Wedding ceremony music order: prelude to recessionalComing soonThis guide walks the ceremony in order, from the prelude through the processional to the recessional, and what each moment asks of the music.
Timeline guide
Wedding reception timeline, hour by hour.
The short answerAt Elevate, the wedding reception timeline runs cocktail hour, the grand entrance, dinner and toasts, the first dances, then open dancing to the send-off. Your DJ is also your MC and runs that order on the mic, across the five hours with your DJ that every booking includes. 4,000+ events, 20+ Elevate-Certified™ DJs, 18 awards, 9.7 NPS and 4.9★ across 1,058 verified reviews, as of August 4, 2026.
4.9(379)
4.9(218)
5.0(305)
5.0(156)
Photo: Olive and Oak, 2026, Seth T Photography · Molly and Drew at Olive and Oak
The timeline
What happens at a wedding reception, hour by hour?
A wedding reception at Elevate happens in this order: cocktail hour, the grand entrance and the welcome, dinner, the toasts, the first dance and the parent dances, then open dancing, with the cake and the bouquet toss inside it, and last call, the last dance and the send-off. Your DJ arrives two hours before the event to set up. When we run your ceremony too, it has its own hour, starting about 30 minutes before you walk so guests arrive to music. Every booking includes five hours with your DJ, which start after the ceremony when there is one. The times below are a sample timeline for a 5:00 pm ceremony, drawn from plans we draft for couples: your DJ arrives about 2:30 pm to set up, two hours before ceremony music starts at 4:30 pm, and your five hours with the DJ run from 5:30 to 10:30 pm. Moments without a time move couple by couple, and your own times are set with you before the night.
What happens before dinner at a wedding reception?
Before dinner, a wedding reception runs cocktail hour, the grand entrance and the welcome. When we run your ceremony too, it comes first.
- · The ceremonyWhat happens: When we run your ceremony too, it has its own hour before the reception: ceremony music starts as guests find their seats, about 30 minutes before you walk. In the sample, that is 4:30 pm, and you walk at 5:00 pm.What your MC does: When you add sound production, your DJ runs the ceremony too: mics on the officiant and on you, and the processional cued to the second. Ceremony musicians are cued by your DJ from the timeline.
- · Cocktail hourWhat happens: A DJ playlist while the room fills, at a level people can talk over.What your MC does: Your DJ checks the timeline with your planner or coordinator and lines up the wedding party for the entrance.
- · Grand entranceWhat happens: The wedding party comes in, then the two of you.What your MC does: Your DJ brings the wedding party in on the mic.
- The welcomeWhat happens: A blessing if you have one, then the welcome to your guests on the mic.
What happens from dinner to the first dance at a wedding reception?
From dinner to the first dance, a wedding reception runs dinner and the toasts, then the first dance and the parent dances.
- · DinnerWhat happens: Dinner is served, or a buffet is released table by table.What your MC does: Your DJ keeps dinner music under the conversation.
- · The toastsWhat happens: The toasts come with dinner, in the order you set for your speakers.What your MC does: Your DJ runs the toasts on the mic as your MC, with dinner music under the talk.
- · First dance and parent dancesWhat happens: Your first dance, then the parent dances, and an anniversary dance if you want one. The parent dances move couple by couple.What your MC does: Your DJ cues them on the mic and mixes them, and goes to find Dad before the father daughter dance, so you are never the one hunting him down.
What happens once the dance floor opens at a wedding reception?
Once the dance floor opens, a wedding reception runs open dancing, with the cake and the bouquet toss inside it, until last call, the last dance and the send-off.
- · Open dancingWhat happens: The floor opens to everyone, with a big group photo if you want one.What your MC does: Your DJ reads the room and keeps it full. Guests send requests from their phones through JukeJuke™, free of charge and included in all of our bookings, and your DJ decides what plays and when.
- Cake cutting and bouquet tossWhat happens: Both come once the floor is open, placed couple by couple, and then the dancing picks back up.What your MC does: For the cake, your MC calls everyone in close, says a few warm words about the two of you, and gives everyone a moment to get their cameras up before the first slice. For the bouquet, your MC gathers everyone who wants in, builds the moment with the music, and lets the toss land as the room cheers.
- Last call, last dance and send-offWhat happens: Last call, then the last song at 10:30 pm in the sample, a private last dance if you want one, then your send-off.What your MC does: Your DJ closes the night on the mic.
What is included
What does the Elevate MC do at each moment of the reception, and what comes with every booking?
The Elevate MC guides and coordinates every moment of the timeline, from cocktail hour to the send-off, because your Wedding DJ is also your Wedding MC: one Elevate-Certified™ person. Six things come with every booking, on every tier.
Six things in every DJ booking
- State-of-the-art, premium-grade equipmentThe same state-of-the-art, premium-grade equipment at every level.
- Dance floor lightingIt comes with the DJ.
- A 150,000-song libraryMust plays and never plays locked in, all loaded before the night.
- A planning meetingWith the DJ who runs the night.
- Performance & Show-Up GuaranteeA matched backup DJ, full system backups and a 100% show-up record.
- The MCYour MC coordinates the night on the microphone, connects all of your vendors, and makes sure the whole night flows effortlessly and seamlessly for your guests. Your MC is your DJ: the same person, not an extra one.
Some couples skip a day-of coordinator. Your Elevate MC often fills that role, running the timeline, cueing your vendors and moving the night along.
Additionally, Elevate Entertainment serves every client, weddings and corporate events alike, with add-ons such as sound production, photo booths, event lighting, live musicians, the DJ-Band Hybrid and special effects. Here’s where each one falls in the night.
46% of our events
Sound production
Your ceremony, before the reception: mics on the officiant and on you, and the processional cued to the second. Extra speakers and mics go wherever the room needs them.
Sycamore Creek Ranch, 2025 · photo Sheri Holloway Photography
30% of our events
Photo booth
Guests use it whenever they are not on the dance floor.
Greenhouse Two Rivers, 2024 · photo Jenna Lynn Photography
Nearly 1 in 5 of our events
Event lighting
Your colors around the room, interactive lighting towers for the hour after the cake when the floor finally fills, or both.
Sycamore Creek Ranch, 2025 · photo Stem Visuals
Ceremony musicians
Live players set your ceremony, and they can play cocktail hour too, added by the hour.
Integrity Hills, 2026 · photo Madison Thompson Photography
Special effects
Cold Sparks usually on the grand entrance, Dancing on a Cloud under the first dance or a private last dance, CO2 cannons on the drop. Your DJ fires each one on its cue.
The Bardot, 2025 · photo Jefferson May Photography
DJ-Band Hybrid
Live musicians play over the DJ’s set. With a soloist, usually a sax, the dinner sets come first.
Greenhouse Two Rivers, 2025 · photo Kyla Taylor Photography
Tap any add-on to see how it works.
On the night
Who keeps a wedding reception on time?
Your Elevate MC keeps a wedding reception on time. The MC, who is your DJ, guides and coordinates the night from the doors to the send-off: directing people, coordinating every vendor who is there and running the order you planned, so the night feels as if Elevate were your wedding coordinator. Our DJs are really good MCs, too: they build energy all night, talk with your guests and bring the warmth.
Your order
Can you change the order of your wedding reception?
Yes, you can change the order of your wedding reception. Every Elevate night is custom-tailored from scratch, because no two couples, no two weddings and no two sets of preferences are the same. Your order, and the time for each part, are set with you before the night, and a planning meeting with the DJ who runs your night comes with every booking.
Plan it with us
How do you plan your reception timeline with Elevate Entertainment?
You plan your reception timeline with Elevate Entertainment in three steps: see your running order and a price range above, design the night in one free conversation, then set your order and the time for each part with us before the night.
Elevate EntertainmentYour timeline, three steps
See your running order
Tap what your night needs in the estimator above. It sorts your running order and shows one rough range for the whole night; your exact price still comes from your quote.
See your price rangeDesign the night in one conversation
Your free Entertainment Design Session: 60 minutes, video or phone, with the team behind 4,000+ events. You bring the vision. You leave with a complete plan.
If you would rather build your night with a person than on a screen alone, or want more guidance on what to choose, you can do it together here.
Book your Entertainment Design SessionPlan the night with your DJ
A planning meeting with the DJ who runs your night comes with every booking. Your order and the time for each part are set with you before the night, and your DJ, as your MC, runs them on the night. Your exact number comes in a real, itemized quote, or build your quote online any time.
Pricing
How much does a full Elevate Entertainment wedding night cost?
Experiences begin at $1,500
Most couples spend between $2,500 and $7,500. Highly produced events can run up to $25,000. Where your night lands depends on how much of it you hand to one team: the DJ and MC alone, or the sound production, the lighting, the live musicians and the booth with them.
$1,500Experiences beginOne experience, done right.
$2,500 to $7,500Most couples spendA DJ who is also your MC, plus live music, lighting, photo booths and effects.
$25,000Highly produced events run up toEvery part of the night from one team.
Build your quote online
Build it online, or get your exact number in your free Entertainment Design Session. Klarna and Affirm financing are available.
In their words
What do couples say about how their reception ran?
Couples say their Elevate DJ kept the order moving on the night, through the speeches, the dances, the buffet and the gaps between them, and some say their DJ walked them through it step by step before the night. Filter the reviews by topic or by DJ, check whether we have played your venue, and read the rest on the reviews page.
Tap a question below.
Or pick a topic
Filter by DJ
Showing all 8 reviews
★★★★★“…My husband and I were pretty clueless as to what went into a wedding the day of, the order of reception events, etc. But Broc sat down with us a few days before the wedding and we went through every single detail of the day, step by step, from start to finish.…”
★★★★★“…The week before the wedding we sat down with Noah and he walked us through the entire timeline for the reception: what time he’d be there to set up, how the reception would flow (with our recommendations to change something if we wanted), the music, first dances, toasts, speeches, etc. He was awesome.…”
★★★★★“…All thru dinner, sending tables to go thru the buffet, talking to everyone who was giving speeches so they'd know when to go up front and keeping the dance floor full, Morgan made sure my husband and I didn't have to worry about a thing!…”
★★★★★“…She made sure that the audience was quiet during dances, that the timeline went smoothly, and also created so much life and joy.”
★★★★★“…He introduces himself to guests during cocktail hour, gets out on the dance floor to keep the energy up, and even gives the wedding party a pep talk before the grand entrance.…”
★★★★★“…From the ceremony to speeches and then to dances, Josh kept the events flowing without skipping a beat!…”
★★★★★“Our DJ Brandon did an amazing job of our wedding! He took all of our song requests and vibes and really brought it to life throughout the night. The ceremony went smoothly, he did a great job coordinating speeches/first dances, and the dance floor was PACKED all night long!! We got so many compliments from our guests on how much fun they had.”
★★★★★“Our DJ was very personable and kept the party going. He helped make transitions from different parts of the wedding flow smoothly and also kept guests entertained during big gaps like all the tables going to get dinner. He was kind and fun and played great music for everyone to get down on the dance floor to. Would definitely recommend this company!!”
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Related guides
What else helps you plan the reception?
Each guide below covers one part of the reception timeline: choosing the DJ who runs it, the music for each moment, the booth your guests use between dances, and what the whole night costs.
How much does a wedding DJ cost?This guide explains what moves the price of a wedding DJ and MC: the hours on site, the tier of DJ you book, the date and the drive, and what a booking covers before a single add-on. Its estimator shows a rough price range for your night.Read the guide →
How to choose a wedding DJThis guide turns choosing a wedding DJ into a method you can run yourself: what to look for, what to ask, and the order to do it in.Read the guide →
DJ vs live band for your wedding: cost, sound and the hybridThis guide sets a DJ and a live band against each other on cost, sound and range, and explains the DJ-Band Hybrid, which brings both.Read the guide →
Photo booth vs 360 booth: which fits your reception?This guide compares the photo booth and the 360 booth on the space each one needs, how guests move through each, and the kind of room each one suits.Read the guide →
How pricing worksThis is Elevate Entertainment’s own pricing page: what a booking includes, what moves the number up or down, and the two ways to get an exact price for your night.Read the guide →
Wedding ceremony music order: prelude to recessionalComing soonThis guide walks the ceremony in order, from the prelude through the processional to the recessional, and what each moment asks of the music.
Grand entrance songs that actually workComing soonThis guide covers what a grand entrance song has to do the moment the doors open, and how to choose one that suits your room and your entrance.
First dance songs that work in a roomComing soonThis guide is a first dance list with what makes a song work in a room rather than in headphones, and how to pick one that suits the dance you are doing.
How to plan your wedding music: must-plays, do-not-plays, and requestsComing soonThis guide explains how to build a must-play list and a do-not-play list that your DJ can work from on the night.Before the night
What do couples ask about the wedding reception timeline?
Couples ask how long an Elevate reception runs, when the toasts and the first dance happen, who runs the order and where the add-ons fit.
How long is a wedding reception with Elevate?
Every Elevate booking includes five hours with your DJ. When we run your ceremony too, it comes with its own hour, starting about 30 minutes before you walk so guests arrive to music, and your five hours start after that. Your DJ arrives two hours before the event to set up.
When do the toasts happen at a wedding reception?
At an Elevate wedding reception, the toasts come with dinner, before the first dance. Your DJ runs them on the mic as your MC, with dinner music under the talk.
When does the first dance happen at a wedding reception?
In Elevate’s running order, the first dance comes after the toasts, the parent dances follow it, and then the dance floor opens to everyone.
Does the wedding DJ also run the reception timeline as the MC?
Yes, your Elevate DJ is also your MC: the same person, not an extra one. Your MC coordinates the night on the microphone, connects all of your vendors, and makes sure the whole night flows effortlessly and seamlessly for your guests.
Can we change the order of our wedding reception?
Yes, every Elevate night is custom-tailored from scratch. Your order, and the time for each part, are set with you before the night.
When do the photo booth and the other add-ons run at a wedding reception?
Guests come to the photo booth through cocktail hour, dinner and the parts of the dance when they are not dancing. Cold Sparks usually go on the grand entrance, the final dip of the first dance or a big drop. Dancing on a Cloud goes under the first dance or a private last dance. Ceremony musicians set the ceremony, and they can play cocktail hour too, added by the hour. The 360 photo booth is one of our photo booth formats, and both rent without a DJ: call (816) 477-4077 or book a design session.
Your Event Made Perfect
How do I talk to a real person about my reception timeline?
You talk to a real person about your reception timeline by booking an Entertainment Design Session in the four quick steps here. One free conversation, 60 minutes, video or phone. You leave with a complete plan and an exact number, without any pressure on the call.
Complimentary · real numbers. A real person will text you within the hour.
Call or text(816) 477-4077
Step 1 of 4
Which event are we designing entertainment for?
One tap, then we check your date.
Pick the one that fits best and we’ll take it from there.
When and where is the celebration?
A rough idea is fine. Peak Saturdays go first.
Your date
Which of our locations is closest to your event?
Choose your closest market, and either a date or the no-date box.
Help us tailor your session.
Honest answers get you a sharper plan. There are no wrong ones.
Where are you in planning?
Which venue?
Optional. It helps your designer prepare for that room.
By when do you want to have found your best fit?
What do you feel is non-negotiable, if you had to pick one?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
Tell us about the event.
Enough to bring the right ideas, nothing more.
What kind of event?
About how many guests?
Where is it being held?
Optional. The city is enough if the venue is not set.
When do you need this decided?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
Tell us about the celebration.
Enough to bring the right ideas, nothing more.
What’s the occasion?
Where is it being held?
Optional. The city is enough if the venue is not set.
When do you need this decided?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
Last step. Your details, so we can check your date.
Your designer reviews your answers before the session, so the conversation starts at your event, not at a blank page.
We need your name, a working email and phone, and the consent box checked.