Cocktail hour to dinner?

All of that should take no more than 15 minutes.

View Quoted Comment So if cocktail hour ends at 6:35, we could safely say dinner would start at 6:50?

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That sounds good to me!

I'm leaving a half hour between end of cocktail hour and dinner, just to give a few extra minutes for people to find their tables and such. Otherwise, I agree with the previous comment: 15 minutes from the grand entrance until start of dinner.

View Quoted Comment How did people needing time to find their seats not even cross my mind 🤦🏼‍♀️

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Your DJ/MC should make an announcement at the end of cocktail hour when it's time for guests to find their seats so that everyone is seated for the grand entrances.

View Quoted Comment You don't need to worry about this. The DJ or whoever usually makes an announcement 5-10 minutes before the end of cocktail hour so they know to get to their seats, but most people actually locate their seats earlier if they're allowed into the reception space, so they shouldn't spend too much time looking around.

Daughter's cocktail hour and reception were at the same venue, but in different spaces. Cocktail hour ended at 5, with the DJ and venue staff asking guests to move to the reception. The schedule gave guests about 15 minutes to move, get settled at their tables, go to the bar, whatever else they needed to do with background music playing in the reception space. The bridal party was announced at 5:15 and the B&G went immediately into their first dance. Then FOB welcomed everyone on behalf of all four parents. Following that the MOHs then the Best Men gave their toasts (FOB, MOHs, BM each had been told keep it under 3 minutes, so the three "speeches" were under 10 minutes total). The B&G then gave a brief response -- probably 2 minutes -- and the DJ announced that dinner was then being served (plated) as the servers began distributing salads. That was scheduled to begin at 5:45, and I think we stayed pretty much on schedule -- so, 45 minutes from the official end of cocktail hour until plates were on guests tables. It didn't seem like too much time, nor did it feel like we were having to rush. (The reception ended at 10 pm.)

You don't have to leave too much time. just enough to let everyone get seated

Our guests sat down immediately from cocktail hour to a plated salad & bread on the table. Then we did wedding party & bride/groom intros, and our first dance (so all that took about 15 minutes) then we started the buffet for dinner.