Timeline Advice/how to Transition from Ceremony to Reception When Everything is in One Room?

Generally speaking cocktail hour isn't just to entertain your guests when you are taking photos. It is exactly to cover that awkward patch, and also give people a chance to mill around and congratulation you and your new spouse. Since it's not possible for everyone to do that at once, having drinks served gives the others something to do.

Could you just have waiters come out with sparkling wine while you go around and say hello to people properly? It doesn't have to be a full-on cocktail hour, as such.

Hi Gina! When you say "the furniture won't be moved in between, so everything will stay in the same spot" - do you mean that your guests will be seated at their reception tables for the ceremony? Or are both the ceremony and reception set up in different parts of the same room??

Oh that's perfect then!! I'd probably allot 20 minutes or so after the ceremony for guests to mingle super quickly, run to the restrooms, and grab a drink - but then you should be able to go straight into your reception! Or if you want to eliminate any in-between time, you could go right from being announced as husband and wife into your first dance!

To figure out your ceremony start time, I'd work backwards from the end of your reception! Start with what time the venue needs you out, then subtract the length of the reception and work backwards for your ceremony time!