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Can we be at the coktail hour?

LizzyRBLizzyRB member
5 Love Its First Anniversary First Comment
in Wedding Reception Forum
Our tentative plan is to get married in the garden of our venue. We would like to have our cocktail hour also in the garden (it's just so gorgeous) and then move inside for dinner, drinks and dancing.

I think cocktail hours are generally used to fill time while the bride and groom are taking pictures but we plan to do that before the ceremony. Is it weird for the bride and groom to be at the cocktail hour with the guests?

So assuming it's fine for us to be at the cocktail hour, what would you do after the ceremony? Should we walk back down the aisle, go inside, hug, kiss and be alone for a few minutes before we come back out to the garden or should we just walk straight back to where the bar will be set up? I am a little unsure.
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Re: Can we be at the coktail hour?

  • beardownbchsbeardownbchs member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    Not abnormal at all for you to be at the cocktail hour.

    You/your photographer may want to take just a handfull of pictures after the ceremony so you can do that or either of the things you mentioned. If I were you, I'd go inside for a minute and then come back out, but you don't have to.
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  • itzMSitzMS member
    First Answer First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
    I know a couple who had a similar situation to you.

    They walked down the aisle, imediately did a receiving line as guests left the seating area, took a few family pictures, and all while the cocktail hour was going on. Since it was all in the same "garden" area, they were technically at the cocktail hour...but busy with other things!

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  • melb2013melb2013 member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited January 2013
    We're going to our cocktail hour.  Right after the ceremony (ceremony and reception are in the same place) we will all line up at the entrance to cocktail our for the receiving line.  Then my plan is to get my dress bustled up and join everyone at cocktail hour.  We will have taken all of our pictures before the ceremony.

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  • Sassenach1743Sassenach1743 member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper First Anniversary First Comment
    We plan to be at our cocktail hour. Our ceremony and reception are also in the same place (ceremony in upstairs parlor, reception in downstairs dining room, and cocktails on the front patio and main drawing room). 

    After our recessional we will go into a private room for a few minutes while our guests are directed downstairs to the bar for cocktail hour. We will stay upstairs for a few family photos which will only take 15 or 20 minutes (we are doing a first look to get the majority of our pictures done before the ceremony). Then we will join our guests in the drawing room and patio for the remainder of the cocktail hour. 

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  • LizzyRBLizzyRB member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary First Comment
    Since you will be at cocktail hour will you still go the big "Mr and Mrs" entrance into the reception or skip it?
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  • JoanE2012JoanE2012 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    We went to our cocktail hour.  After the ceremony, we went to the bridal suite, bustled the dress, had a glass of champagne, relaxed for a moment, then joined everyone at the cocktail hour.  Towards the end, we went back to the bridal suite while everyone was escorted into the reception room and seated.  We then made our grand entrance.
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