Should I do a second outfit change for the reception?

A second look is great if you actually want it. Here's when it works vs doesn't.

Works: when the first dress is heavy/structured (ballgown, long train, full lace) and the second is something you'll genuinely move in — a slip dress, a jumpsuit, a midi. The contrast reads visually and the change is functional.

Doesn't: when both dresses are similar formality. Then it just reads as "she changed for no reason" in the photos. Or when the change happens too late — after the dance floor is open, no one sees the new outfit and you wasted 20 minutes alone in a bathroom.

Best timing: bustle the first dress for dinner. Change into outfit two during a planned moment between dinner and dance — usually right after toasts, before the first dance. Re-entrance to your own first dance in the new look is a strong moment.

Practical: put outfit two on a hanger somewhere accessible. Have your maid of honor bring it. Five-minute change in a bathroom. If you're trying to do a 30-minute hair-and-makeup change between, you will miss your own dance floor.

The move: yes if your first dress is hard to dance in. Don't do it just for the photo op.