Making a mocktail hour not lame.

thelastdreamer

So we aren't having alcohol at the wedding. FI and I don't drink, and neither do either of our parents who are assisting financially. So alcohol has never been on the table. I know some guests will be disappointed, but I'd like to still make it a fun night for them. We're still thinking to have a mocktail hour since our reception is a bit of a drive (20ish minutes) from the ceremony, and I don't want anyone to be standing around bored and hungry. 

Does anyone have ideas of things to make our mocktail not lame? It's going to be in a museum center, so there will be lots of stuff to walk around and look at, which hopefully will help. We're going to have passed apps and soft drinks. Anything else I could add? 

clarke10

As long as there are appetizers as well I don't think there should be an issue. What kind of beverages are you having? You could come up with some fun signature drinks without alcohol to make it a bit more fun. 

SBmini

Would people be able to buy alcohol if they wanted? I also like the idea of fun signature drinks, or an Italian soda station to make it a little more fun.

tabathafaye

Would people be able to buy alcohol if they wanted? I also like the idea of fun signature drinks, or an Italian soda station to make it a little more fun.

This would be a cash bar-which is a big NONO!

thelastdreamer

Ick ick ick. It would be a cold day in hell before I had a cash bar at my wedding. No way. It's a dry wedding. 

On a more pleasant note, I like the idea of an italian soda station. That would be fun. I just don't want people to see it and think that i's alcohol and then be let down haha

SBmini

tabathafaye said:

Would people be able to buy alcohol if they wanted? I also like the idea of fun signature drinks, or an Italian soda station to make it a little more fun.

This would be a cash bar-which is a big NONO!

Call the hounds off. If the reception was, persay, in a hotel that hotel would have a bar. And if people really wanted alcohol, they could walk to said bar and get it. It was just a question.

Lauderdale Pink

There are so many drinks that are really good that come virgin style:  Pina Colada, Daquris, Frozen Margarita Mix.  None of this is lame.  If you and your family are not into alcohol, then people should respect it.
I like the food at cocktail hours best anyway!

annathy03

Lauderdale Pink said:

There are so many drinks that are really good that come virgin style:  Pina Colada, Daquris, Frozen Margarita Mix.  None of this is lame.  If you and your family are not into alcohol, then people should respect it.
I like the food at cocktail hours best anyway!

I would do some fun mocktails (if you can, if soda is the budget that's fine too), I love the italian soda idea and some virgin drinks, a quick google search turns up tons of fun options like http://www.ohtastensee.com/2010/07/06/rosemary-watermelon-mocktailcocktail/ (sans rum of course!).  Sparkling apple cider is a fun toasting beverage, I always enjoyed that on new years as a kid.

JCbride2015

One of my best friends is Muslim and her dry wedding was so much fun.  They had about five different kinds of mocktails.  Each bar had a little menu sign with a list of the drinks available and a description of each.  It was also a subtle reminder to guests that there was no alcohol available, to avoid awkwardness.  They gave the drinks cute names to go along with various parts of the couple's personalities.

princessleia22

I agree with PP's.  Just because you aren't having alcoholic beverages doesn't mean that you can't have fun with some virgin cocktails.  Find a couple signature drinks that will match your personalities and your wedding theme.  There's no reason that your cocktail hour can't be exactly like anyone else's... you just won't have people getting trashed and annoying.

southernbelle0915

Do you have the budget for a photobooth? I think that might provide some good entertainment. 

I like PPs ideas of jazzing up the bar with some virgin cocktails. Other ideas: margarita (just hold the tequila) machine, sno-cone machine, an old fashioned popcorn maker on wheels, a couple of app stations in addition to the passed apps... that's all I got. Good luck!

thelastdreamer

I like the idea of the popcorn maker! That would be really cute with our venue too. I'll see if we're allowed. Our venue is pretty strict about outside stuff. I wish we could do app stations, but they're SO pricey at our venue (like $17 PER STATION per person). 

I like the idea of doing some virgin drinks. I'll have to talk to the catering people to see if they could make us some kind of custom package for that. And talk to my parents. Even though it makes no sense, I feel like they might not go for it. My mom HATES alcohol. I feel like "pretend alcohol" (her words, not mine) would piss her off almost as much. My dad got mad at me once when I ordered a virgin daq at a restaraunt because "what if someone who knows us comes in and sees you with that!" I feel like they would be terrified that people would see photos from the wedding and think they had alcohol ... etc. etc. 

But the italian soda station ... is awesome. 

annathy03

thelastdreamer said:

I like the idea of the popcorn maker! That would be really cute with our venue too. I'll see if we're allowed. Our venue is pretty strict about outside stuff. I wish we could do app stations, but they're SO pricey at our venue (like $17 PER STATION per person). 

I like the idea of doing some virgin drinks. I'll have to talk to the catering people to see if they could make us some kind of custom package for that. And talk to my parents. Even though it makes no sense, I feel like they might not go for it. My mom HATES alcohol. I feel like "pretend alcohol" (her words, not mine) would piss her off almost as much. My dad got mad at me once when I ordered a virgin daq at a restaraunt because "what if someone who knows us comes in and sees you with that!" I feel like they would be terrified that people would see photos from the wedding and think they had alcohol ... etc. etc. 

But the italian soda station ... is awesome. 

Ah, shucks, I hope that isn't the case- they're just fun, fancy drinks for a fun, fancy occasion!  But if your folks feel that way I might avoid the term "mocktails" when discussing it.

Also I forgot earlier, but I'd see if your venue can have grenadine and things too, ordering a cherry coke or sprite with grenadine when I'm the DD always makes it feel like I'm sipping something a bit more special than a soda.

thelastdreamer

annathy03 said:

thelastdreamer said:

I like the idea of the popcorn maker! That would be really cute with our venue too. I'll see if we're allowed. Our venue is pretty strict about outside stuff. I wish we could do app stations, but they're SO pricey at our venue (like $17 PER STATION per person). 

I like the idea of doing some virgin drinks. I'll have to talk to the catering people to see if they could make us some kind of custom package for that. And talk to my parents. Even though it makes no sense, I feel like they might not go for it. My mom HATES alcohol. I feel like "pretend alcohol" (her words, not mine) would piss her off almost as much. My dad got mad at me once when I ordered a virgin daq at a restaraunt because "what if someone who knows us comes in and sees you with that!" I feel like they would be terrified that people would see photos from the wedding and think they had alcohol ... etc. etc. 

But the italian soda station ... is awesome. 

Ah, shucks, I hope that isn't the case- they're just fun, fancy drinks for a fun, fancy occasion!  But if your folks feel that way I might avoid the term "mocktails" when discussing it.

Also I forgot earlier, but I'd see if your venue can have grenadine and things too, ordering a cherry coke or sprite with grenadine when I'm the DD always makes it feel like I'm sipping something a bit more special than a soda.

I'll tell my parents I want to offer special smoothies haha. 

netskyblue2

I'm interested in this post, too.  We're not going to have a cocktail hour, but I am thinking about the beverages we will serve.  Our venue has some pretty good prices, $5 wine and mixed drinks, $4 bottled beer, $1 pop/water, $2 iced tea/lemonade, consumption bar being the only thing offered.

I'm from a family of non-drinkers, and if it was my call, I'd do a dry wedding.  But FI's family drinks, and he wants to have alcohol.  Maybe I'll bring up the possibility of having a dry wedding with mocktails.

Anyway, I saw this on You Tube, a sparkling water & cotton candy mocktail, which looks awesome (though I'd want to try it and see if it actually tastes good!)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2vJNwwEkbM

Jen4948

I like the mocktails and virgin drinks with appetizers idea.

Lauderdale Pink

It's great that you all are so creative!  These ideas are all fantastic.  @The last dreamer, I respect your father's concern about what people will think, but anybody who A)knows your family and their beliefs B)knows you and C)attends the wedding will realize and share information that the drinks were virgin style.  

Rebl90

Our wedding will be dry because the venue restrictions, and with our crowd it won't be a big deal. However, we are not doing a first look therefore we need a little bit of time between the ceremony and reception so we are doing appetizers with water, lemonade, and iced tea with an Italian soda bar with different syrups and classic bottled sodas (coke, root beer,etc).