How To Make Your Wedding Guests Happy - Cocktail Hour



Veggie and Cheese Display at Cocktail Hour

 Next in our continuing series on what will make your wedding guests happy we are going to talk about the cocktail hour or pre reception hour. We’ve talked before about whether or not you need to have a cocktail hour. You can find that discussion here. I am firmly in the camp that you do need to have one. That being said there are a couple of things you as the bride can do to make sure that your guests enjoy your cocktail hour.

First make sure that your cocktail hour never runs longer than one hour and should in fact be no longer than 30 to 45 minutes. I can hear you asking, “Well I need that time to get pictures after the wedding. I want my photographer to get great pictures.” Yes, you do need some time after the wedding and 30 to 45 minutes is plenty. I have worked with lots of great photographers and they have all finished in that amount of time, unless the bride and groom have decided that they want pictures of every living relative that is attending the wedding. After the wedding is not the time for these pictures. Also, I understand that you want romantic location pictures of you and the groom. But after the wedding is not the time to do these. These pictures need to be done either before the wedding (yes, you can see each other without the wedding gods casting evil upon you) or have an aftershoot the next day before leaving on your honeymoon or when you return . Do not make your guests wait forever on you to get to the reception. Is all you want your guest to remember of your wedding that they had to wait FOREVER for you to show up? I don’t think so.

Next be sure you have food at the cocktail hour. At the least, you should have a cheese and veggie tray. Hot hors d’oeuvres are even better. In the south we don’t over do our cocktail hours, in the north cocktail hours are much more elaborate. Also, you want to offer something to drink, whether it a bar, lemonade or water with fruit garnishes make sure the guests can get something to drink. Don’t just offer fruit punch, so many people do not like fruit punch. Have at least two different choices.

Yesterday, we talked about the need for chairs for each guest at the reception. During the cocktail hour it is not chairs that you need, it is tables, preferably tall cocktail tables. Guests need a place to put their plates and drinks. You don’t have to offer enough for every person to have a spot since people do mingle and walk around at the cocktail hour, but you do need at least a few tables. A couple of chairs or sofas are always good for the older guests to rest on.

The cocktail or pre reception time is the lead in to your reception.  It needs the same amount of loving attention to detail as your beautiful reception.  Don't let it fall short.