Is a five-hour reception enough time?

That's plenty of time! That's basically my timeline

My reception is 5 hours once cocktail hour is over. It goes from 3-8pm

Mine is from 7-11, it's most definitely enough!

ETA: forgot to add ceremony is at 6, then reception at 7! It's a small wedding, I'm not even sure if everyone will stay that long since its a 40 person wedding!

5hrs is enough.

That is PLENTY of time. I advise going until 11

My reception was 4 hours and that was plenty of time. People were done by then.

More than enough.

A five hour reception is more than fine. Make it longer than that and you'll be the last two people in the venue.

1/2 hour for ceremony prelude music. Our parents greeted our guests, as they arrived. We were taking photos elsewhere, in the hotel/venue.

1/2 hour for the ceremony - from the beginning of the processional through the end of the recessional

1 hour for cocktails, passed hors d'oeuvres, stations, cold buffet.

Servers had glasses of red and white wine on trays, for guests as they entered the cocktail hour room, which really cut-down on lines at the bar. The venue provided 4 bartenders and we paid for an additional 2, to avoid congestion.

4.5 hours for the reception - 4 plated courses, with at least 15 minutes of open dancing between courses, which is the norm in our social circle. After the dessert course, coffee/tea and macaroons were served and a dessert buffet was set-up, in the cocktail hour room.

We had added a half hour to the average 4 hour reception - the hotel's fee was only $250. They had a maximum of 5 hours of open bar (I believe it was state law?), so there was no alcohol during the last half hour. We hosted 225 guests and had a 12 piece band. I'd estimate that 125 guests were still on the dance floor, for the final song.

Over 100 of our guests stayed over at the hotel, with their heavily discounted room rates (few were from out of town). We hosted an after-party, in our suite as did my in-laws, for their friends.