Cocktail-less Hour

mrstobe2014

Ladies, what do you think? Everyone suggest a cocktail hour, but we are on a tight budget like a lot of couples. We want to serve beer/wine at dinner but to be quite honest, if we had the beer and wine available during the cocktail hour, we'd run out before dinner. So we are throwing around the idea of having a "social hour" and offering non-alcoholic beverages. Plus, our wedding is in February, I'm thinking we could get away with doing something like a hot cocoa bar. Yeah?

mlg78

I think hot cocoa is more of an end-of-the-night drink.  I'm also concerned you're not buying enough beer/wine if you'll run out before dinner just from serving it at the cocktail hour.  That's certainly not enough to properly host your guests.

AddieCake

Non-alcoholic would be fine. I also agree with MLG with the question of whether or not you have enough beer and wine to last the reception if you don't think it will last the cocktail hour. 

Jen4948

Dry weddings are fine.  But make sure that whatever you do have will last the full reception.

KatWAG

I think you should just start your reception an hour earlier.

QueerFemme

Maybe you should consider taking your photos before the ceremony, and go immediately to your reception after the ceremony.

I agree with PPs.  If you are concerned that your wine/beer will run out during cocktail hour, you don't have enough to last the entire reception, which is rude.   If you can't afford to host what you are offering for the whole reception, have a dry wedding.

alithebride

why not skip the hour? cut it to half even?

but there's nothing wrong with not serving alcohol either. but realize that prices for specialty sodas/teas etc.. may be higher than just serving wine and beer.

you can also end the reception an hour early or have a hot cocoa/hot cider bar for the last hour with your cake.