To Have or Not to Have – Wedding Cocktail Hours and The Pros and Cons of Having Them
You want your wedding day in South Carolina to be perfect from the very beginning to the very end. You want the perfect look, the most comfortable shoes, the most amazing décor, and the most suitable music for you and your guests. You want the best foods on the table. You want the most emotional ceremony and the most romantic first dance.
But do you want a wedding cocktail hour? Is it mandatory to have such a pre-party?
We have gathered some tips for you on this – so be sure to read on and find out more.
All in all, wedding cocktail hours aren’t mandatory at all. There’s no unwritten wedding etiquette rule to make you HAVE TO have a wedding cocktail hour, there’s nothing that can stop you from having one either. It’s all about each couple and the pros and cons of having a cocktail hour.
For instance, you might be surprised to learn this, but A LOT of the guests actually look forward to the cocktail hour party. This is their moment to socialize and catch up, have fun, and simply enjoy good drinks and a snack or two. Even more, chances are most of them will remember more of your cocktail hour details, rather than the reception ones.
Furthermore, the cocktail hour offers you the opportunity to build up the atmosphere before the big party. Because guests already know each other and because you’ve served them delicious drinks and foods already, they will enter the reception in a good mood, ready to party. So, yes, the cocktail hour can actually make the entire wedding feel better.
If you want to shoot photos on your wedding day, the cocktail hour is the perfect time to do it. Keep in mind though: you shouldn’t be away for more than one hour at most – otherwise, your guests will just find it impolite that you’ve left them hanging.
Why NOT have a cocktail hour? Because you want a longer reception, because you’re running out of time, or simply because you want to jump right to the big party, rather than “warm up” first. There are a lot of reasons not to have a cocktail hour – and they’re all perfectly fine.
Looking for a dedicated wedding planner in South Carolina? Contact Dazzle (Events) by Andrea and hire us if you want to make sure your Big Day is absolutely fantastic, from A to Z!
