maybe about 5 hours?

2 to 4 hours is the typical reception, but some may last much longer as when weddings occur it is many times the gathering of family that hasn’t seen one another in quite sometime, so ending the party can take awhile.

4-6, depending on how traditional you’re going. Also, consider how long you’ll be taking photographs with the photographer before you actually get to the reception (everyone else will still be there).

It’s probably different for everyone, depending on the guests. Most times, the ones I’ve been to go on till about midnight or so, with the older people heading out first, and mainly just the younger people left dancing by the end. The meal kind of takes a long time, also depends how many activities you have planned with the DJ. Plus if you’re doing a receiving line with a large guestlist, that will take a while, imagine at least 2-3 mins with each person. So I would guess about 5-6 hours is about average.

I booked mine for 4 hours and it was way too short. By the time we were done with pics and eating and then toasts and stuff there was no time to dance.

Depends on the setting.
Mine was based on the fact that the place where the reception was held allowed us in at 4PM and let us know we’d have to be out by 10PM (Wedding ceremony took place @ the church @ 2PM). Appetizers started at 4. Dinner was around 5PM, I allowed about 20-30 minutes for speeches. Our dances (First dance, Father daughter were based on the length of the songs). What was supposed to happen and what actually happened for the timing after that were totally different. Remember to be flexible because not everything goes as planned. Long story short most of the older people left about 7 or 8 PM after the bouquet toss, the garter toss, and the cake cutting. Our younger friends stayed and danced until we closed the place down at 10PM.
I would say to get all the traditional stuff done (The special dances, the garter toss, bouquet toss, cake cutting, speeches), the meal, and some regular dancing allow at least 4 hours, but to have a good time allow 6.

A dessert reception usually lasts 2-3 hrs max. Most reception venues give you a max time allowance of 4 hrs including the cocktail hour, and that is the time they give you for dinner and dancing.

However most brides (and guests) say they wish the reception lasted much longer. So really, you can have it last as long as you want. There are venues out there that will allow you 12-24 hrs at the venue.

between 4 - 5 hours.

Personally here is mine:
Ceremony- 10:00-1:00
1st reception- 4:00-7:00
2nd reception- 9:00—I don’t know when it will end, but it’ll be after midnight!
It’s because the 1st reception will be very formal and eleborate, just for family and my inlaws and my parents high society friends whom we must impress.
The second reception is for PARTYING! My friends, fiance and some cousins are gonna come and we will rent a club and just party!

And, BTW: The usual wedding reception is 4 hours give or take.

I don’t know because I never been to one

4-5 average. ask your caterer how long it’ll take them to serve the whole meal, from the appetizer, soup and salad through to the cake and coffee.

This seems to depend on local traditions, and what you actually want.
Where I’m from -
5 p.m. - Cocktails
6 p.m. - Dinner, followed by program
about 7:30 - cake cutting, if you are doing that
about 8 - dancing starts
about 10:30 - bouquet/garter toss, followed by late lunch
- dancing resumes til however long you have the venue booked for, the music, or the license for the bar! Most weddings around here go til 12:30 - 1 a.m. Ours did, but we left before midnight.