After months of investing much time and money for your party, you want to be sure you will enjoy it and take it all in! Depending on if you have a cocktail hour and a possible viennese hour, the 4 to 6 hours can really fly by. Even though the average party reception is 4 to 5 hours, dancing time may be limited to only about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. That’s because of formalities & courses unless you are having a buffet. Here are some time management tips for your party. They will show you how to enjoy, mingle, and dance the night away at your party with your family and friends.
Bring Things Early
⁃ Deliver such things as favors, place cards, table numbers/names, etc. to your venue several days before your party. Have them properly packaged & labeled. This way you won’t have to worry about the day of your event.
Mingle During Cocktail Hour
⁃ Most guests of honor are now electing to mingle during their cocktail hour for a Sweet 16, Anniversary, etc. That way they can say hello & have brief conversations with the majority of their guests in an informal atmosphere. The guest of honor will then not feel obligated to go visit each and every table during the reception. That means they won’t miss out on dancing and partying. Especially, if you’re having 100 possible guests for example. That’s10 tables you may feel obligated to visit and say hello to which will cut into your dancing and partying time.
Split Toasts Up
⁃ Toasts can cut into dancing time if they run on too long. These time management tips for your party would suggest to give a gentle respectful restriction on the time allotted. Usually 2-3 minutes for each. If there are many toasts or speeches it would be well advised to split them up. You can possibly have some up front and some during the first course. This will ensure you have a captive audience and not cut into dancing time.
Performances
⁃ If you’re going to have any family or friends sing/perform, it would be prudent to have them do so during downtime such as during salad, appetizer, or main course. Again, as not to cut into dancing time. This would bode well if you have any type of video montage presentation as well.
Continue To Party
⁃ After singing happy birthday or cake ceremony (and possible dessert tables) we suggest that a guest of honor to stay away from their sweetheart, main table or dais. That is usually the time that some guests may be looking to leave early. That is the first place they will look for you and if a line forms by your main table. You will be stuck there for the last dance set, which is the time you want to party it up! Especially now that all the formalities are over. The guest of honor should be mingling and dancing around the dance floor. This way guests leaving can give you a quick goodbye and you can continue partying to the end of the party.
Transportation
⁃ If you are providing transportation for your guests to and from hotels or a particular central meeting place, you should have your first shuttle/bus come 15 minutes after the reception ends. Keep in mind after the reception ends there is a time of mingling, socializing, & saying goodbyes. Too many times the shuttle/buses are scheduled before the reception ends or at the reception end time. The entertainment is making announcements regarding the shuttle/buses being outside your venue essentially chasing your guests off the dance floor and out of your venue, which is the last thing you would want to do after all the time and money invested into your party.
