Planning a Luxury Wedding Reception
When you’re planning a luxury wedding reception, you want your guests to have a blast, and admit it – you want them to talk about your wedding reception for months to come.
So what’s the secret sauce to ensure a successful wedding reception? It’s the timing. It’s always a well-planned and executed timeline.
As an experienced wedding band leader, I’ve learned that the ingredient needed for an impeccable wedding reception is a well-detailed timeline. With carefully measured event planning and fantastic live music, you and your guests will surely have an unforgettable experience.
The Key Components of an Effective Timeline include:
The Ceremony.
Many weeks prior to your wedding reception, we meet to discuss exactly how your event will unfold. Once your timeline is set, I give a copy to your banquet manager, maître d’, wedding photographer, and wedding videographer so that we’re all on the same page and your wedding reception flows seamlessly.
More and more, the wedding ceremony takes place at the venue. If that’s the case, when will your guests be invited into the room where the ceremony will be held?
What music would you like for the prelude section prior to the processional (entrance) and the recessional (exit) of the bride and groom, and bridal party? Would you like Classical music or Pop music, for example? We can provide a solo instrumentalist up to a string quartet, for example.
The Cocktail Hour
Music for the cocktails can create the ambiance that enables your guests to talk with one another in a conversational tone yet provides sophistication and an air of elegance. We usually perform with a Jazz trio, but we can also provide a mixture of Jazz, as well as Pop music. My primary goal is to honor the bride and groom’s wishes, but I would always be happy to explain the options.
The Reception
It’s important to remember that once your guests have arrived in the wedding reception ballroom and have seen the beautiful décor, have experienced the “wow” moment of entering a ballroom that has been transformed into a magnificent ambiance of beauty, then the party really begins.
There are four or more hours ahead. The party begins a social journey, and that’s when an experienced band leader’s expertise is on display. There is a scrumptious meal to be served, and quality service to be enjoyed.
Then this amazing atmosphere transitions into a joyful celebration. It’s the music that energizes, that creates the ebb and flow, that makes the party come alive
with dancing, and it’s the skill of the band leader that brings it all to fruition.
The Luxury Wedding Reception Introductions
After the cocktail hour, guests flow into the reception site. This usually takes about 15-20 minutes depending on the proximity from the cocktail site to the reception site as well as the number of guests attending the wedding reception.
Our entire band plays music as guests enter the room. During this time we could play dance music that crosses generations or appropriate high-energy music while the guests take their seats.
After that, whom would you like us to introduce – just the bride and groom, or the parents and bridal party as well? Whatever your preference, we play a song for each introduction. We are also happy to make recommendations that have been effective.
The Bride and Groom’s First Dance and Dances That Follow
What is your first dance at your wedding reception? Would you like your guests to join you on the dance floor? Again, it’s your preference.
We do recommend following the first dance with a short dance set of 10-15 minutes with up-tempo dance songs that get all the generations on the dance floor. However, the decision is yours. Examples of the type of high-energy dance songs include Motown and dance songs from the 80s through the 90s.
One of the many factors that make the Sid Miller Dance Band special is you get to choose up to 100 songs from our master song list comprised of over 1200 songs. The songs the band performs during the wedding reception are from the list that you send me. It’s a very easy process to select your songs from our master list. We have a special form that you use. To see the master song list click here.
Getting as many guests onto the dance floor as early as possible helps build momentum throughout the evening. However, some brides and grooms don’t want full-out dancing until after the entrée’ is completed. That decision, of course, will also be honored. No problem; we have made that work countless times.
Luxury Wedding Reception Events
Is the bride’s father giving a speech? Is anyone giving a blessing before the first course is served? The father-of-the-bride speech is usually given prior to the service of the first course.
Are the maid/matron of honor and best man giving a toast? We usually wait for these toasts until everyone is served their first course. Having the toasts while the guests are having their first course maximizes dance time after dinner.
Immediately after these toasts, we normally follow the toasts with the
bride/father then the groom/mother wedding dances. When will the entrée be served? I always recommend a short dance set prior to the entrée service. While I make recommendations, the order of these special events is your choice.
After the Entrée’ to the Dessert Service
The energy level is put into high gear with my wedding band performing a mixture of contemporary dance music as well as music from all genres that are on the bride and groom’s requested song list from our master song list. This would include Pop, Rock, and R&B as well as songs from the ’70s to the 2000s
The Last Hour of the Wedding Reception
With the party in high gear, this last set features almost all contemporary music. The wedding guests will hear their favorite contemporary wedding dance songs, we avoid playing any slow songs at the last dance set unless the bride and groom want a special ballad during the last set.
Flexibility is so important in creating a great party. Sometimes, during the dancing, I can sense that a song should replace another song on the setlist. My band and I have a seamless system to do just that. This is true whether songs are added during the dance portion or when guests are enjoying their courses.
The luxury wedding Band
Finally, the musicianship of our band makes a difference. When your guests recognize that we’re not a typical wedding band, they’re more likely to join in the fun and get on their feet to dance.
We play every song, even the classic dance songs we’ve performed hundreds of times, with the same high energy, authenticity, and enthusiasm. In the end, we keep the dance floor packed and create a truly memorable experience for all. The best feeling is when we hear “Encore Encore”.
On your truly special occasion, we are at your wedding celebration to design a timeline that suits you perfectly. That is the true recipe for a truly memorable wedding reception.
As the great NCAA basketball coach of UCLA, John Wooden, once said, “ It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen”. Being mindful and planning the details are the keys to success.
Follow the link to WeddingWire to view the 9 timeline rules to follow for a successful wedding.
For more than 25 years, the Sid Miller Dance Band has delivered unforgettable celebrations with live music and event expertise. To learn more please call, Sid at 267-259-7570. We would love to hear from you.