How to Pull Off the Perfect Cocktail Hour

The cocktail hour serves as the “pre-celebration” on your wedding day. It gives guests a glimpse of what the rest of the night entails while also providing convenient entertainment and nourishment until the reception starts. Sort of like a mixer for the newly joined families to get to know one another, it’s important to you that you make everything just right. As we specialize in making moments memorable, here are a few elements our wedding specialists use to pull off the perfect cocktail hour.

Great Drinks

What’s cocktail hour without alcoholic beverages on deck? There are several drink options for couples to choose from including seasonal signature cocktails as well as some timeless favorites. It’s also a good idea for couples to choose a few virgin drink options for those who don’t drink (or their under-age guests who simply want to feel grown up).

Satisfy their Appetite with Creative Stations

You don’t want anyone to spoil their dinner, but depending on when your ceremony was and how long it lasted, your guests may be a bit hungry. To pull off the perfect cocktail hour, couples should select a few food stations for their guests to indulge in. When choosing your food stations, be sure to remember guests your guests will appreciate variety and creativity so pick a good mix of options.

Mood Music

You may not want your guests busting a groove on the dance floor just yet, but a great cocktail hour does have some music for entertainment. Instead of going with genres that will get you out of your seat and dancing, perhaps go for soft, instrumental tunes or slow love jams to keep everyone in the mood.

Activities

Rather than have your family and friends standing around waiting for the reception to begin, give them something entertaining to do. A very popular choice for couples is photo booths. Guests can use provided props to take photos that will commemorate this very special day. They’ll have a blast dressing up and posing with a little memento to take home. You can also have a wedding photographer or videographer go around and get your loved ones on film.

Beautiful venue, check. Plenty of beverages, check. Yummy appetizers, check. Entertaining music, check. Fun activities, check. If you have each of these elements incorporated in your wedding cocktail hour, it is sure to be a hit. Now, all that’s missing are your loved ones by your side to celebrate your special day.