Cocktail Tales
Everyone wants their wedding to stand out in the memories of their guests. Hosting a cocktail hour is one way a bride and groom can set the stage for those memories.
If your wedding ceremony is midway through the afternoon, a cocktail hour can bridge the distance from ceremony to reception artfully, giving you time to have your photos taken, without worrying about what guests will do in the interim. Similarly, an early morning wedding that has guests dispersing for most of the day, brings guests back into the fold and allows them a chance to meet and greet other guests, before being seated.
However, for a late afternoon or evening wedding, hosting a cocktail hour poses the possibility of spoiling the appetites of your guests, right before dinner, unless of course dinner is served fashionably late. You may even decide, regardless of when your ceremony is held, to skip a formal reception all together, replacing it entirely with a cocktail hour-styled reception, in which case time simply does not matter.
Champagne is often served as a cocktail hour staple, but unless you have acquired a taste for it, or know for certain its something that your guests would welcome, it’s often better to stay true to your regular tastes. Keeping any beverages chosen in line with yours and your guest’s taste assures that all will be comfortable and find enjoyment in the choices before them.
One way, some couples have approached this choice is to create a signature wedding cocktail, served alongside a regular fully stocked bar. This way, guests have a wide variety of options open to them, but you still have a specialty drink to add that festive air brides and grooms are looking for.
For appetizer choices, the decisions are endless. Hot and cold, simple and tasty, or intricate and delectable. They can match your wedding theme, or even your wedding colors. From cheese and crackers to paté de foie gras, appetizers can be found to suit any taste and more importantly any budget.
Whether you hold it before or after your reception, as a portion of the reception or as the reception itself, cocktail hour, by light of its informality and the mingling that results therein, is a great addition to any wedding, no matter when it is held.
©2009 Weddingstar Inc.
