Immediately after your Ceremony, you two will walk up the aisle as newlyweds and retreat. All of your guests will need to relocate and pieces of your wedding will have to move. All of this moving, of yourselves, your guests and your wedding pieces is what we call Project Block 6 and the Couple’s Transition.
This is a fairly simple Project that is done quickly and is really more of a “behind the scenes” Project. I place it as Project 6 because it definitely becomes between the ceremony and the reception. You need the information to build the timeline transition as well as stock your tackle boxes to last all night.
How to Coordinate a Couple’s Transition
For the completion of it, there are really only 2 things: a decision and a list.
Immediately after the ceremony you and your new spouse are going to go somewhere{which we’ve already discussed in Project Block 4… } You have several options and each has their own benefit. This information will build in the transition for your timeline.
As you walk back up the aisle as Newlyweds, I like to send you somewhere to retreat and be alone with each other if even just for a few moments. Sometimes you will have never seen each other before the wedding and this is your first moment to be alone together, also as, hello, MARRIED! You may just want to take it all in before you have to entertain all of your guests. It is also quite common that the couple separates as they get into their reception as guests and conversations pull them apart.
Here is where you can go:
The Dressing Room: You both can walk back to the room that the bride got ready in. You two go into this room and the wedding party leads the guests to the reception without you.
Newlywed Pictures: You both go directly to a predetermined location with your photographer and we all watch you trot off into the distance while the wedding party leads guests to the reception.
Receiving Line: Immediately after you walk up the aisle you turn around and ‘receive’ each guest as they walk by you into the reception. You thank them for coming and hear their congratulations. Doing this early prevents long conversations at the reception and table tours. After receiving everyone {the line helps pressure people to be quick and not talk about your last 10 years of life} you then trot off to either photography or your own cocktail hour.
Cocktail Hour: You just go straight to your reception, no private moment, jump in the buffet line, grab a signature drink and talk to everyone and anyone who approaches you.
Decision time!
There are your 4 options above for where you go after you walk up the aisle. Now let’s build some structure. Eventually, you have to get back to your reception. You have to get from the Retreat into the party. So let’s discuss how the flow of that works and where all the moving parts come in. Below I’m going to list out a few “Transition Scenarios” that I need you to pick one from for your timeline. Or we’ll make you an entirely custom one. There are LOTS of different choices, these are merely a few common ones that work well. But maybe they aren’t just right yet 😉
Transition A
Couple Retreats to Bridal Suite- Signs marriage License
Couple is introduced into cocktail hour by DJ
Open Buffet Line
Reception Begins
Transition B
Couple Retreats to Bridal Suite- Signs marriage License
Couple sneaks off to take Newlywed Pictures
Guests begin dinner
Couple Introduced into reception {you may miss cocktail hour}
Couple has plated dinner waiting for them
Reception continues
Transition C
Couple goes directly to take Newlywed Pictures
Cocktail Hour/Guests begin dinner
Couple Introduced into reception {you may miss cocktail hour}
Couple opens buffet line or has plated dinner waiting for them {based on time}
Reception continues
Coordinator gets Marriage License Signatures {no pictures of it}
Transition D
Couple Forms a receiving line into Cocktail Hour
Couple goes off with photographer during cocktail hour
Guests begin dinner
Couple returns with no announcement to their plated dinners
Transition E
Couple retreats to bridal suite- signs marriage license
Couple returns quickly and goes straight to the bar
Social/Cocktail Hour/Lawn games {talk to guests as approached}
DJ announces dinner & Couple goes first
The Additional Worksheet
In your Project Block Workbook, there is a special Worksheet {in addition to the standard PB Worksheet} that helps you write this transition out in timeline form. This worksheet is located in the back pages of the Wedding Planning Guide Section. Be sure to fill that out too while you’re working on this Project.
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Immediately after your Ceremony, you two will walk up the aisle as newlyweds and retreat. All of your guests will need to relocate and pieces of your wedding will have to move. All of this moving, of yourselves, your guests and your wedding pieces is what we call Project Block 6 and the Couple’s Transition.
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The Project Block System | The GEG Trademark
