Many wedding venues have strict rules about reception timing, 
and you can end up paying hefty fees if the party goes on longer than your contract allows. Here are ten tips to help you get your guests dancing out of the door on time without killing the mood.
- Leaving at the same time as your guests can be the best way to make sure they vacate your venue on time. Make a big deal of your guests fetching their coats and coming outside to wave you off, and save your bouquet toss until this moment so they have something to watch. Make it clear that is the end of the party.
- If you plan to make an exit before the end of the reception, make sure the members of your bridal party know what time the party has to end and that they have a game plan for helping other guests make their exit.
- Choose a rousing ‘last song’ to finish off the evening on a high note, and make sure your band or DJ announces that it will be the end of their set. The song should be played at least fifteen minutes before you need to leave the building.
- If you are having low lighting for the evening reception, try to make sure the lights come up gradually during the final fifteen minutes of the evening. Nothing kills the party like a sudden burst of bright lights, but guests will need to be able to see well when they are collecting up all of their belongings.
- Make sure your guests have easy access to their coats; the venue’s cloak room attendant may be able to bring them into the reception room for you to encourage people to get wrapped up, or you could get bridesmaids and ushers to collect guests’ coats for them.
- Arrange for a local taxi company to have cars waiting outside at the time you plan to finish the reception. Alternatively, arranging a shuttle bus to local accommodation or a point close to the area the majority of your guest live, can be the perfect way to get them away on time.
- Plan an after party somewhere, even if it’s just the bar of the hotel where some of your guests are staying, or the garden of a friend’s house. Having another venue to head for if they want to carry on the fun will stop enthusiastic guests from trying to persuade the DJ to keep going.
- Designate members of your wedding party to check the venue, including the bathrooms, to make sure there are no stray guests or possessions left behind. You would be amazed how many tipsy wedding guests sneak off into a corner for a quick nap.
- If you want to take flower arrangements or other decorations with you, ask someone to be responsible for collecting these up on the night. Some venues may save them for you for a couple of days but others will simply throw them out.
- Ask someone to take photos of the reception rooms before you leave, and especially any items belonging to the venue that have been broken or soiled during the reception. This will help to keep things fair if the venue tries to make additional charges for damage.