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Cocktail Hour minus the Cocktails

esoles87esoles87 member
First Comment
in Christian Weddings
My FI and I have decided to not to serve alcohol at our wedding out of respect for our parents, all of whom are opposed to drinking. Our friends, however, will probably be expecting some sort of libations durung our "cocktail" hour. I've thought about renaming it a social hour, but that won't change the fact that some people will be expecting some sort of entertainment-alcohol or otherwise-during this time.

We are seriously considering renting a photobooth to liven up the social hour but we're afraid that guest will tire quickly of it. What can we do to make sure that our nonalcoholic social hour is not DRY?
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Re: Cocktail Hour minus the Cocktails

  • FaithCaitlinFaithCaitlin member
    5000 Comments 5 Love Its
    I love the idea of doing a photobooth!

    We are going to skip alcohol too but then moved our wedding to a restaurant and thinsg changed.

    I had a whole list of mocktails that we were going to have available that we thought was a fun alternative to just water, soda, and juices. 

    For the life of me I cannot remember where I put the recipes (sorry!) but I recommend googling "mocktail recipes" if you're interested!

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  • GunzNRoses213GunzNRoses213 member
    100 Comments

    one of my possible venues is a drug/rehab place and does NOT allow beverages of that nature, with my family it's fine and dandy... With some of my friends and his family it's a differernt story and I'm going to have to put a disclaimer somehwere telling people you absolutly CANNOT have it ..


    Father is also a pastor and he is not allowed to purchase it... If we want a bartender if we choose the other venue then FI and will have to pay for that ourselves...

    I understand your situation ... I would do mocktails i guess that sounds like a decent idea...

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  • fpaemp2011fpaemp2011 member
    1000 Comments Fourth Anniversary 25 Love Its First Answer
    edited February 2012
    DH and I don't drink, so we had a Fellowship Hour with mocktails, tea, and lemonade.  Several of his friends drink, and some of my family, but no one said anything to us or anyone else that we know of.

     There are several recipes on my Planning Bio (link under my sig pic & ticker) under "Reception"--"Mocktail Hour."
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  • ochemjennochemjenn member
    500 Comments Second Anniversary 5 Love Its
    I know Emily (fpaemp) did mocktails.  I remember they sounded really tasty!

    Guests can entertain themselves without alcohol.
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  • DramaGeekDramaGeek member
    2500 Comments 5 Love Its
    We didn't do any alcohol and nothing was boring.  If you're really worried, put some silly trivia questions out or something
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  • esoles87esoles87 member
    First Comment
    Thanks, ladies! Those are all really helpful suggestions! I'll have to google some "mocktail" recipies.

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  • ElisabethJoanneElisabethJoanne member
    1000 Comments 5 Love Its
    I've been to weddings with cocktail hours, but nowhere related to those particular weddings did I read "cocktail hour." Not on invitations, not on wedding web sites, not in programs or on menus. It was just the time between the ceremony and service of the meal, when the couple was taking photos.

    If you need a name for that time (why?) for your guests, put "hors d'ouvers" on the schedule you're giving them. That will work for any day-of schedules you need to circulate among family members who oppose alcohol and may not understand "cocktail hour" is just a wedding industry term for the time between the ceremony and service of the meal, when the couple usually takes photos. Your vendors don't care. We're not serving alcohol during "cocktail hour," and I don't think our caterers are confused.
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  • ElisabethJoanneElisabethJoanne member
    1000 Comments 5 Love Its
    Sorry, missed the part about entertainment.

    Why do you think your guests will be expecting entertainment? I never expect entertainment at weddings. Whatever entertainment there is is like icing on the cake, or maybe even like fondant over the buttercream.

    And how is alcohol more entertaining than non-alcoholic food and drinks, after 1 hour? Tipsy people can be entertaining, sure, but I don't think that's what you mean. "Let me get another soda" is as much of a get-out-of-awkward-conversation-free card as "Let me get another gin and tonic."

    And sorry in advance if I come across as judge-y. For once, that's not my intent. I'm honestly trying to reassure the OP that her guests can have a good time without alcohol and without games or funny faces or music or anything, really, besides each other.
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