Day of timeline- few questions

It's great that you are starting your procession at 5 after. It gives a buffer for people who are late to come in and sit down. However, your procession won't take 15 minutes. I would just start at 4:05 and then list the order of the procession.

For cocktail hour is it in a separate space from the reception. If so I would leave 10+ minutes for guests to wrap up conversation and find their seats before serving dinner.

Are you being introduced into the reception? Are you having a first dance? Those would be good to list on the timeline. Also optional items - speeches, father/daughter, mother/son dance, garter toss, bouquet toss, cake cutting, etc. If you are having these at your wedding they should be included on the timeline so that your DJ and photographer know what needs to be announce and where everyone should be.

I've read on here that a lot of people choose to do their first dance and special dances right after they are announced (grand entrance). I don't think anyone else dances at this time, you just do your special dances, then toasts then dinner. You can also choose to do toasts at the end of dinner while everyone is finishing up.

I've never been to a wedding where the couple does their first dance before dinner, however. It might be a regional thing? All the weddings I've been to the first dance is after dinner. If you chose to do it this way, your DJ would ask everyone to find their seats before he/she introduces you ! Then you immediately take your seat and dinner is served. Then toasts and dances, then open floor dancing.

You could also do your grand entrance, and then mingle a bit before everyone sits down for dinner, like an extension of cocktail hour. So you enter at 5:45, then dinner doesn't start until 6:15. This option would give you a chance to chat with some of your guests before dinner.

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Cocktail hour will be where reception is its an all in one venue. We do plan on doing pretty much everything you listed out and I know it should be on the timeline I'm having trouble figuring out where to put it though. Like the appropriate timing for everything haha like before or after dinner.

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Yeah i am having a very hard time figuring it all out. I like the idea of a grand entrance and having our dances but seems like it would be a weird transition to do all that then eat then open the dance floor? lol does music play during dinner. I am so new to the whole wedding thing. lol Like I said I have been to 3 weddings my entire adult life.

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I would have dinner served while you do dances/toasts so it is mostly quiet (people eating and not talking) and it gives them something else to do while they watch. Cake cutting is usually at the end of all the formalities, it is also a signal for older/elderly guests that it's okay to leave, so probably around 8 after dinner has cleared. If you want you can give people a break between dancing to do bouquet and garter toss, they are usually back to back. It could be tricky because you are forcing people off the dance floor and then asking them all to come back after. I would leave a solid hour-45 minutes at the end for dancing until your reception is over. Are you doing a grand exit? It should also be on the timeline so the DJ can announce it and people will get the cue that the reception is over.

Also, side note, if you are having vendor deliveries and set up (Dj, cake, rentals, catering) at your venue they should be on the timeline before your ceremony. It will be helpful to the vendors if they know they have a specific time to deliver/set up before the ceremony/cocktail/reception starts.

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Usually your grand entrance/introduction leads straight into your first dance, your DJ will know how to do it. Yes, music should play through dinner, low volume, maybe instrumentals, definitely not rap, edm, rock, etc.

I plan to be announced by our dj, cut cake (strange order, but its common in our area) followed be speeches, toasts, and hell, may even ask future father in law to pray. Then dinner.
Then first dances while everyone finishes dinner. Then open the dance floor.
I do plan to have a swing/jazz music type playing before we enter and during dinner.

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This is helpful yeah my vendors are on my timeline just didn't think it would be helpful on this timeline. But thats all in my actual timeline. I was more so trying to figure out order of operation so this is super helpful. I really want to do a grand exit but we are responsible for cleanup and everything so I think we may do one for picture sake but then pop around through another door to start take down and everything. lol

So maybe after photos it would be appropriate to do:

entrance

announcements

prayer

speech

dances

then dinner?

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Yes light music is played from the time guests enter the building until guests leave! It just changes from background music to dancing music

I think your timeline sounds good actually. Just add in any speeches, dances or tosses you'll do

View Quoted Comment We are doing it all in the start. His mom and grandma has health issues so we want them to not feel like they have to stay to see certain things.

Your timeline sounds good to me!

This is our timeline: