kgossman Long gone are the days of the traditional weddings that were all the same! I’m so thankful that we’ve moved into creating more unique events that are specialized to each couple. So get those wheels turning and let’s talk about some ways you can do yours differently! The big question… should you join your guests for cocktail hour?
Some couples choose to join their guests at cocktail hour instead of skipping out on this and joining the reception at dinner. I personally love this idea! If you’re going for a togetherness vibe for your event, this is a great idea. Now this only really works in your timeline if you do a first look earlier in the day and don’t have a ton of photos to do after the ceremony. Cocktail hour is usually the time when guests are mingling and getting appetizers before dinner starts, and often coincides with the remainder of the bridal party photos. If your photos are done (or you just have a few family photos and that’s it) then you have this option to join. You can choose to do your grand entrance as a couple into the cocktail hour or later into the reception area when everyone is seated.
Vibe
One of the big benefits of joining your guests is that you get to enjoy the relaxed vibe of cocktail hour and mingle with everyone. This helps you say hello and thank you to more guests before you get seated for dinner. You should try to make time to talk to everyone at some point in the night, so this helps you get them knocked out quicker so you can party the rest of the night.
Eat in Peace
If you’re big on having time to eat your dinner without people coming up to you all night, this is another reason to join cocktail hour. You’ll have said hello to many of them and taken photos so they won’t be so apt to interrupt your dinner to talk to you. If you want to eat in peace, but this doesn’t fit your schedule, I suggest eating alone with your new spouse in a private room or the bridal suite. The entire day will be a blur, so try to carve out pockets of time alone together whenever you can!
Visit with Out-of-Towners
One of the big reasons we’re doing a first looking and joining our guests for cocktail hour is to spend more time with them. 90% of our guests are from out-of-state and all of the groomsmen live in other states. So joining cocktail hour with our friends and family allows us to spend even more time with them than we would otherwise.
Grand Entrance
If you join cocktail hour with your guests, the vibe is a bit more casual and relaxed. This may be great and fit with your personality perfectly. But doing a grand entrance into cocktail hour won’t be as big and flashy as if you saved it for later. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t slip in and do the grand entrance later before dinner. It all just depends on the vibe you’re going for. If you want a big to-do with your new introduction, wait until later once guests are seated for dinner.
Bridal Party Relaxation
Whether you do a first look or not, your bridal party will have a long day and it’s important to give them time to relax and hang with friends and family also. Getting all your bridal party photos done before the wedding allows your bridal party to go enjoy the party. If you’re not doing a first look, you can still have the bridal party join cocktail hour and then get them back out for photos when you’re ready. Having a planner helps with this! And your bridal party will enjoy having time to mingle with friends and family in a more relaxed setting.
Whatever you decide to do, just know that you don’t have to follow any rules. You can be creative when planning your day and do it the way you want to! When you begin planning, sit down with your partner and decide what’s more important to you two. What vibe do you want to create? How do you want to feel on your wedding day? What do you want to spend your time doing? Plan with those key things in mind first, and then fill in the rest later. Happy Planning!
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