The sequence, and what each part needs
Night before
Rehearsal dinner
Both families, the wedding party, toasts, a smaller venue.
Day of
Ceremony
Officiant or church booking, order of service, processional music, rings.
Day of
Cocktail hour
This is when portraits happen. Bar service and a plan for guests without the couple.
Evening
Reception
Entrances, dinner, speeches, first dances, an open floor.
Late
Send-off
Last dance, the exit moment, and transport that is actually booked.
VENDORS THIS WEDDING BOOKS
TYPICAL BUDGET
$20k to $40k
For around 100 guests on a single day, the range US couples most commonly land in, with venue and catering taking roughly half.
Plan this wedding in AyeDu
Understand
The events, in order
- Rehearsal dinner
- Ceremony
- Cocktail hour
- Reception
- Send-off
Plan
Turn the rituals into a plan
Each event gets its own guest list, timeline and budget line.
Find
Vendors for Christian & Western weddings
Filtered by the traditions each vendor has worked, not just their category.
Common questions
Western weddings, answered
A Christian or Western wedding typically runs rehearsal dinner, ceremony, cocktail hour, reception and send-off across two days. The ceremony carries the fixed requirements (officiant, order of service, rings), while the reception is the largest cost, with venue and catering taking roughly half of a typical budget.
How long is a Western wedding ceremony?
A civil or non-denominational ceremony usually runs 20 to 30 minutes; a full religious service can run an hour or more. The day is longer than the ceremony: portraits during cocktail hour, a receiving moment, and a reception that commonly runs four to five hours from entrances to send-off.
What is the usual order of a wedding reception?
Entrances, dinner, toasts, first dances, then the open floor, with the send-off last. Toasts land better between courses than after dinner, because guests are still seated. Give the band or DJ the full order in writing. The reception is the part of the day most likely to drift.
Who traditionally pays for the wedding?
Tradition put most of the cost on the bride’s family, but in the US the split is now commonly negotiated between the couple and both families before anything is booked. Agree it early, because whoever signs a vendor contract is the one legally on the hook for it.