Timeline

There’s no proper timeline. You can’t do things however you want. Some couples go straight into the first dance after they enter, that’s what we’ll be doing. Then dinner and parent dances after. Some people do dinner first then all of the dances. Cake cutting typically comes after dinner, speeches, and dances.

We did
grand entrance
first dance
My dads speech
food
Speeches by bridal party
spot light dances
open dance floor (although our guests started dancing as soon as they were done eating!)
cake cutting was done about and hr and half before the planned end time. Which was about 2 hrs after dinner started.
We didn’t do a send off and we left almost 4 hrs after the grand entrance. Many of our guests wegone by that time.

We ate before dances but there’s no right or wrong.

We will do our first dance right after the grand entrance then into food and toasts. Cake will be later in the evening, closer to 8:30

Heres our timeline:

Ceremony: 5pm
Cocktail hour: 6-7pm
Entrance/introductions: 7pm
Cake cutting/Toasts: right after entrance while soup/salad is being served
Dinner: 7 to 8pm
Dances: right after dinner then open the dance floor
Late night snack: served around 9pm or so.
End of reception: 11pm

We are doing a first look and getting wedding party photos done before the ceremony. Family photos (only have a few) will be right after the ceremony, and we will join cocktail hour to.mingle before the introductions.

Don't stress about a "proper" order - as long as you host your guests well, it doesn't matter

I agree with PPs that there’s no proper order but I will say that it’s typically best to try not and schedule too many things before guests eat dinner! We’re doing our speeches while people eat and our special dances after dinner because I’ve been to many weddings where I was so hungry sitting through all the dances that they scheduled before dinner that I couldn’t even pay attention to them!
If it matters or helps, we’re doing grand entrance first, then a short blessing of the food, dinner, MOH and BM speeches near the end of dinner, first dance and parent dances, dance floor opens, and then our ice cream service will start about 45 mins to an hour after the dance floor is open.

There is no certain timeline its what you want it to be. We did first dance eat parent dances cake cutting shoe gane and send off.

We are doing first dance when we are introduced to the reception. Then we will do speeches while buffet dinner is being set up. Just as dinner is winding down we'll do our parent dances then open up the floor. We're having cupcakes made by my sister instead of cake and, since it's an outdoor reception in the summer, we're going to try to put the cupcakes out later on so the frosting doesn't melt. We'll do cake cutting shortly after they are out.

Like PP said though, you can schedule it any way you like. I will say though that people see cake cutting as a sign that it's ok to leave so if you hope to have people stay for a bit I wouldn't do it too early but not so late that people leave without having any because they are tired of waiting.

Our wedding was a lunch wedding with no dance so I can't help you directly but we did just attend a wedding Saturday night and this is how it flowed, and it was great!

Guests arrived, there were some snacks out (peanuts, trail mix, kisses, etc) Bar was available!

Grand entrance, Bride and Groom and small wedding party sat at their own table.

Bridal party were fed family style, tables were excused by staff to buffet stations.

Bride and Groom (after eating) went to cut cake but it was over in a corner and no watched (It was kindly suggested people keep eating while cake was cut. Fine with me!)

Toasts were given, maid of honor's was a 10 minute speech and it was too long, fyi.

First dances were done (Bride/Groom, Bride/Dad, Groom/Mom) then the floor was opened for everyone!

My only tweak would be have shortened songs for the dances. All three songs were like 4, 4 and a half minutes long, I was booking a hotel on my phone during them, lol.

I agree with poster upthread to not schedule too much before people eat. The wedding was outside in 90 degree heat (thank goodness I had a big umbrella!) then a receiving line (again, for 80 or so guests in the heat, no shade!) so by the time we got to reception people were ready to eat. Your wedding may be indoors but I would highly recommend getting people fed and hydrated sooner than later.

Best wishes!

We wanted to do food then first dance so then after the first dance we could open up the dance floor to everyone else, and everyone would’ve already eaten and be ready to dance. That just felt like a more natural flow to us.

Unfortunately the people at our venue screwed that up and just announced our first dance as soon as we walked in even though I was staring the guy straight in the face shaking my head and mouthing “not yet!” But so... we ended up very awkwardly doing our first dance right away, then doing speeches, then eating, then opening up the dance floor to everyone else. It was fine like that too honestly. I still would’ve preferred to have done food first but....... either way is fine lol. It’s just personal preference.

We are doing our entrance then right into the first dance. Then dinner. Speeches half way through dinner. Then cutting cake around 730pm. We are not having any other special dances or garter/bouquet toss

View Quoted Comment Great tips on the timing of the songs and speeches. Did not cross my mind as to how long they would be.
As for the weather part, I am getting married the second of November. It will not be hot but I am worried about the cold. We are offering hot cider and blankets. The average temp that time of year is 55. So I think it should be okay!

View Quoted Comment

Thank you for taking the time to read my response! I mentioned the thing about the speeches as people love you and the groom, obviously, but one childhood story is enough, if needed at all. The Maid of Honor went on and on and ON. Per the length of the songs: Four minutes is LONG time to have people stare at you, lol. At my first wedding we did Bride/Groom then motioned for our attendants to join us during the same song. And I am fine with being the center of attention, lol, but even I was like, uh no thanks on watching us slow dance for four minutes!!!

At my second (and last, lol) wedding, we had my brother, Best Man and my former boss give toasts and Best Man was about 45 seconds, brother was about three minutes and my former boss was about seven minutes but she is the type who you could listen to all day!!! We did toasts as dinner was winding down, fyi.

One unasked for thing, lol: Do NOT pass the mic around! People will get up and either say "I love you guys!" over and over OR people may be a bit tipsy and go on and on and ON. Even with no drinking I have seen people get nervous and just natter on and on!!!

I was told by my DJ, DOC and photographer to get the dancing done before we eat. They said our would pictures would look much nicer if we didnt have plates in the background and people stuffing their faces.

Best wishes

Talk to your DJ and photographers! They all have great insight into the flow of these events!

This is our timeline for now:

As many others said, there's no right way to do your reception. Our ceremony starts at 4:15pm, cocktail hour will start immediately after. With reception starting at 5:45pm. We have decided to have dinner first so people aren't waiting, then start the dances.