Timeline Suggestions

Hey everyone! I’m looking for some advice on the timeline for my wedding day. Most timelines I see are modeled around more formal, plated dinner receptions so I’m a little stuck.


We’re having the ceremony around 3pm and starting the reception (same location) 2 hours later. Before you worry about the gap being rude, only our immediate family will be invited to the ceremony to keep things less intimidating and more intimate. We live in Utah, and it’s a common practice for most guests to only be invited to the reception (usually for religious reasons but our guests are used to it regardless). Because of this common practice, many wedding guests in Utah typically treat all receptions as an “open house” which is leaving me at a loss timeline-wise. The most important, closest family and friends will stick around all night. We are having buffet style dinner and an open bar. We’d like people to start eating and drinking as soon as they show up. We’ll use the gap time between ceremony and reception for photos and a chance to relax and eat before all of our guests show so we can mingle without starving. Beyond that, these are the following activities we need to “schedule”:First dance, parent dance, toasts, cake cutting and 2 final, traditional Samoan dances. The two Samoan dances have to be the “end” of scheduled activities. At this point most older guests and not super close friends will have left. After that, it’s more open bar/open dance floor. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated!
PS the venue is ours all day and night so no restrictions on timing there.