Wedding Reception
MODULE 09
Welcome to Wedding Reception
The wedding reception follows the wedding ceremony and is where guests gather for drinks, speeches, food and dancing!
This module walks you through all you need to know when planning your wedding reception.
Speeches
Lets talk about speech order.
Traditionally this is the order in which speeches go:
1. Father of the Bride
Covers the welcome to the wedding, shares memories from childhood, highlights her achievements, offers marital advice, and speaks about the woman she has become — including warm words about her new partner.
2. Groom
Thanks guests for coming and offers a welcome, proposes a toast to absent friends and family, expresses gratitude to both sets of parents and the groomsmen, and shares stories about his partner along with what he loves most about them.
3. Best Man
Delivers light-hearted and humorous stories about the groom, followed by friendly and sincere comments about the couple
Weddings today are wonderfully personal, and speeches are no exception. Whether you stick to tradition or do something entirely different, the best choice is the one that reflects you and your relationship.
What is an MC?
Your MC should be loud, confident, and fun-loving—the kind of person guests naturally gravitate to. Remember, guests respond better to one of their own than to venue staff, bar staff, or any member of the service team.
So when choosing someone to MC or gather guests for photos, pick someone who is likeable, energetic, and bursting with confidence—ideally a guest who knows lots of people in the room and can rally everyone with ease.
You want high energy, clear direction, and someone who isn’t afraid to hype up the crowd. Think: explaining to guests what to do and when to do it, keeping the atmosphere buzzing, and leading moments of celebration—like getting everyone waving napkins in the air as you enter the room as newlyweds!
Once your guests are seated, it’s time for your grand entrance as newlyweds! This is the perfect moment to lift the energy in the room and set the tone for the rest of your celebration. Choose uplifting, high-vibe music that represents you as a couple, and make sure the person doing the announcements is confidently taking on the role of MC.
There are so many fun ways to make your entrance unique and personal. You could create an archway to run through, ask guests to raise a glass or take a shot of your favourite tipple, or simply enjoy the moment with all eyes on you.
A quick practical note: let the male partner lead the way—just this once! If the bride is wearing a dress with a train, this prevents any risk of stepping on it. If you are both wearing dresses, the partner with the longer or fuller train should walk behind.
Here are two example MC announcements:
“Welcome to the wedding of …. Ladies and gentlemen, if you can, please be upstanding for the newlyweds…”
or
“Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding! Wave your napkins, make some noise, and give us your biggest whoops and cheers for the newlyweds!
Table Layouts
It’s time to start planning your table plan. For now let’s start with your top table.
Traditionally, the top table is a long table positioned at the front of the room, facing your guests, who are usually seated on round tables of up to 12 people per table. While many couples now choose a round top table, I’d still recommend placing it in the centre or at the top of the room. To signify that your table is the top table you could choose some different style chair sashes or have a different center piece although I would recommend sticking with the same colours and theme as everyone else’s tables.
The purpose of the top table is to place you at the heart of your reception: to enjoy the smiles of all your loved ones and to be visible to everyone who is there to celebrate you. The guests seated with you are usually VIPs—whether that’s parents, best friends, children or anyone especially important to you both.
Another lovely option is a “sweetheart table,” where just the two of you sit together while your VIP guests are seated nearby.
For Bride/Groom couples, the bride traditionally sits to the groom’s right when facing the room. For same-sex couples, simply choose the arrangement that feels most natural and meaningful to you both.
The traditional order for a top table is:
MOH FOG MOB G B FOB MOG BM
Top Tip…
Personalise your table “numbers”
Chances are you will require table numbers - but, they don’t have to be numbers at all. Make your tables uniquely yours by giving them a meaningful name instead. Think: Countries you’ve visited together, your favourite songs, your pets’ names, photos of you both at different ages, book or film titles or even mountains that you’ve hiked together.
These little touches add personality and help spark conversation umong guets!
Speeches before or after food?
Discover what the pros and cons are for having your food before or after the food is served.
Yes its annoying, we hear you! Here is some information that you need to know as some guests simply won’t attend your wedding. (Even though you gave them 2 years notice).
Guests That Don’t Show
Nope its not idea however sometimes it does just happen. Here are some ideas of making your guest feel welcomed and celebrated on their special day & your wedding day.