The Social Hour

The Social Hour at a wedding --also known as the Cocktail Hour-- seems to be a mystery to some couples. What does it entail? What should we serve? Do we host the alcohol? What if our venue doesn't have a separate room to set up the social hour in, what do we do?

First things first....

1. The Social Hour or Cocktail Hour is exactly that--one hour. No more and maybe up to 15 minutes less, but it should never exceed one hour in length.

2. If you are serving a full meal after your social hour, then light finger foods are in order. Foods that require no plates, but cocktail napkins only--"two biters" they are commonly referred to. So that means nothing greasy, soupy, or sloppy. Your hors 'd oeuvres are designed to take the edge off your guest's hunger while they are waiting for dinner, not fill them up so that they don't enjoy their meal.

3. Hosting the alcohol (if you are serving alcohol) is a must whether at the social hour, during dinner or dancing. If you cannot host a full bar then only host what you can afford. If that means beer and wine only, so be it. It is means no alcohol, then so be that as well. You are the hosts of your celebration day, so treating your guests is not only a sign of respect and your love for them, but it is also good etiquette.

4. If your venue has no separate room for you to host the cocktail hour in, then can you move the ceremony time closer to the dinner time? Could a portion of the reception room be turned into a social gathering space without interrupting the dinner space? If all else fails, then make sure that your reception venue flows to accommodate both functions. You may have to move tables and chairs around, create a make-shift bar, etc. Your hosts and hostesses will be instrumental in helping you direct people during this time.

A social hour can really help your guests to feel more comfortable with their surroundings, ease the time between the ceremony and the reception and give you another opportunity to shower your guests with your style and loving spirit.
Keep the music low and jazzy, keep the food light and delicious and the spirit festive and calm.