2 hours for cocktails?

preciosa4 · June 2010

My wedding is at 2:30 in the afternoon. (A set time according to my church's rules.) Our ceremony will have a full Catholic Mass and will probably be about an hour. After the receiving line and the trip to the hotel, my guess is that guests will arrive for cocktails at about 4:00. Only problem is that due to a snafu at the hotel, we can't have dinner until 6:00. (I was hoping for 5:30.) We can't afford appetizers (though they might have snack mix or peanuts or something on the bar...) and I have visions of people getting hammered for 2 hours on empty stomachs, just out of sheer boredom. Any ideas of how to make the 2 hours a little more interesting? Most of the people there know lots of other people there, so for most, conversation and a chance to catch up can fill the time, but still... 2 hours seems like WAY too long for cocktails... Help!

trix1223 · June 2010

Yeah. You really need to have some kind of food. 2 hours of drinking and standing around waiting for the party to start does sound way too long for me. And 2 hours of drinking without food is a recipe for disaster.

I wish I had an answer, but I don't. Other than to agree with you that 2 hour cocktail hour + no food=potential problems.

mica178 · June 2010

If you can't afford appetizers, how are you going to afford a 2 hour cocktail hour? Trust me, it's a lot cheaper to pay for food than alcohol. Food consumption could also slow down alcohol consumption. I think youd be better off hosting just beer and wine at that time so you can afford a cheese and cracker platter than have a full bar and drunk guests at your reception.

Otherwise, could you arrange for sightseeing for your guests?

gottahavashorti · June 2010

Can you host home made cookies and brownies or veggie, fruit and cheese trays in the church hall? Or cut back on the food/bar selections for the reception in order to provide so me light appetizers. I'd get a little drunk with 2 hours of alcohol on an empty stomach since it's relatively far from lunch time, especially if I'm not eating food to slow the speed of drinking.

jenn.daniel · June 2010

Honestly, I'd be pretty pissed that I'd be famished just so everyone else could enjoy their alcohol. The last wedding we atteneded had free alcohol but only chex-mix to snack on. Hands-down worst reception I've ever attended, and I tell people that. Cut back on the alcohol so you can provide food for people.

[Deleted User] · June 2010

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preciosa4 · June 2010

Actually, it's just a "per head" package, so the cost won't change, no matter how much is consumed. We aren't having hard liquor, just soft drinks, etc, beer, and wine. As for appetizers, I totally agree! In an ideal world, this is what I would do. The problems is that we simply DO NOT have the money. (It would be several hundreds of dollars more at our venue, and they don't allow us to bring anything in other than wedding cake.) Having snacks at the church in the fellowship room is an idea though.... Hmmm.....

I guess I'm more concerned about how to fill the time and keep people entertained, though, not just on how to feed them.

PharmacyBride · June 2010

You mention that dinner starts at 6.. but do you get access to the room before then? I was told to set aside 30 minutes for the entrance, first dance, toasts, etc. Can you start this at 5:30 then have dinner start at 6? This would bring down the length of cocktail hour.

Otherwise.. ditto PPs. Your plan will likely lead to drunk and cranky guests. This is no way to start a reception! If you can't afford fancy hor dourves- are there cheaper food options (ie. fruit, veggies, mini beef sandwiches, etc)?

trix1223 · June 2010

Pharmacy: I'm going to hijack this thread to say that those are the most incredibly adorable puppies I've seen in a long, long time.

gottahavashorti · June 2010

Will your venue let you swap things in the package? Switch salad for bread baskets during cocktail hour or something along those lines? Are there any 'extras' like decorations, upgrades on linens, 2-3 entree options for guests instead of 1, etc. that you have that you could swap for food during cocktail hour? They probably want to have a certain amount of profit over locking you into an exact package.

PharmacyBride · June 2010

Thanks hijacker (trix) puppies are always awesome!

OP: I like your idea of offering food at the ceremony... then they at least have the chance to fill up a bit before drinking!! You could do home made or deli style food. (Even simple subway sandwich trays would go a long way among your guests!) Not sure how to work it out.. but it might be worth considering. Good luck. It is nice of you to try and figure something out for your guests while staying in budget : )

Edit (addition): Most Catholic brides have an hour gap then an hour cocktail hour (sometimes with food; sometimes without). The fact you are giving them an extra hour of open bar is a good thing. Just keep in mind, your guests may be hungry, drunk, and/or antsy by the time dinner starts. (Giving them an hour to let them do as they please may be a decent option. It may also allow you to tack that hour at the end of the reception and party into the night!) You just have to decide what will be best for your guests.

preciosa4 · June 2010

Thanks, ladies... Things to think about...

Theresa626 · June 2010

It'll probably be only an hour and a half considering you're doing a recieving line. the mass will be an hour and then people have to get in their cars and drive somewhere. i'd say the earliest they'll get there is 4:15 more like 4:30. Simple trays of veggies and dip or cheese and crackers should be good enough just so there's a little something to munch on. I think you'll be fine.

Theresa626 · June 2010

Also, I agree with pharmacy. If they will let you in without food at 5:30 you can do the other stuff first and then have your cocktail hour from 4:30 to 5:30.

mica178 · June 2010

If you could serve just some food and crackers at the church rectory after the ceremony, you could prime everyone's stomach before cocktail hour. You could use that time for some pro pictures with your wedding guests while it's still light. Then have cocktail hour start at the hotel at 4:30 or 4:45.

2 hours for cocktails?

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