Maryland Wedding - How Long Should The Reception Be

When planning your Maryland Wedding it is typical to have lots of questions. Most couples have never planned a wedding before so that is totally understandable.

As an award-winning Maryland DJ serving Frederick MD | Washington DC | Northern VA, our passion is helping couples have the best experience possible and to be an asset in all facets of wedding planning. 

This article is one in a series of articles intended to help not only the Maryland wedding couples we serve but anyone who is planning their dream wedding.

How long is the typical Maryland Wedding Reception?

Usually, a wedding reception will last about four hours.

That includes:

1. The introductions of the wedding party and the bride and groom.

2. Toasts and speeches

3. The blessing and mealtime.

4. First Dance, Parent Dances, Anniversary Dance

5. Cake Cutting, Bouquet Toss, and Garter Toss

6. Dancing!

Please note that this list is certainly not all the events and activities that can take place at a wedding reception.

Many nationalities have their own wedding traditions that families may choose to continue as part of their wedding. For example, many Lancaster PA Weddings include a “Bridal Dance” which is a polish version of a “Money Dance” where polka music is played.

How long is the dance reception?

I listed this first not because I am a Maryland DJ but because as a DJ, that is typically one of the first topics of discussion a couple has with us. That makes sense because everyone wants a killer party at their Maryland wedding!

A typical wedding reception will have about 1.5 – 2.5 hours of dance time during a four-hour reception. In terms of percentage, you can expect your guests to spend about 38% - 63% of their time on the dance floor at their Maryland Wedding.

That is a significant variance and where your particular Maryland Wedding will end up depends on the activities and traditions you include and how closely you stick to the timeline.

What Is the order of events at a reception?

The typical wedding reception order is as follows:

1.  Wedding Party Introductions

2.  Grand Entrance

3.  First Dance

4. Toasts & Speeches

5.  Blessing

6.  Meal Service

7.   Parent Dances

8.   Dance Set (15 – 20 minutes)

9.   Cake Cutting

10.  Bouquet & Garter Toss

11.  Dancing

12.  Last Dance or Exit

One of the things I enjoy about weddings is that while there are certain customs and traditions that couples can follow, no one is bound to them. There is a great opportunity for every couple to choose the customs they want to be included, as well as to create a few moments of their own.

Like a snowflake, every couple and every Maryland Wedding is unique.

The order of events at the wedding reception is one of those areas that you can personalize.

Ways to tailor your Maryland Reception Order

Regardless of what comes after, the Wedding Party Introduction is typically the first event.

A low-key Grand Entrance.

I say typically because not every couple has a Grand Entrance. Some prefer a very low-key event. In this case, the Ceremony Recessional where the guests cheered after they said “I do” is all the attention, they prefer to call to themselves.

In cases where couples prefer a low-key Maryland Wedding Reception, they will typically make their first appearance at the Cocktail Hour and then proceed with the Wedding Reception.

After the Grand Entrance

Once the wedding party has been introduced and the Grand Entrance is complete, about half the couples will have their First Dance while the others proceed to their table.

Upon arriving at their table, the flow of events varies due to personal preference and what couples have chosen to incorporate. Some will have toasts and speeches before moving into meal service. Others opt to begin the meal service and have the toasts once all guests have been served their meal.

Again, there is no right or wrong. Do what you feel is best.

Toasting tip!

Make sure that someone knows that your glass must be filled before the toasts begin! I cannot tell you how many times a toast has been scheduled and I look at their table during their First Dance and see empty glasses.

Naturally, I run over to the bar or to the coordinator | planner and get that taken care of before the toasts begin but, you may not have an alert, super cool Maryland DJ that is on it like I am. :)

After Dinner Timeline

After dinner comes the First Dance (if not done earlier), which is followed by the Parent Dances. Once those have been completed, I always suggest that we open the dance floor and at minimum have a short dance set.

There are several reasons I like to open the dance floor before moving on to other activities such as the cake cutting.

One is that by this point, guests have spent about four hours observing and listening to ceremony vows, blessing, toasts, speeches, and engaging in idle chit chat. They may have begun to run out of topics to talk about except maybe politics and who wants that at their wedding?

Another reason for a dance set is that the guests are restless. They are ready to see how good this party is going to be and ready to get it started.

I want to have a solid dance set of at least 15 – 30 minutes so that allows them to get up and move and one that lasts long enough that they will see that there is going to be a wide variety of music played at your party.

In my opinion, this is the most critical time for determining the success of your dance party.

If you only play three songs or so before you move on to the other activities, a segment of guests will assume that sample represents all music that will be played. So, if two of the songs were newer R & B, Hip – Hop, or Pop; the older guests say “Let’s go! They are only going to play new stuff I don’t like all night.”

If the songs are more classic like Motown, 80’s, or Alternative; you risk alienating the younger guests.

Allow enough time for guests to hear the variety and you will have a much better party! The wedding cake and the catering staff can wait a few minutes before they start their clean up process.