Planning Your Order of the Day at Waresley Park
There is lots to think about when planning your order of the day, and whilst we wouldn’t recommend a minute by minute account, it is important to have a timeline for the day which includes all the key moments. This will help to ensure that the day runs to time and nothing is forgotten!
We know that no wedding is the same, and that’s why we offer a completely flexible approach to your celebrations. Our team of dedicated planners are always on-hand to share their expertise and help coordinate your day to ensure it supersedes any expectations.
If you choose to get married with us at Waresley Park our team will be on hand to guide you throughout the planning process and work with you to create a running order for your day. They will also be there on the day and during the set up to coordinate everything, helping to alleviate the stress.
But what goes into planning your order of the day?
The team from Hall & Co. Event Design will be on hand to help plan and coordinate your day. Image by Becky Harley Photography.
Where to Start
We normal start by running through all of the key moments in your day, these could include arrival time of key suppliers, the drinks reception, and the evening guest arrival. Once we know this, we can start to assign times to things which are set in stone. For example, your ceremony time and the time which the venue asks music to finish by.
Getting Ready
A typical wedding day will start with getting ready in our beautiful and newly refurbished bridal prep suite. You and your bridal party can enjoy a glass of champagne whilst getting your hair and makeup done, all in anticipation of the big day.
Get ready with your bridal party in our extensive bridal prep suite. Image by Jon Mold.
The Ceremony
Typically, most wedding celebrations will start with your wedding ceremony, and this will help to shape and initiate the timeline of the rest of your day.
At Waresley Park there are countless outdoor locations to hold celebrant-led, humanist ceremonies, including under the 100-year-old oak tree, or beside the lake. Locally there are also options for religious ceremonies of all denominations, including the picturesque St James the Great church, situated in the nearby village of Waresley.
The Drinks Reception
Your ceremony is normally followed by the drinks reception, and these are typically filled with drinks, canapes and are the perfect opportunity for guests to mingle. After saying the all-important “I do’s”, you and your guests can enjoy a glass of champagne or perhaps a cocktail or two, on one of the perfectly manicured lawns, or within the walled garden.
Enjoy your drinks reception on our lawn by the lake. Image by Jon Mold
The Wedding Breakfast
Following the drinks reception, your guests will be called into your structure, for the wedding breakfast. We normally allow 10-15 minutes for guests to be called in and take their seats, and 10-15 minutes for the couple to be announced in. The length of your wedding breakfast will depend on your guest numbers and how many courses you are having.
The Evening Bar
Once the wedding breakfast is over it’s time to think about drinks and your evening bar! We are proud to be a corkage free venue, and so you able to enjoy your own drinks, served by our recommended caterers. We don’t have an onsite bar, however, we can arrange for a third-party provider for you if you would like guests to pay for their evening drinks. You will need to decide which drinks you would like to serve and at what points during the day.
Image of a bar in a marquee by Jon Mold
The Wedding Cake
Most couples will also choose to have a wedding cake and so you will need to choose a time for this to be cut. If you are serving the wedding cake as dessert this will need to be done before the wedding breakfast, but if you are waiting to serve this in the evening then you can do this later and it can be a nice way to begin the evening celebrations.
Your First Dance
Another thing to consider is a time for your first dance! This is the first dance of the night and typically starts the party. We would always suggest trying to choose a time which isn’t too early so the party doesn’t peter out, or too late so that it doesn’t have time to get started!
Image by Jon Mold
Evening Guest Arrival
When planning your order of the day, you will also need to decide a time for any additional evening guests to arrive.
You Suppliers
When working out timings for the day don’t forget your suppliers, you will need to confirm with them their arrival and end times, you will also need to factor in their set-up times and if the hire period allows you enough time to set everything up.
The End of the Night
Finally, you will need to set a time for the celebrations to end. We ask that the celebrations finish by midnight, with loud music stopping slightly prior to this.
Remember to let your guests know so they can arrange taxis home beforehand.
Image by Jon Mold
Our in-house coordinators, Hall & Co. Event Design, will be on hand throughout your planning process and present on the day to ensure everything runs smoothly. If you you’d like to know more about weddings at Waresley Park, please do get in touch.