All times are estimates! Sample party time below: 7:00 -11:00 pm Use this sample timeline when you meet with your DJ and your Caterer to get everyone on the same page.
6:00
Photo session with the photographer – invite immediate family, grandparents, siblings. If there are cousins you want for this session – invite them half-an-hour later – they don’t need to be there the whole time! Make sure you have a list for the photographer to keep it moving quickly.
7:00 – 8:00
PARTY TIME!
Cocktail hour – 45 minutes to an hour
Kids with DJ on dance floor
Adults in separate room/area for cocktail hour (nice time to talk to your friends before all the dancing really begins!)
8:00
Family Introductions (guests form 2 lines as you are ‘officially’ introduced into the party)
Determine songs you want for your intro
8:00 – 8:15
Four or five high energy songs to keep the guests on the dance floor
No welcome speeches yet, no hamotzi, no line dancing, no games, just current high-energy songs to keep adults AND kids on the dance floor while the energy is super high and you have everyone up!
8:15
Welcome, hamotzi
8:15 – 9:10
Adults eat (buffets open or salads on table ready for dinner),
Kids eat for 30 seconds (seriously!), then continue to dance and do games
Take kids group photo
9:10
Montage (do the montage toward the end of dinner while most adults are still sitting)
9:25
Father/daughter or Mother/son dance
9:30
Hora
Set up Dessert
9:45 – 11
Dance party
(If applicable, set up favors around 10:30)
11
Where did the time go???? What a night!
