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I was gonna be a smartie and say, 24 hours - duh! 
Wake up - 6:00
Decorate Reception Site/Chapel - 8-10:30
Make-up/Hair/Lunch - 11:30 - 2
Get Dressed 3:00
Pictures - 5:00 - 7:00
Ceremony Dum Dum De Dum - 7:30
Cheese/Fruit/Cocktails (for guests) - 8-9 and more pictures with family
Cocktails/Hors Devours/Dancing - 9-11 or 12
People will definitely not leave your wedding early! Some of the older folks or people with children might bail out before the end, but they would do that no matter what the timeline was like! It sounds fine to me. Your ceremony might run a little long and people might not trickle into the cocktail hour until about 4 anyway. My timeline is similar: ceremony from 2-3, cocktail hour 4-5, reception 5-9. In my experience, however, everyone is hoping the DJ will stay a bit longer when the end of the night rolls around, so you'll be fine!
I went to a wedding where the ceremony was from 2-2:30, then the cocktail hour started at 4 (45 minute drive between the two) and I believe the band played until midnight. I noticed that a lot of people skipped the ceremony. Also, we left at a little before 10, and quite a few of the guests had left before us. I did feel like the party got to be too long, but it could also be in part because they had about 10 toasts and dancers performing for several songs. Assuming that people come part way into the cocktail hour, I think you'll still have a fair number of people stay until the end of the party.
emily, your timeline is just fine. not long at all! and yes, the older folks or people with babies tend to leave early, leaving all the party people, which works out fine. =)
my timeline:
3-4pm ceremony
one hour break (reception is only 2 blocks away from ceremony so i'm not sure what the guests are going to do, but i listed some options in our programs)
5:30-6:30pm cocktail hour
6:30-11pm dinner reception
That doesn't seem long at all compared to mine! My timeline stretches out the entire day!
10am Tea ceremony
12:30 photo shoot (at diff location)
4pm Tea ceremony #2 at reception site (for grooms family)
7-9pm dinner
9pm-onwards dancing, etc
This is a bare bones timeline-I have it broken down further, but that's the gist. Not all of the guests won't be present for the tea ceremonies; most will just show up for the reception.
Ours isn't set in stone yet but it will be something like this:
2 - 4 pm - wedding party & families photo shoot
4:30 - 5 pm - ceremony
5 - 6 pm - cocktail hour (starts right away because it's at the same venue as the ceremony)
6 - 6:15 pm - Guests move to reception room & find their tables
6:15 - Reception starts
7 pm - Dinner is served
8 - 12 pm - Dancing
I don't think yours is too long at all, especially since the party winds down at 10 pm which isn't really that late.
My ceremony is at 3, and the dinner isn't until 6 (with butler passed hors d'oeuvres and wine from 4:30 - 6 on)
and my dance won't end until 11:15 - I've never even thought that people won't be around until the end but most the weddings I've attended have a good selection of people there at the end - maybe about half or so....
I'v ealso arranged a shuttle to take the guests staying in the hotels to and from so we don't have anyone drinking and driving...
I don't think that you have too much to worry about. :-)
Amber
actually, i think that is a typical timeline for an afternoon ceremony. here is our approximate schedule:
10-10:30 ceremony
10:30-11:15 receiving line/ mixer/ snacks in church courtyard
(11- we get picked up by carriage; 11:15-12 photos while guests mingle & walk 2 blocks to reception)
12-1 cocktail hour
1-5 dinner & dancing
5-7:30 break
8pm afterparty at a local bar/restaurant
I know this is a REALLY old thread, but it was linked to the wiki.
Does our timeline make sense:
3:00-4:00 ceremony (30 minute drive to reception)
5:00 cocktail hour
6:00 reception begins, dinner is served
9:00 cake cut
10:00 end alcohol, start last dance
10:15 everyone goes outside for send off
10:30 send off.
My parents want the guests wrapped up and gone by 10 pm. I would like it to go until 11 pm.
We have the dreaded gap... The 4:30-6:30 ceremony time slot was taken at our venue, so we have 2pm-4pm (including set up time).
1030-1230 - hair/makeup appts
15 min drive to relative's house
1245-1:45ish - hang out, get dressed
No later than 2:15 - arrive at ceremony venue
2:30-3:00 - ceremony
3:00-3:30 - formal shots with guests
3:30-5:30 - gap, but guests have offer to go to pub across the street or wander the show garden we're getting married at. We'll take photos with our wedding party.
5:30 cocktail hour begins
6:30 dinner served/toasts
8:30 - hopefully dancing starts!
midnight - music stops
1am - everybody must be out
i don't know the exact timeline yet but something like this...
hair early afternoon
mid afternoon go to hotel suite, hang out with the BMs and get make up done (pictures start at this time too)
ceremony at 6PM
cocktails and appetizers at 7PM
dinner at 8PM
and we have the venue until 1AM, so dancing i guess until everyone leaves??
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Lately I've been hearing a lot of "wow that is a LONG wedding" comments, and now I'm getting paranoid that everyone is going to end up leaving before my wedding is over!
What does your timeline look like?
Here's mine-
ceremony 2:30, 15 min drive to reception site
cocktail hour 3:30-5
dinner served at 5 (band plays dinner-ish music)
dancing starts at 6
ends at 10