Opinion on Cocktail Wedding Reception

timesthebeauty

Hi...my first time posting on here.  Was just looking for some opinions on cocktail wedding receptions.  We are thinking of getting married in Jamaica with our immediate family and then having an at home reception.  Has anyone ever been to one? If so where and how was it? Thanks!

cg-pm52111

I think this could be a really nice option to celebrate with your friends and family at home.  I think the trick is to make sure it's not too close to a meal time so people can eat before they come and won't be expecting a meal.

chica7484

I went to a Vegas wedding and a very casual AHR a few months later. I thought the casual AHR was appropriate because the B&G really got the point across that they just wanted to celebrate with everyone. It was a nice backyard G2G...lots of fun!

shauni27

i love this idea!  we thought about doing that too, except instead of just cocktail reception, we were going to do BBQ because it was cheaper.  but if we could have afforded a cocktail reception, it would have had plenty of food, including something that would be more filling that just shrimp and mushroom caps, etc (perhaps fancy pizzas, etc), along with wine, beer, and a signature cocktail.

timesthebeauty

Thanks everyone.....There are just so many decisions to make!  Any good ideas for a venue in Southern NH for a cocktail reception ?  We are paying for the wedding ourselves so we are watching the budget.

TroyandKelly

Sounds like a fantastic idea!
Depending on the night you want your reception, there are a lot of nice options.  Sundays and weeknights, you can often find availability and better pricing.  I was looking into a lot of these options for my rehearsal dinner...since I will have about 50 people.
If you are going to be around 50 people, I went to a really nice event at Blackwater Grille in Salem NH - they had a nice spread of apps and a cash bar.  Others you could look into are 111 Village Square, Brookstone, Zorvino Vineyards(not sure if they do coctail receptions cheap though), Granite Rose (surprisingly inexpensive for a Thursday night).
Good Luck!