Wedding Timings
If you are planning a church wedding the service normally lasts for 45 minutes to an hour.
If the civil ceremony is on site the service will take around 20 minutes.
Having your wedding photographs in the grounds of the church or at Goosedale can take between 30 minutes and an hour, your photographer should advise you of the timings.
An hour should be allowed for reception drinks, followed by 15 to 20 minutes for your receiving line.
The Wedding Breakfast will take around 2 to 2 ½ hours including speeches.
The Receiving Line
The receiving line is both courteous, practical and a superb way to ensure you see and thank everyone. The time for this is between the reception drinks leading into the Wedding Breakfast.
The Top Table
The Top Table seating arrangement facing your guests should normally read from left to right:
| Chief Bridesmaid | Groom's Father | Bride's Mother | Groom | Bride | Bride's Father | Groom's Mother | Best Man |
Speeches & Toasts
The Bride's Father
The first speech is usually given by the bride’s father or an old family friend and ends with the proposal of a toast to the health of the bride and groom.
The Bride and Groom
The groom responds to this toast on behalf of himself and his bride. It is also the groom's duty to make the second speech thanking the bride's parents and bridesmaids. To finish the bridegroom will propose a toast to the bridesmaids, and thank them all. He may also present them with a gift as a token of their appreciation.
Best Man
The best man responds to the toast. It is his duty to read out selected messages of congratulations and make the final speech.