Dennis, from Des Moines Best DJ Services is a DJ/MC that truly wants your wedding to be the best experience ever. Since he is one of our Preferred Iowa Vendors, his words of wisdom ring true with our brides.
As a wedding entertainment provider of 24 years, I am frequently asked a lot of questions. One of the most popular questions is "How Long should my wedding reception last?" There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Every party takes on a life of its own. However, I can tell you that the longer a reception lasts, the more likely it will be remembered in a negative way.
In the entertainment industry, there is a saying:
"always leave them wanting more." That means we should end on a high
note. Don't be afraid to end the night while you have guests present. No one
will remember your wedding ceremony, but everyone will remember the wedding reception.
We are creating memories. When the reception drags on and on, the few remaining
guests (along with the bride and groom) are tired, worn out, possibly overly
intoxicated, and just want to leave. By ending on a high note, while your
guests are still present, we are creating memories that people will talk about
in a positive way. It is the difference between your guests leaving and saying
"What a wonderful night! Too bad it had to end. That was the best
reception EVER!" and your guests dragging themselves out saying "What
a long night. I am glad it's over. I just want to go home."
The choice is entirely yours. What memories do you want your
guests to have?
As a wedding entertainment provider of 24 years, I am frequently asked a lot of questions. One of the most popular questions is "How Long should my wedding reception last?" There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Every party takes on a life of its own. However, I can tell you that the longer a reception lasts, the more likely it will be remembered in a negative way.
One of the most common mistakes that I see brides and grooms
make is adopting the attitude of "We paid to have this reception hall for
8 hours. We will stay the whole 8 hours." 8 hours is a long time,
especially when you had to get up early to get your hair done. And your nails.
And take care of all the last minute preparations. And then you still need to
get to the ceremony. Pictures beforehand are very common. And then there is the
ceremony itself. And then more pictures. By the time you are done, you're
already worn out. So now we are off to the reception!
The average wedding reception lasts for 5 hours and 15
minutes, including cocktail hour. As previously stated, every party takes on a
life of its own. I have DJ'd receptions that were as short as 3 hours and
receptions that went as long as 8 hours. So how long is long enough?
