"Cocktail" Hour

Re: "Cocktail" Hour

• jagore08 member

  

  January 2012 edited January 2012

  Lemonade but maybe spice it up and have strawberry lemonade, soda.  I like to look on foodnetwork.com for recipe ideas.  Also, if you're having a dry wedding you might want to consider calling it "social hour" instead of "cocktail hour".

  Ignorance is a poor defense.

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• tldh member

  

  January 2012

  I agree with Jagore on calling it a social hour and to have different flavored lemonades.  Maybe have a cookie display set up.
  
  Try a display with grapes and bunches of spiced nuts. I tried this recipe at Christmas and it was a huge hit:
  
  2 C mixed nuts like walnuts, pecans, cashews, brazil nuts
  1/4 C light corn syrup
  1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  1/2 tsp cayenne
  1/2 tsp paprika
  Mix together and cook in nonstick skillet. Form into bunches and serve with green and red grapes.

  
  AKA GoodLuckBear14

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• thefuturemrsfollmer member

  

  January 2012

  I'd do some "mocktails" I've seen cosmos, arnald palmers, bellini {with sparkling cider} and even mojitos.

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• Ljacks87

  

  January 2012

  Agree with PP that it should be called a social hour. 

  
  

  Since I don't think you want family up there mixing fresh drinks, it's best to have guests self-serve pre made beverages. If I were you, I would make original lemonade plus one flavored lemonade (like strawberry) and original iced tea and one flavored iced tea.You may also consider providing bottled water eother before the ceremony, or at the social hour. IMO, if your wedding takes place during warmer months, you don't need to supply hot coffee or tea during the social hour, but people may appreciate plain water more. I think more people would drink coffee/tea after dinner.

  
  

  This would be my inspiration (I freakin love it and almost did it at the church before our wedding).

  
  

  http://www.projectwedding.com/biography/list/wakechick25/lemonade-bar

  
  

  Some fruit skewers, tea sandwiches and brownies/cookie bars would be enough to munch on. These are easy to put together ahead of time and can be set out easily after the ceremony. 

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• PinkRoseAcct

  

  January 2012

  We are doing the lemonade/ice tea bar at our reception!  Ljacks87, I am so happy that you posted that - great pic of what I  need to show!  My plan is for regular lemonade and ice tea (unsweetened), and blackberry, mango, peach and mint simple syrups.

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• ElisabethJoanne member

  

  January 2012

  I've had some really great punch. I'm not a fan of the ice cream in the punch bowl thing, though. If this is before a meal, you can call it "hors d'ouvers," no "hour."
  
  Will the meal be in another location? I don't understand why there needs to be a name for this hour at all. Your reception cards or combined invitations should be able to just say, "Reception immediately following in the church hall." Guests don't need a timeline, especially not a printed one. [I might have someone announce the general order of events at the beginning of the reception, so our elderly guests and guests with small children can decide to stay for the cake cutting, or not, or for the first dance, or not.]
  
  We aren't serving alcohol during our "cocktail hour," but as I begin to e-mail caterers, I still use the expression, while explaining the menu and drinks we want. Our invitations will just say, "Reception immediately following..."

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