Cocktail hour. That time in between you saying I do, and the reception. How do you plan a great cocktail hour? We explore how to fill that space efficiently without over thinking it.

Cocktail hour can be a stressful portion to plan on your wedding day, but why? On a timeline, the cocktail hour can look very blank – a big lull between ceremony and reception. You’ll ask yourself, do we need a cocktail hour? Should I do photos here? Do we leave or stay? Do we offer food or booze? THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS! And you are right! Think of the cocktail hour like your elementary school multipurpose room. There will be people in the space, but there are so many possibilities and outcomes.

TIMING WORKS IN YOUR FAVOUR

Having a cocktail hour really opens the doors to give you extra time for the little things you need to get done. You can choose to get photos done in this window, visit and join the cocktail hour. Or, if you are an introvert, (Read:5 Tips for an introvert on their wedding day) take a break in a private space before reception starts.

The timing can also help your vendor team, and sometimes is necessary. Your venue might need to ‘flip’ the space to go from ceremony to reception. You’ll need to give the venue time to achieve this, so a cocktail hour is the perfect way to accomodate your guests. Our friends at Dockside Restaurant on Granville Island keep a portion of the bar open along with the patio during the flip. Our couple Sarah & Robb offered their guests a seafood station which was a HIT!

Photo credit: Aiota Photography 

GET YOUR PHOTOS DONE

A cocktail hour can really give you the time you need to get photos done. There are three sets of photos a wedding day typically has in terms of people.

1. Family photos
2. Wedding party photos
3. Portraits of you, the couple

Of course, there are much more but these are the key ones that mostly need to be completed before the reception. Family photos are the easiest to get done when everyone is there, which is immediately following the ceremony. Take the time to do the family photos, and make sure you have a list to go through to make the process quicker!

Wedding party & portraits can be done together, depending on your style. Make sure the cocktail hour is long enough to accommodate capturing all these moments.

Photo credit: Aiota Photography 

TRAVELLING

At times, the couple, wedding party, and sometimes family, will travel away from the venue. Often to a nice park or a quieter spot away from the crowd. We suggest keeping it as close as possible if you have guests waiting post ceremony. However, if you have your ceremony early in the day then the reception isn’t until later, then you can really travel anywhere to get the photos done.

Tip! Make sure to google travelling time. Sometimes a sunny day in Stanley park can lead up to an extra 3 hours of traffic in the limo, so choose wisely but be mindful of the time and day.

JOIN COCKTAIL HOUR

If you want to join your family and friends, why not? There is no rules saying you can’t! If you choose to get your photos done before the ceremony, this can be done! Our couple, Sarah & Blaise, wanted to be part of cocktail hour. This was very important to them, as they were so close with their family and friends. They did their photos before the ceremony, did some quick family photo shots post ceremony and then joined their guests by eating canapes, sipping wine and playing games all on a beautiful sunny afternoon.

Photo credit: The Godards 

BE MINDFUL

The trick is, don’t make it too long. If you make it over 2 hours (and that is really pushing it), that’s when guests tend to get bored. So be mindful of how long you need cocktail hour to be vs how long do you want it to be. Here are some major key points you need to remember when you are planning your cocktail hour.

Make sure there is food

Now, it doesn’t have to be a ton of food! It’s simply an offering, and to balance the booze. Guests get hungry pretty quickly! Talk to your caterers and see what has worked in the past, but put your own twist on it! We had a couple, Cathy & Andrew, and the absolutely loved ice cream! So we brought in Earnest Ice cream to serve all the guests before dinner!

Photo Credit: These Days Photo + Video 

Have a water station

Guests can get thirsty, AND FAST! Following the ceremony, you don’t want your guests to rush the bar and wait for a glass of water! Have a water station set up for the guests, and if at all possible, before the ceremony too! Want to fancy it up? Ask your catering services about infused lemon-cucumber water, non-alcoholic punch or ice tea station. Hydrated guests are always happier guests. If they have punch in their hand, they won’t be so concerned about going to the bar right away.

Keep your bar limited

We say this with love, but also experience. Keep it to beer, wine, and maybe a signature drink. If you have the bar open right away, with an entire selection of booze, it can get pretty dangerous and fast. Guests are having really nice little bites of cheese and canapes, and no tiny appetizer will balance a tequila shot at 3 pm. This is also a very easy way to control your bar bill. Or have a cash bar but offer a signature cocktail. It doesn’t have to be fancy. The simpler, the better! But you can still have colour!

Photo credit: Kaoverii Silva

ADD ONS

You can choose to add some items to the cocktail hour that will entertain your guests. Now, it is not necessary  but sometimes it is welcomed. Also think about your guests. Are they the type to visit, chat, catch up? Will they need to be entertained? Will they even noticed something cool going on? Here’s a few ideas!

Hire a photobooth

A photobooth is great for small windows. I’d say for cocktail hour or post dancing is the best window to offer this fun service. And guests LOVE A PHOTOBOOTH.

Have the guestbook station be interactive

Our couple Nick and Flo had a NYE wedding. They offered a guest book idea, where guests signed an ornament and then to be hung on naked branches. This was an activity, but also something different!

Photo credit: N Mofrad Photography 

Hire a magician

There are some great close magic magicians that can interact with your guests with fun card tricks. This is not a show, but more of a small group of people that can experience a fun and unexpected element of the day.

Have a candy bar or donuts! 

This is a two for one, by feeding your guests and adding a decor element. A candy bar or donuts put out in the evening, is often forgotten as dancing takes over. Put it out before hand so guests can enjoy it during cocktail, get some photos in the day light and refill later!

Photo credit: Jelger + Tanya

Have lawn games

It’s an oldie but a goodie! Lawn games are a great way for guests to kick back and have some fun. There are many companies that offer this service, or check out your Canadian tire, your Walmart stores. They often have games like boccie, badminton or even ring toss! Just keep your eye out for those sales!

Photo credit: The Godards 

BIGGEST TAKEAWAY – DON’T STRESS!

Our biggest concern from our clients at cocktail hour is, will our guests be bored? And we can’t answer that in full. But we can say, a lot of people at weddings get a chance to catch up with people they don’t always see. A wedding brings people together for a joyous occasion. The bonus, everyone is dressed up! There are worst places people can be on a Saturday afternoon. They are sipping wine, having a few laughs, dressed to the nines and taking pictures and/or selfies to commemorate the day! Weddings are happy and so are your guests!

Photo credit: Aiota Photography