You’ve walked down the aisle, said your vows and sealed your love with a kiss. So.. now what? It just might be time for cocktail hour! What even is a cocktail hour and do you have to have one? Check out our take below!
A cocktail hour is defined as “the period of time between the ceremony and dinner. It is the beginning of the reception portion of the wedding.”
Brides.com
Tip: The cocktail hour is the perfect time to display your signature cocktail featuring whatever adorable signage you have had made up!
During your cocktail hour, you normally serve some light bites, finger foods, alcohol and cocktails (of course) and let guests mingle and transition into party mode. You will typically have about 4-5 different hors d’oeuvres, which can be more exciting than your standard chicken and greens meal you’re having for dinner. Additionally, depending on the number of guests you have, you will need to make sure there are enough staff on hand and bartenders to serve everyone efficiently.
Tip: Don’t have enough staff for your guest count? Consider having a champagne wall so guests can grab their own drink initially, and come back for more as needed!
Cocktail hours are the perfect time to utilize any outdoor patio space you may have and you could even consider setting up a few outdoor games like corn hole or giant jenga to entertain the more active guests! Be sure you have plenty of open lounge seating or at least bistro tables for guests to sit their food and drink on while mingling.
The purpose of the cocktail hour is two fold: let your guests transition into a more fun, party mindset and it will allow a bit of cushion for your vendor team to finish preparing dinner or catch those last few images. If your venue is needing to be flipped after the wedding ceremony, a cocktail hour is incredibly helpful and allows for plenty of time for your team to flip the room to become the wedding of your dreams!
Although not required, a cocktail hour can be incredibly helpful in getting your guests into the right mindset for the rest of the wedding and helping your vendor team have enough time to bring all they have to the table and truly wow you! So what do you think?
Cheers,
Kayley
Associate Wedding Coordinator | Content Creator
Kayley Russell
Cue The Champagne Event Planning and Design Chattanooga Tennessee’s Premier
Wedding Planning and Event Studio Owned by Chattanooga Wedding Planner and Wedding Coordinator Shaun M.Teague
Cue the Champagne Event Planning + Design offers Wedding Day Event Management Services formerly known as Day of Wedding Coordination, Full Service Wedding Planning Services, Chattanooga Wedding Flowers ,Elopement Planning and Event Design Services for all your Social and Corporate Events. Cue The Champagne Event Planning and Design also offer Chattanooga Wedding Flowers for your wedding and event planning needs.
Cue The Champagne Event Planning + Design caters to Weddings and Events in Chattanooga Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia Wedding locations and Worldwide.
