?
A wedding is a happy day for you and your guests, and not an international conference where each speaker is given 15 minutes and not a second more to speak. You can do whatever you really want: a long morning get-together with the groom or girlfriends, a buffet and dancing instead of a long banquet, a ceremony in the evening, under the light of the stars, and so on. Just remember that all non-standard solutions also require preparation and proper management of time.
Nadezhda Trubnikova, Russian Wedding Group:
“Having outlined the main points, we begin to discuss the individual wishes of the couple. Do they want, for example, to have a photo shoot together before the ceremony (we always recommend this option), or vice versa - to see each other for the first time only at the time of the ceremony? Will there be a ceremony at all or will they just get together with friends for a party? Do they want to sign at the registry office on the same day or visit some places that are significant to them? So, gradually, the overall picture of the day is formed.”
