Throwing a Cocktail Party on Oahu
Weddings are all about celebrating the love between two people and capturing the moment through pictures. After the vows are said, and the rings exchanged, it’s time to celebrate. So, why not throw a cocktail party for your guests beforehand? Where they can enjoy some laughter, conversations, and photo ops. The wedding reception cocktail hour will help to transition from the ceremony to a more formal celebration. You’ll want to ensure that you’ve done it correctly so that your guests can relax before kicking off the party.
What Exactly is a Cocktail Hour?
Cocktail hour at a wedding is a short period that occurs before the wedding ceremony and wedding reception. It’s the beginning of the reception portion that follows the ceremony. There are numerous wedding cocktail hour ideas, and there’s no way to plan the perfect cocktail hour. You can be creative in this area and tailor it your way. The evening cocktail hour is the perfect time to prepare your guests for the party.
Necessities of a Successful Cocktail Hour
If you’re given the option of having your cocktail hour outside in a beautiful space, then go for it. The location you choose for your reception cocktail hour must be comfortable, light, and free from any crowded rooms or cramped spaces. As guests leave for the wedding, they may require a moment to stretch their legs or enjoy the fresh air. Therefore, an outdoor space that is of good size is the ideal location for cocktail hour.
Rooftops, patios, balconies, or pools are all great places to hold a cocktail hour. It will instantly set the atmosphere. The ideal wedding idea for a cocktail hour is to make this space open all night long to allow guests to enjoy the fresh air.
Seating Arrangements
The best part about a cocktail hour is that it’s all about socializing with guests and making it casual and relaxed. It’s not required to have seating during cocktail hour. It’s more beneficial to have a handful of tables with high tops across the room.
There are plenty of tables with low seating to accommodate guests of a certain age who require a space to relax for a longer period.
Décor does not have to be extravagant. There are several different ideas for your wedding’s cocktail hour to decorate that will enhance the overall appearance of your event. Additionally, you can add individual touches to the area as conversation starters for your guests while they socialize.
Choosing the Right Music
When you think about the music you want to play for your wedding’s cocktail hour make sure not to overwhelm the conversation and mingle with your music choice. A band or DJ can easily drown out any conversation. So, choose elegant background music, such as a strolling violinist, or an acoustic band.
There are many playlists on the internet for elegant wedding music for cocktail hour. The music that you play at cocktail hour doesn’t need to be anything exceptional, since the guests will be focused on the discussion.
Cocktail Hour Etiquette
With all the ideas for a wedding cocktail hour, it can be difficult to know how to organize an evening of cocktails at your wedding. There are some guidelines and common etiquette rules to help you plan the perfect cocktail hour. First, how long will the cocktail hour last for a wedding? Most of the time, cocktails last about an hour. They can however be extended up to 90 minutes if additional time is required for the bridal party to finish getting ready. In the event that the hour of cocktails is set to last a bit longer than one hour, you might consider including some sort of wedding entertainment options to keep the guests entertained.
It’s difficult to talk to over an hour and have nothing else to do in a room. There are some games during cocktail hour that are fun to play and can be incorporated into the wedding reception, like a bean bag toss.
When should cocktail hour take place? The ideal scenario is that the reception should begin following your ceremony, and before the reception. You should certainly organize cocktail hour before your ceremony. If you plan to hold a cocktail hour before the ceremony we suggest keeping the event shorter and encouraging staff to inform guests when the bar will close and help them find their seats.
Guests are invited to join in on cocktail hour since it’s part of the event and is usually scheduled in advance. Encourage your guests to attend the event by putting up signs near the ceremony that direct them to the bar location. Put signs near the ceremony that direct them to the bar location. Another way to encourage guests to attend is to keep the time for cocktails shorter, as suggested.
Food and Drinks
The food and drinks you serve at the reception dinner generally should be geared towards pleasing the guests, but the food options for your cocktail hour should be more appetizers. You can play around with your choices and select items that hold special significance to your family’s culture or are memorable meals from previous trips abroad or your most loved comfort food. Then you can create the rest of your menu.
Regarding the quantity of food, you’ll need to serve, you’ll need around five or six varieties of food items. There should be approximately two meals for each guest since this will be before your reception and then dinner. Food stations may also be added so that guests can serve themselves and are not waiting for food to be delivered to them. It is unnecessary to keep replenishing food since the whole evening is roughly an hour long.
There are plenty of wedding ideas for cocktail hour when it concerns food. If it’s a cold snack to serve during your wedding reception or a more extravagant buffet, select the drinks and food you love. Keep in mind that the food selections are things that are easy to handle since guests will be roaming through the area. Stay away from food that is heavy, or that requires you to sit down to eat. Food options like oysters, bread, charcuterie board, kebabs, and pizza bites, are simple to eat when standing.
A Stunning Cocktail Hour
Your wedding should be unique, and stunning and represent you. Having a cocktail hour at your wedding is the ideal opportunity to make the transition between your wedding ceremony and the main reception.
When organizing the perfect cocktail hour on Oahu, stay simple and don’t make it too difficult. Be sure to contact A&B Party Rentals to rent one of our cocktail tables and cocktail table covers.