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A Sip of Champagne

Planning Your Cocktail Hour

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A Sip of Champagne
The Reception

Planning Your Cocktail Hour

Cocktail parties were traditionally a designated hour before dinner, when guests gathered together for drinks and got to know one another better. While cocktail parties are now a staple of modern living, cocktail hours are a huge hit at weddings, and add a wonderful touch to your big day.

There are several advantages of incorporating a cocktail hour into your reception. As mentioned above, they give your guests a chance to loosen up and meet friends and relatives that they haven’t yet been acquainted with, and to catch up with old pals. Should you be having a formal dinner, guests will have time to relax after your ceremony, and before being seated again. Also, hors d’oeuvres satiate people’s appetite before the big meal. Pre-dinner cocktail hours generally last an hour.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of a cocktail hour is that you can have wedding photos taken during this period. As such, there’s no rush to get to the reception, and guests won’t have to wait for an uncomfortable length of time. Should you finish your photos during the cocktail hour, feel free to mingle with the crowd. Since many couples don’t have a superstition about seeing each other before the wedding and often take photos before the ceremony, they can immediately join the cocktail hour.

Your cocktail hour can take place anywhere you prefer, but it’s common to hold it at or near your reception site. Should your reception take place in a home, many couples opt to have cocktails on the patio or lawn area. It’s also not uncommon for reception sites to have an adjoining room set aside for cocktails.

A general rule of thumb for any cocktail party is that drinks will be served, as well as appetizers. You can opt to have a full, open bar or only serve wine. Some couples like to add their own theme, like having a signature drink or something non-alcoholic altogether, like a coffee station.

Entertainment is also popular, but not required. You can hire a quartet or a soloist. If your band can’t provide the additional music, you’ll need to hire the musicians separately, adding to your reception budget. Your catering company generally includes cocktail parties as part of the package, including bartenders.

To save money, take the advice of David Brian Sanders, L.A.-based chef and designer. “Have several hors d’oeuvres stations instead of passing them around. Also, have alcohol only served at the bar and skip the passed champagne.”

List the cocktail hour on the wedding invitation, informing guests that “cocktail hour” will immediately follow the ceremony, and before the reception. If the cocktail hour is in the same spot at the reception, say “cocktail hour and reception” to follow. Should the location vary, inform guests of the address or adjoining space. When you send out maps that detail ceremony locales, add the information about the whereabouts of the cocktail hour. Then pull up a chair, take a sip, and feel the love.

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