The 3 types of people at your wedding... & when they will probably leave.

When we sit down with couples for their planning meeting, 
we almost always go over the 3 types of the people at their event.
We do this to help them understand how important it is that
their timeline moves smoothly. We have had clients that really wanted
to mix things up & put cake cutting an hour after open dancing, or
something like that. In the end we will do what our clients want,
but there's a reason almost every timeline we create is similar in order.


Older relatives
(who are already past their bedtime once the toasts start)
Grandma has already committed to a long day, you've got a
ceremony starting mid-afternoon or later, then a 4-5 hr reception.
As much as she's having a great time, she's going to be tired & trying
to power through to see your first dance, your dance with her son. She
will probably be the first one to say goodbye once open dancing starts.

Friends & Family with young kids
(babysitter's are expensive!)
Your friends & family who have started a family recently have
already made some big sacrifices to celebrate with you. They
will most likely spend some time on the dance floor,
and then once they get a slow dance or two in with their lover,
they'll start to say their goodbyes. You might talk them in to staying
a little longer, but they've always got their kids in the back of their minds,
even if they're in the best of hands. Truth is they really just love the little
boogers & want to get back to them, after they party a little with you.

Bridal party/singles/out of towners
(they are ready to P-A-R-T-WHY? Because they gotta)
This last group is not for the faint of heart,
they've been planning to party with you for months,
some have even booked a room even though they're only
 10 minutes from home. These people will most likely be
there till the very end & then go out to a bar with you afterwards.
It's not that this group loves you anymore than the other types of
people attending your wedding, they've just been training for your
big day & want to finish strong, ha ha!

There you have it, the 3 types of people at your wedding &
when they will probably leave. Hopefully this will help you
when considering the flow of your evening, how & where to
place certain events, as to respect all of your attendees time.

Thanks for reading!

-JK