When to change into reception dress

You could change into your reception dress immediately after the ceremony! Are you planning on taking any pictures after the ceremony? If so, consider which dress you'd like to wear for those, and change either before or after. Also consider which dress you'd like to wear for your first dance/cake cutting/grand entrance/etc., as another option could be wearing your ceremony dress until the reception formalities are over, and then wearing your reception dress for the rest. It's totally personal preference!

I am going to do all formal photos with family members and wedding party immediately after the ceremony in my ceremony dress (that way no one would have to wait for me to change, then everyone can go straight to cocktail hour after the photos). Then I will change into my reception dress for some photos with just hubby and I, then we will join our guests for the remainder of cocktail hour.

Are you going to be at cocktail hour with your guests, or will you be somewhere else taking photos? I suggest doing it before your grand entrance!

If it was me (and I also have the same ceremony and reception location) I would wear the ceremony dress for the ceremony, family portraits, our formal couple shots, then change into the reception dress before being announced into the reception.

The other spot that might work is slipping out before the first dance and changing into it then, assuming the second dress works better for this - I am considering these options because my dress is extremely large and heavy, and has long sleeves, so I might want to change into something lighter and more moveable for the first dance if I get really hot and feel like I can't breathe or anything, haha!

My reception is 4 hours long, 7pm-11pm. I'll change into my reception dress at 9pm, halfway through the reception.