Cocktail Reception

has anyone either had or went to a Cocktail Wedding Reception?

My FI and I are considering this. It is obviously cheaper and no one in either family has ever had one so we thought it might be different. Neither one of us has ever done anything by the book so why start now.

Aos, if you have ever been to one, was there music, either a band or dj?

Thanks.

I did it but in CT.

It ran like anormal wedding reception. The first 1.5 hours were passes Hors d'œuvres and they had out a egetable platter and fruit cheese and cracker platters. Then we had a bunch of stations opened up along with the passed Hors d'œuvres for another hour. THen we cut the cak and the cale was served adn they passes chocolate covered strawberries and petit fours and our candy table was opened up! We also had them passing champagne and signature drinks all night!

People loved it and went home happy with full bellies!!! I had people raving for weeks that they had never danced as much as they did at our wedding because there wasn't as much time spent on eating but having fun and they loed that!

I looked into doing this and I was surprised that it wasn't always cheaper. The venues think that people will drink more and liquor is expensive. Plus if you have finger food they need to have more because they don't want people to think that the venue is cheap and having empty trays.
It sounded like so much fun, but in the end my FH went the easier route that was cheaper. Good luck in finding a great place that works with your vision, I'm sure that you can find it.

my friend did this. i was NOT cheaper. she had to find the venue, pay a site fee, rent the chairs/tables, etc. the food was great but it was alike an extended cocktails - 5 hours was way too long to not be guaranteed seating. i didn't think people danced as much as they would have at a normal wedding either.

i love(d) the idea, and it's different and all that but I don't think it works out cheaper (neither does a buffet style wedding, which SHOCKED me) unless you do it like in your backyard or something.

good luck.

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Posted by snwb08

my friend did this. i was NOT cheaper. she had to find the venue, pay a site fee, rent the chairs/tables, etc. the food was great but it was alike an extended cocktails - 5 hours was way too long to not be guaranteed seating. i didn't think people danced as much as they would have at a normal wedding either.

i love(d) the idea, and it's different and all that but I don't think it works out cheaper (neither does a buffet style wedding, which SHOCKED me) unless you do it like in your backyard or something.

good luck.

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Different venues will do this, but if you get tents, tables, chairs, etc, it will always be more expensive.

I love the idea of acocktail reception (and vienese (sp?) hour) But I am a foodie. You can also make sure that there is enough seating for everyone. Good Luck, I love the idea

ETA: I am speaking with someone on the phone, she had a cocktail reception at Rockhill's in Manorville, she loved it and said she is still getting compliments on it!

We were going to do a cocktail reception, but the thing that turned us off to is was that there wouldn't be guaranteed seating and the thing that annoys me the most at a cocktail reception is getting up to dance and not having a place to keep my purse or losing my seat.

It also wasn't much cheaper.

We've decided on a buffet instead of a sit-down dinner. That way people have a seat but they can eat whenever they want.

We are going with this style. We will have a traditional cocktail hour. For the reception we will have stations of food set up around the room. There will be enough seating for everyone. At first I did not want assigned seating, but I think I have changed my mind. The price is the same, I think at all the places we looked at.

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Posted by fiore76

We are going with this style. We will have a traditional cocktail hour. For the reception we will have stations of food set up around the room. There will be enough seating for everyone. At first I did not want assigned seating, but I think I have changed my mind. The price is the same, I think at all the places we looked at.

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This is considered buffet. Cocktail Reception is more passed food and finger food, there is also hot food but its done like CH, no sit down plated meals