Need help with timeline

Rainbow17

Can someone give me some feedback to my timeline, this is what I plan on giving photographers.  We won't be having a ceremony, so thats why its left out.  Does the rest of it make sense, and is enough time given for each event?

3:00 check into hotel
3:30 hair4:30 makeup5:30 photo shoot with family
6:30 cocktail hour (photog will take pics of the details)
7:30 entrances/1st dance8:15 buffet dinner9:15 dancers10:00 cake cutting11:15 last dance

I'm planning to have 250 people and will be hosting a buffet style dinner. Is one hour enough time?  Also, I plan on hiring belly daners for a half an hour show.  Did I include enough time for everything? 

Another thing, how long do entrances and first dances take?  I went to a wedding recently where they made an announcment to get inside the ballroom afte cocktail hour, but by the time everyone got seated and the bride and groom made their first entrances, it took 45 minutes!  Is that normal?  If so, I didn't give enough time for that at all.

Jeni10csc

For a wedding of 250, yes it's normal. Think about getting everyone to stop talking, move into the ballroom/reception area, find their seats, stop talking again, etc. I would actually give more time to that period- but that's just me.

Also, I would give a longer time for checking into the hotel before you start your hair. I always rather overestimate than underestimate.

On my wedding day, we started getting ready a whole hour earlier than expected, and I was running so behind that I didn't get to do my first encounter - which both my husband and I ended up being thankful for, but still it was planned and we didn't achieve it. lolol

Another thing to think about: We did our cake cutting right after our dances and even before dinner. Just for the pictures. That way, while we were saying hi to everyone and/or dancing, we didn't need to stop to cut the cake. just some food for thought.