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Plan your wedding cocktail hour to perfection

You are looking absolutely stunning, in your gorgeous gown, beautiful makeup, and darling hairstyle. After joining hands with your partner, who also looks beyond wonderful, and vowing to love each other forever, in sickness and in health, it is time for cocktail hour! You have just put on the ceremony of a lifetime, brought your guests to happy tears, and now it is time for you to take those gorgeous wedding photos and kick back with your loved ones.

While your wedding ceremony was perfect, it is important to make sure that your cocktail hour is planned to perfection as well. This is the time your guests need to get organized, and the time you need for a few photos you were unable to get before the wedding. This is a great time to allow a little relaxation for your guests, and even provide delicious drinks and appetizers.

Here at I Thee Wed, we enjoy a good cocktail hour. That is why we have put together a few tips to help you plan your own wedding cocktail hour to perfection. So, be sure to keep reading to learn more.

·         A delicious signature cocktail. While not all your guests may be of drinking age, those who are have likely been looking forward to a delicious drink. These days, there are so many inventive, and outright delicious drinks out there. Featuring a signature cocktail at your wedding is a great way to give everyone a taste of who you are as a couple and the passion that you share. You can complement your wedding color palette with your drinks, embrace a drink that is local to you and your partner’s favorite destination spot, or even share the magic of the drink you both love. If you can’t agree on which drink would be best, or just want both of your individualities featured, find your two favorite drinks and throw them both on the menu. Even though you are married, that does not stop you from being your own person, celebrate the both of you.
·         Set the mood with your music. The cocktail hour is the adjustment period between the ceremony and reception. Your guests can get restless, or even excited for what is to come. This is the perfect time to set a mellow and calming mood. Using music is a great way to keep your guests entertained and keep your mellow mood in the air. Your guests will enjoy the music and they will strike up conversations with other guests, keeping a calm setting. There are many ways that you can go about keeping your guests calm, such as a jazz trio or quartet. It is important to keep them entertained, but also not to get them too lively just yet.
·         It is all about the comfort. Your guests have just sat in event chairs for possibly an hour or more while waiting for the ceremony to start and watching you join your life with your soul mate. To say the least, they are probably tired of fold out chairs, or hard benches. The cocktail hour is already a time for them to wait while you finish up a little wedding photography and get themselves transitioned to the reception. A comfy seat can be a breath of fresh air for your guests and will most definitely be welcomed warmly. You can provide a comfortable seating area for your guests to relax for cocktail hour and surely, they will thank you for it.


Your wedding cocktail hour is an opportunity for you to entertain your guests before your actual reception. It gives them a moment to get situated and ready before your reception begins. Here at I Thee Wed, we can help you plan your perfect wedding, including a fun cocktail hour. If you are ready to start planning your greater Cincinnati area big day, be sure to contact us

Photo credit for photo 1: Leppert Photography
Photo credit for photo 2: Jeff Schaefer Photography

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