When meeting bride and grooms I always ask what song they would like for their first dance and I also check if they have a preference on the timing.
There's no right or wrong answer for what time the first dance should take place. My advice is to consider a couple of things:
1. What time is your wedding photographer booked until?
2. What time are your evening guests arriving?
3. What time is the buffet being served?
There's no point arranging the first dance for 9pm if your photographer will only be staying until 8pm. A lot of photographers will stay until the first dance, so it's best checking what the latest time they would stay.
Equally you don't want to do the first dance too early and for your evening guests to miss it. Ideally you want to allow plenty of time for your evening guests to arrive and settle in before the first dance, which also helps if anyone is delayed.
When the buffet is served you can expect the majority of guests to float off the dance floor and top up energy levels to dance the night away. Having the first dance just before the buffet is served could lead to the party atmosphere being lost quickly.
My final thought for you to consider is whether you want to cut the cake before the first dance. I find that cutting the cake and then moving straight into the first dance can work well; everyone is already in one place and paying attention.
Generally I find that 8pm is a good time for the first dance. However, I always double check that everyone is ready before proceeding as there's nothing worse than someone missing the first dance.
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