When you’ve said I do and walked back down the aisle at one of the wedding venues near Omaha as a newly married couple, the countdown begins to the wedding reception. Cocktail hours kickstarts it all with drinks, small bites and helps get everyone into party mode. Plus, it can distract guests for this in-between time so that you and your wedding party can go take wedding photos.
You want to make sure that your cocktail hour sets the bar high for the following reception. Here is our guide to hosting a perfect wedding cocktail hour!
Fancy hors d'oeuvres
While for your actual dinner at the reception you may feel limited to the normal meat-and-potato buffet or something similar, cocktail hour is your chance to get fancy. You can serve smaller versions of your favorite food like pizza or pigs in a blanket! Anything on a stick is usually a big hit. Finger foods tend to be some of people’s favorite dishes, so you can get creative and make sure to serve elegant hors d’oeuvres that your guests will be talking about for years to come.
Create a signature drink
A signature drink is something that you and your partner can create together during the wedding planning process to debut for cocktail hour. However, this is easier said than done. Some important things to keep in mind is that you don’t have to recreate the wheel! Creating a signature drink comes down to picking a base liquor, adding an ingredient or two (maybe even a seasonal ingredient), including a cute garnish and coming up with an adorable name!
Make sure there’s seating
Like the name suggests, cocktail hour can take 60 minutes or longer, meaning it’s a little too long for guests to have to stand the entire time. Some wedding venues near Omaha will have a specific room for cocktail hour that is completely separate from your reception space. This means that you will have to provide different seating options for cocktail hour than you will for dinner. You will want to make sure you include some high-top tables that guests can sit at and something like lounge furniture for your older guests to enjoy. You do not have to have seating for everyone you invite to the reception but aim for around 30 percent of your total guest count.
Add entertainment
Besides just eating and drinking, you will want to provide some entertainment for your guests to enjoy during cocktail hour. This entertainment will be separate from the entertainment you have booked for your reception. You can include some fun outdoor games or icebreakers that encourage your guests to mingle and get to know each other before dinner. Creating a festive and welcoming atmosphere can also be achieved through some music played softly in the background. Some couples opt for a pianist or violinist to play some tunes to give a nice ambiance but not be overpowering.
The Club at Indian Creek is one of the best wedding venues near Omaha! We would love to help you host the best wedding ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. Contact us to book a tour of our facilities.
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