Pre-ceremony cocktail hour

Re: Pre-ceremony cocktail hour

• chavanola member

  

  January 2011 edited December 2011

  We did this (most Orthodox weddings do).  I think it worked out great.  We got the opportunity to greet our guests beforehand, it gave people leeway to be a little late without missing the chuppah.  Also, we did pics instead of yichud (we're Sephardi and the custom is not to do it), but it allowed us to do pictures while people were eating dinner.  Basically, we didn't have to miss anytime where we would have been interacting with our guests by having the cocktail hour beforehand.  Plus, I happen to think if you are actually going to do the kabbalat panim, bedekin, etc beforehand you should have a little food and drink for people (so you might as well have the cocktail hour then).

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• engdoc03 member

  

  January 2011 edited December 2011

  I've attended a wedding that was organized like this and  liked having an opportunity to meet people  (I knew only one other couple aside from the bride and groom)  and snack  before being seated for dinner.   (Well, we could have met people without drinks and snacks, but you know, food and drink makes things more festive and relaxed!). 

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• shortee426 member

  

  February 2011 edited December 2011

  We are doing this as well.  We are not doing a full Kabbalat Panim/Tisch/ Bedeken, though.  J doesn't feel comfortable with all of that.  We are going to take pictures before cocktail hour and spend most of the cocktail hour touching up, relaxing, etc.  About 15 minutes before the ceremony is scheduled to start I'll sit down with the mothers and J will walk out to veil me.  It was our compromise.

  
  

  FYI, on the invites we are putting 4:30 on the main part and then underneath we are putting "ceremony at 5:30."  (Again, compromise).  I didn't  want to just put 4:30 and then have guests show up at 4/4:15 and then think we are starting an hour late.

  
  
  

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• amgrossman

  

  February 2011 edited December 2011

  Thank You all for the responses! 

  It makes me feel a lot better knowing it actually seems to be quite common. So if my FI is on board and I think we'll be doing it this way.

  I've also been thinking about what to write on the invites...

  Do you think  "greetings at 3... ceremony to begin at 4" work? or just how you said to write it Shortee?

  
  
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• shortee426 member

  

  February 2011 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_jewish-weddings_pre-ceremony-cocktail-hour?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:399Discussion:707b4595-26bb-4983-9b2d-e4b19f62dbf8Post:90bbf92d-50c4-4cfe-aae5-f54d2fc0d0f6">Re: Pre-ceremony cocktail hour</a>:
  [QUOTE]Thank You all for the responses!  It makes me feel a lot better knowing it actually seems to be quite common. So if my FI is on board and I think we'll be doing it this way. I've also been thinking about what to write on the invites... <strong>Do you think  "greetings at 3... ceremony to begin at 4" work?</strong> or just how you said to write it Shortee?
  Posted by amgrossman[/QUOTE]
  
  <div>I was originally going to put "cocktails at 4:30, ceremony at 5:30" but it was vetoed.  I think that sounds a bit better than "greetings."  If you're not going to have cocktails at that time, then you can use appetizers or Hors D'eouvres.</div>

  
  
  

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• amgrossman

  

  February 2011 edited December 2011

  Thanks Shortee!

   you're right, that doesn't sounds right...

   I actually have on my mock invitation "3 o'clock to greet the bride & groom, ceremony to begin at 4" and I think even that sounds better.

  I'm thinking of changing it to "Hor D'eouvres at 3, ceremony at 4"

  
  
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