{"id":2560,"date":"2024-07-11T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shadesofloveweddings.co.uk\/?p=2560"},"modified":"2024-09-05T12:31:30","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T12:31:30","slug":"what-is-cocktail-hour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shadesofloveweddings.co.uk\/?p=2560","title":{"rendered":"Exploring Cocktail Hour At Weddings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A wedding is usually an extremely well planned and thought out event and the day and night are made up of a number of different traditions and activities. Today, we\u2019re going to be talking about some more unconventional ones, like photobooth ideas<\/a>, engagement favors<\/a>, and of course, the wedding guest favourite – cocktail hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is cocktail hour ?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Known in the UK as \u201cReception Drinks\u201d, cocktail hour usually occurs directly after the formal wedding ceremony and this often takes place outdoors in the gardens or grounds of the venue. The main purpose of cocktail hour is to keep the guests occupied while the newly married couple have their photographs taken before proceeding to the wedding breakfast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During cocktail hour, the guests have an opportunity to mingle and relax with a drink and will usually be called to participate in some of the wedding photographs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Exploring the charm of cocktail hour at weddings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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For many guests, cocktail hour is the best part of a wedding as it doesn\u2019t tend to have the formality of the ceremony or the wedding breakfast. In this section, we\u2019re going to be sharing our tips for creating a little magic at your wedding\u2019s cocktail hour:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Setting the scene<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Where you hold your cocktail hour will depend on your venue and on the time of year. For a summer wedding, lots of people like to hold cocktail hour outdoors if their venue has a garden or patio. You will, of course, need to discuss this with your venue as the patio may already be booked by another party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019re unable to host cocktail hour outdoors, don\u2019t worry, indoor cocktail hour can be just as magical. Speak to your venue about your options and, if possible, request a private room or area. If you have no choice but to hold cocktail hour in a public area (for example, a hotel bar if you are getting married at such a venue), check that there will be somebody responsible for making sure that non-wedding guests don\u2019t help themselves to your drinks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What to serve during cocktail hour<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The most important part of cocktail hour is, of course, the beverages served and, in this section, we\u2019ll be sharing some tips for your tipples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Keeping it simple<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Some couples like to keep things simple and traditional by serving champagne during cocktail hour. Not only does this cut down on hassle but sleek glasses of bubbly also tend to look great in your wedding photos. If your budget won\u2019t quite stretch to champagne, Prosecco or Cava are both great, reasonably priced alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If serving champagne at cocktail hour, you may also wish to offer Bucks Fizz as a lower alcohol alternative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Decorative drinks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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If you\u2019ve worked hard on your wedding theme, you might want to extend this to your cocktail hour. Why not match your cocktails to your decor? For example, if your wedding theme is white and pink, a strawberries and cream cocktail would work well. Similarly, if your wedding has a flower theme, try serving cocktails featuring that flower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cracking cocktails without the booze<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Whether you\u2019re serving simple glasses of bubbly or a fancy themed cocktail, don\u2019t forget to also provide soft drinks during cocktail hour for guests who don\u2019t drink or who may be driving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may want to consider alcohol free versions of your main cocktail drinks; for example, NoSecco or 0% gin in cocktails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Getting the balance right<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Serving alcohol is, of course, part and parcel of cocktail hour for most weddings, whether you\u2019re going for champagne or a fancy cocktail. While you want your guests to enjoy themselves, you don\u2019t, however, want to end up with a drunken rabble before you even get to your wedding breakfast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, it’s a good idea to limit the number of drinks per guest during cocktail hour (this may be regulated by your venue anyway). A good rule of thumb is to allow for two drinks per guest during cocktail hour as this will ensure that everybody is in good spirits without the problem of some having consumed too many spirits!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Food for thought<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Some couples will choose to save money by not serving canapes during cocktail hour but this is rarely a good idea as: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Canapes help to soak up alcohol and prevent guests becoming too inebriated<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Lots of guests won\u2019t have eaten since breakfast and may be in danger of becoming \u2018hangry\u2019<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Along with your cocktails, canapes help to keep guests occupied while you\u2019re having your photographs taken<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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    Going with the flow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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    Cocktail hour is a great way of transitioning from your wedding ceremony to your wedding breakfast as well as preventing guests from getting bored while you have your pictures taken. As we\u2019ve shown in this article, there are lots of options available when it comes to what drinks you serve and where you serve them – just always remember to discuss your plans with your venue in order to prevent any awkward moments on your big day. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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