"Cocktail Hour" -- Non-alcohol wedding.

djshumway · February 2011

Our wedding will be non-alcohol for religious reasons... we don't drink.... so I'm a tad worried about what would normally be the cocktail hour between ceremony and reception dinner. Does anyone have some ideas on what I could do to keep guests occupied while we are doing our photo's etc?

kaesha · February 2011

Give them fun non-alcoholic drinks and food. Our guests played croquet (and loved it)- could you set up some games for yours?

[Deleted User] · February 2011

There are so many different mocktails that you could have!! They have entire recipe books for them. But just call it a social hour and not a cocktail hour and people will be ready to sit back, relax and chitchat.

neongreenbox · February 2011

we are thinking of having an Italian soda bar - you can get all different flavors of syrups that can be mixed and matched with seltzer.

SD3194 · February 2011

I love juice/lemonade bars at weddings. I think they're super cute. I really want to do it but we're having signature cocktails and I think it would be overkill to have both.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · February 2011

My friend (who got married in Phoenix too!) had a dry wedding and she just had 2 kinds of non-alcoholic punch and some passed apps for cocktail hour (I think she did falafel in pita, mini tostadas and fruit kebobs). It was just like a regular cocktail hour but with no alcohol.

ckonidak · February 2011

Ditto PP's. You have lots of choices, and I'd definitely call it a social hour, that way people don't hear "cocktail" and get upset when there is no actual cocktails.

And I LOVE the Lemonade bars, Italian soda bar sounds fun too!

FutureJilliannD · February 2011

I like your Italian soda bar idea! I would also have some food they can nibble on while they are waiting.

rubber+soul · February 2011

I would serve appetizers, a variety of non-alcoholic drinks, and hook up an ipod for backgroud music. Guests can mingle and make conversation while you have your photos taken. Also, what about a photobooth? They are fun and you can buy a bunch of props so your guests can take fun, silly pictures.

djshumway · February 2011

Thanks for all the wonderful ideas

heinz11msw · February 2011

virgin dacquari's, virgin margaritas, root beer floats, shirley temples,chocolate "martinis". there are amazing fun drinks that are yummy without alcohol. do anything you normally would but without the booze!

KristyIan11 · February 2011

Around here everyone does a huge spread of cookies for that time. I've never really understood having a plate of cookies before dinner but everyone does it and everyone (at least in my family) expects it. You can make tables full of cookies look really beautiful.