wedding day cocktail hour Archives - byDesign Photo + Film

Incredible Wine Ideas For Your Wedding That We Love

Tinted by wine and high on spirits- Host a wine-themed wedding your guest will remember forever! Click the link to know how!

Do you and your sweetheart have memories of bonding over a bottle of wine, or heading out to a vineyard for your first weekend away as a couple? Do you appreciate the science and complexity of how a humble grape changes into a spirit promising a good time, we have just the perfect theme for you lovers! How about a wine-themed wedding and leaning on your love for the vino? A wedding theme is something that most couples think long and hard about, but sometimes it can be just effortless and laid back, while still being incredibly classy! With a wine-themed wedding, you won’t have to go to extensive lengths to pull it together.

A gorgeous venue gets most of the work done single-handedly, while you can have subtle wine elements with the color choices, witty signs, and usage of wine bottles and corks for various decor elements! Also, we have yet to meet someone who won’t light up like a thousand light bulbs at the mention of wine! Think endless rustic romantic vineyards, gorgeous sunsets, outdoor receptions with bistro lights gleaming overhead, and rustic linens awaiting a feast with friends and family. We have thought of everything from your wine-themed wedding invitations to venues offering exquisite views and authentic vineyard vibes! If you and your partner are looking for a wedding day that is sun-soaked and wine-tinted and heady with the aroma of wine, take notes, because we come bearing ideas!

Vineyard venue

What can be more romantic than a vineyard wedding? Not much, that’s for sure! It only makes sense to have your wedding at a vineyard if you eat, sleep, and breathe wine! These types of places usually provide spectacular scenic vistas in addition to an attractive, laid-back atmosphere. If you don’t already have a favorite, look for possibilities at nearby vineyards and vineyard wedding locations. Consider a destination wedding in a wine-producing region such as Napa Valley or Santa Barbara on the West Coast, or Charlottesville, Virginia on the East Coast, for the ultimate vineyard experience.

Pair the Food With the Wine

Let your guest experience a fully exquisite wine and food pairing luxury! Determine the wines you’ll serve based on your menu with the help of your caterers and bartenders. Include a remark about wine pairings on your menu cards or placards. If guests have pre-selected their entrée, put down the name and wine choices next to each meal description; however, if you are hosting a family-style meal, list the suggestions that pair best with the caterers’ offerings. This will make your guest feel like they are part of an exclusive club!

Wine-inspired florals

For your florals and overall color palette, draw inspiration from the burgundies, mauves, and deep reds prevalent throughout the features of your vineyard location, not to mention the wine itself. The greens and browns of vineyards would look great with dark blossoms and décor. The juxtaposition between the exquisite blooms and the rustic use of a barrel is one of our favorites! When choosing the perfect flowers for your wine-themed wedding, consider all varied shades of purple, maroon, and deep reds, like Dahlia, orchids, daylilies, iris, oxalis, and grasses. These can be paired with fresh foliage for the perfect balance!

Support local vendors

While Napa Valley may come to mind when thinking of a vineyard wedding, amazing wines can be found all over the world! Finding nearby vineyards, depending on your region, might make travel easier for your guests and give your wedding a more local feel. Examine your choices carefully and go for a vendor who is not only worthy but is also able to offer you a wide variety of options to make your experience memorable! This way, you’ll not only be supporting local businesses, but you’ll also be able to sample some delectable, one-of-a-kind flavors!

Wine barrel details

Incorporating wine barrels into your ceremony venue or cocktail hour is a subtle way to integrate the feeling of a winery into your décor. They can be used as tables or as a platform for floral arrangements. The blossoms and the rustic barrel will be a fantastic match for each other. Wine barrels can also be used in a variety of other ways! Instead of a standard guest book, have guests sign a wine barrel head, which you can keep forever!

Let your backdrop speak

If you’re being married in front of grapevines, you won’t need a lot of flowers. Allow the natural beauty of the location to speak for itself by opting for a minimum display of décor. One of the best things about being married at a vineyard is being able to take advantage of the beautiful scenery. This is especially true for photography. Rolling hills, rich greenery, and plenty of natural light combine to create a stunning set of wedding photos.

Personalized labels

We can’t think of a more adorable way to invite your wine-loving friends to your wedding. You’ll get an instant yes if you surprise your bridesmaids-to-be with their favorite bottle of wine with bespoke labels. A bottle of wine from the vineyard with personalized labeling can prove to be the perfect wedding favor if you want to send your guests home with a piece of your wedding memory. If you want to take your personalization even further, go for a custom crest that can be used in all of your wedding stationery!

Cork details

What better way to bring in the wine theme than with corks? Whether it is “Bar” signage made up of wine corks, or it is the cork cardholders, using wine cork for wedding details is a smart way to bring the wine theme to the wedding decorations. We also love the idea of using cork in unexpected ways, whether it is as a save-the-date fridge magnet or cork coasters!

Clear out bar issues

Keep in mind that many wineries restrict the types of bars you can visit. Some wineries only serve their wines, obviating the possibility of serving other sorts of alcoholic beverages. If margaritas or liquor were on your must-have list, double-check before signing the dotted line. You can also host a wine-tasting session for your guests, but if you wish to serve other beverages, you should do so after having a word with your winery or vineyard.

Wine details in wedding cards

The wedding theme starts way before the actual wedding, and the wedding invitation is a good way to announce the theme. How about a wedding invitation with wine splashes or a ring of a wine bottle? You can also go for fun grape watercolor illustrations or rustic details to bring the vineyard rustic vibes to the table. You can also announce your theme with wine corks with the wedding date inscribed in them! With a theme like this, there are many ways you can go!

Wedding favors

The most common way to go about it is to offer your guest mini wine bottles with your personalized labels, but that is not all that you can do! You can go for fun personalized wine glasses, or heart-shaped bottle stoppers if your guests are wine enthusiasts as you are! You can also gift wine-scented candles or luxury grape juice bottles to your non-drinker guests! Either way, the options are endless!

Wedding signage

If a wedding is not a place for quirky puns as signage, what is? Do you and your significant other have similar wine preferences? With humorous wedding signage, you may show off your favorite way with words. You can go for something fun and quirky like “Pour the wine, his last name is mine” or “You’re the cabernet to my sauvignon.” If you are looking for some wine puns, the internet will surely not disappoint you! Talking of signs and saying, why use basic napkins when pink ones with beautiful sayings are available? The fun “yeah way rosé” napkins will have your guests ‘gramming them all night long.

Keepsakes

If you are getting married in a vineyard very close to your heart and serving your exquisite wines to your guest, it can be a great idea to have the bottle for you and your sweetheart to keep and cherish later! You can have your guest sign the label for you, and you can pop that cork open on your 1st anniversary or even your 5th one! This can be a fun way to commemorate the day while making it a memory you can relive years later! After all, they don’t say wine gets better with age for nothing!

Wedding cake and desserts

A sweet table is one of the sweetest and the most anticipated parts of the wedding day, so a wine-themed wedding should include the same. Whether you chose to have wine-soaked berries infused in your wedding cake’s flavoring choices or your wine theme is depicted visually with succulent grapes and berries cascading down a simple rustic cake, the options are endless! You can also bring the wine element with the colors used in the icing, going for ombre brushstroke icing, or subtle grapevine details for a more cottagecore take on the wedding confection. While the cake has been spoken for, you can’t ignore the rest of the dessert table. Infuse some fun with some wine sugar cookies or wine-flavored macaroons for a more Parisian take on the desserts!

Guest book bottle

How do you take the memories of your stunning wedding with you forever? The easier way is with a guest book! Whether it is with a barrel lid with messages from your loved ones, or with a wine bottle signed by your guests, this is somewhere where you can get creative. Another charming and romantic way is to go the “message in the bottle” route and have your guests leave advice, wishes, or snippets of wisdom in empty wine bottles which can be opened in your forthcoming wedding anniversaries. You can set up empty bottles and number them to indicate which anniversary it is intended to be opened, and leave paper and pen for your guests to jot down sweet nothings! This is a gorgeous way to not only make your guests feel their thoughts and wishes are welcome, but it also makes for a sweet keepsake.

Wine color attires

Wedding attires are one of the most fun ways to bring in the wine theme to your special day! Wine is a deep crimson color that is perfect for a sophisticated and romantic wedding. This lovely burgundy color complements all skin tones and looks great on everyone. If you’re looking for beautiful wine bridesmaid dresses, take a look at some of the year’s most popular wine wedding color schemes. The color wine can be found online under the name ‘Bordeaux.’ Creating a coherent lineup is simple with designs and sizes to suit everyone in your wedding party. Alternatively, you can go for something more neutral like blush pink or champagne with the bridesmaid dresses while the groomsmen wear oxblood suits! This combination is especially gorgeous for an autumn wedding, but is classic enough to work around the year!

Nothing says “fun wedding” quite like a wine-themed wedding day! With the promise of wide-open vineyards, luscious grapes, wine tasting, and lovely photo opportunities by the cartload, a wine-themed wedding is just as fun as it sounds! Whether your love of wine comes from enjoying a glass of ruby red liquid after a productive day, or it comes from the way the wine theme is so close to nature and brings all the rustic countryside elements with it, you can’t go wrong with a wine-themed wedding! While we tried to cover all aspects of the wedding to fit the theme, the theme is such that it is incredibly flexible for you to include far more than what is mentioned. Just have fun with it, and be creative for a fun wedding in high spirits!

Flower Girl Tips for a Perfect Wedding Day

Looking for some flower-girl inspo? Explore our plethora of adorable flower girl ideas and tips in the link for a memorable wedding day!

Now that the big rock shines on your ring finger, it’s time to say yes to wedding planning! But the first question will always be “where do I start?” Planning a wedding can be one of the most exciting as well as overwhelming experiences for every bride across the globe, whether it is a classy Christmas wedding while cruising down south or an intimate B&B wedding with cozy details. With so many details to take care of along with maintaining hundreds of lists, it all comes down to these months. But don’t feel pressured! You will sail through the already charted waters of wedding planning sessions when you have the perfect wedding inspirations at your disposal.

From looking for a great videographer for capturing your wedding to getting all your loved ones ready for the big day to throwing an amazing and memorable engagement party, things are just about to get exciting! We all have seen how groomsmen and bridesmaid proposal ideas have become a trendy way for couples to decide on their closest people and make them stand by their side on the big wedding day. But they aren’t the only members who are going to be a part of your wedding party who deserves your love and attention. Do not forget those little ones in your wedding party who will be coveted as adorable flower girls and cute ring bearers! Just like asking your bridesmaids to be a part of your bridal party is significant and needs planning, asking your flower girl to garner “awws” from guests as they traipse down the aisle is fun and beautiful wedding tradition that needs planning too. The littlest members of the wedding party should also be treated like VIPs, just like the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

These adorable cutie-pies also add to the lightheartedness and whimsy of a wedding day. Having a flower girl walk the aisle before you is also a great way to deflect the nervousness that you might be facing on your big day. It also showcases the love you have towards the kid’s parents as much as you want them included on the most special day of your life, which can be a lasting gift to the children as well as the parents. So you will want these spots to be filled with someone very special to you. From including nieces to including your best friend’s little girl, choosing your flower girl is also a great way to include friends and family in your wedding. Also if you have more than one niece or cousin, you do not need to decide who you love more to be a part of the wedding party. You can assign more than one child for each wedding role and it’s a very common thing to include multiple flower girls in a wedding ceremony. But there are certain things to consider while planning for your flower girl. As it is a big responsibility to hold objects that will be used in the wedding ceremony, the flower girl’s role should be given to a child who will be able to carry out the assignment given to them. And here are some foolproof tips for getting your flower girl down the aisle and celebrating her on the biggest day of your life.

Here are some of the best tips and ideas for your flower girl

Have the flower girl walk with her parent

For good reason, the majority of flower girls are between the ages of three and eight. Younger children are more likely to act out because they don’t understand the wedding rituals and traditions. If you are hiring a toddler as an attendant, consider having one or both of their parents accompany them down the aisle, as young children feel more at ease when they are accompanied by trusted adults. Having a parent walk down the aisle with them is a lot better than a child refusing and not walking down the aisle at all. Allowing all the flower girls to walk together may also help to avoid nerves or tantrums.

Give your flower girl enough time to rehearse

You have heard of the phrase “practice makes everything perfect.” While the flower girl should participate in the wedding rehearsal, it’s also important to give her plenty of other opportunities to practice before that. Make it a game by having her show you her walk now and then. This will provide her with plenty of opportunities to perfect her walk and gain confidence. This flower girl idea is especially important for younger flower girls who may not have the same level of confidence as an older kid. Have your flower girls practice their entrance several times before the ceremony, and do this as close to the actual processional time as possible. If you rely solely on the ceremony rehearsal, the child may have trouble remembering the directions because they aren’t fresh in their minds. Moreover, the atmosphere at the actual ceremony will be very different from the rehearsal. Keep in mind that you won’t always get the same stellar performance as the day before. When the entire wedding venue will be packed with strangers, a child may experience social anxiety.

Give her the best proposal

Aren’t we all fans of amazing proposal ideas? So why not uniquely propose to your flower girl so that she feels special too. Ask her to be your flower girl in a fun way. There are a lot of ideas on Pinterest for this, but some of our favorites are the classic ring pop proposal, giving her a book about being a flower girl, and giving her a puzzle to put together with the word “proposal” written on it.

Try talking about the importance of their role

If your flower girl is older than four, talk to her about the significance of her role in the ceremony. Knowing how special this job is will motivate them to do a fantastic job. Kids enjoy knowing that they have a significant role to play in such an important event. The more you can do to make them excited about walking down the aisle, the more likely they are to enjoy and fully participate. Before the wedding, speak with the child’s parents and have them hype up the child’s “special job” in the days leading up to the ceremony.

Spend time together

While most little girls would love to be a flower girl in a ceremony, walking down the aisle in front of a crowd is bound to be nerve-wracking. Set aside sometime a few weeks before the wedding to do something fun with your flower girl alone. This will help put her at ease and show her that you can be trusted.

Get her gifts and treats

Bribes are irresistible to children of all ages! Enlist a parent or a member of the bridal party to hold a treat at the front of the aisle if you are working with younger children. In theory, the goodies will distract the child during the process, causing them to focus all of their energy on obtaining the item. If you are working with older children, a parent can promise to give them a prized toy after the wedding if they behave well during the processional. Give your flower girl a small gift as a token of appreciation for her attendance at your wedding on the day of the wedding. Though there are many different options out there, a sparkling necklace or a cute pair of shoes will not only bring delight but also make her look extra cute while walking down the aisle.

Schedule some downtime

Little kids may quickly become exhausted due to the unfamiliarity and fast pace of wedding day functions. Make sure they have some downtime during the big day. This is especially important if you plan to have small children present for any pre-ceremony photos. In a nutshell, the less time you have to spend taking pictures before the wedding, the better your chances of getting a cooperative ring bearer or flower girl.

Keep them busy

Let’s face it: most small children are utterly bored during a wedding, including in the moments leading up to the ceremony. Distractions like an iPad to play on before the ceremony can help deal with this boredom. You can also keep snacks on hand to avoid hunger tantrums. Stick to foods like string cheese, fruit, crackers, and puffs that are easy to transport and won’t make a mess.

Help her to feel included

Including your flower girl in all of the pre-wedding functions with you and the girls will help her feel more involved in the festivities while also calming her nerves. Just make sure that if she gets her hair done, you choose a style that is easy to recreate. Sitting in the stylist’s chair for hours on end can be exhausting for young children. In the event of an emergency, her parents should always be nearby.

Co-ordinate the flower girl look

Consider having the flower girl’s outfit coordinate with you or the wedding party when planning what she will wear. If your bridesmaids have updos, give her one as well. If you are getting your makeup done professionally, add a little glitz to her look. This will make her feel more included in the group and put her at ease!

Everyone loves watching a cute-as-a-button flower girl make her way down the aisle during a wedding ceremony, but a lot goes into making this little one feel comfortable and included in your nuptials. Every bride has her ideas for what their flower girl should do, but she usually walks down the aisle in front of the bride or maid of honor, scattering rose petals in their path. Because many venues no longer allow petals to be strewn across the floor, modern flower girls often carry a basket of flowers or a miniature bouquet instead. After the flower girl has walked down the aisle, her main responsibilities include looking adorable and posing for wedding photos. During the ceremony, older flower girls may stand at the altar with the bridesmaids, while younger flower girls usually sit with their parents or grandparents.

Including the little girls in your big day is a fun wedding tradition as these adorable kids not only make some amazing wedding photo ops but also come with a big responsibility of preparing the wedding aisle with flower petals for the bride’s grand entrance. Having a flower girl at your wedding ceremony is not just another wedding party role that needs to be filled up. It is said that the smallest members of the wedding party tend to have a big impact on creating some of the most memorable wedding moments. The role of a flower girl can be a relatable experience for all your guests as she walks down the aisle carrying flower petals or blowing bubbles, which will go a long way to bind the guests with a sense of innocence that comes with the inclusion of these little ones. The flower girl’s role also reminds everyone present at your wedding ceremony of something as pure as the love between the to-be married couple.

The flower girls and ring bearers are the cutest members of your wedding party. It may seem impossible to get a small child to walk down the aisle without crying or throwing a tantrum. From the perspective of the children, consider the following: They are asked to walk down a pathway while tossing flower petals or holding a pillow in front of dozens of people who are staring and taking photos. Can you blame them if they are having stage fright? Fortunately, the above-mentioned flower girl tips are a few simple steps you can take to ensure that your young guests have a wonderful time on the big day. These ideas and tips can be great to get your flower girl to walk down the aisle like a little fairy and pull everyone’s heartstrings!

Incredible ways to Have the Perfect Wedding Cocktail

Incredible tips to host an easy-breezy cocktail hour on your wedding day to leave a lasting impression on all your wedding guests! Cheers!

No matter how incredibly skilled you are at hosting cocktail parties, when it comes to wedding day cocktail hour, trust us it is not a cakewalk! There are endless things that need to be considered amongst the long list in order to host a memorable and perfect wedding cocktail hour celebration! Apart from deciding on the vendors and finalizing your wedding guest lists, there are other things that you need to consider. The most important part, when it will be your cocktail hour, is that you won’t be even there for most of it (or maybe any of it) completely depending on your professional photography timeline! So, in short, you won’t be able to play host(ess) the way you would do for any other cocktail hour celebration!

But, you need not stress away! We have got you covered! With just a little pre-planning and nice personalized and simple pro tips, hosting a perfect cocktail hour will surely be an easy-peasy task for you. All you have to do is to employ these easy points mentioned below, and we can assure you that you will have an easy-breezy cocktail hour that your wedding guests will enjoy and remember for the rest of their lives!

Go, Al Fresco, If You Can

If your wedding reception venue has a unique annex or a lovely outdoor space, then congratulations you are in luck! All you have to do is to use the entire space mainly during your cocktail hour! Your cocktail hour is the best time to make use of the entire venue space in every possible way! Well, your cocktail hour is the perfect time for all your wedding guests to mingle and catch up, relish the ambiance, adore the settings, and take a chill pill before the party kicks into full gear! So, make use of all the expansive space that your reception wedding venue has to offer! Balconies, patios, rooftops, poolside… every space can be utilized to the best and to the fullest to have a perfect wedding cocktail hour! If you are planning a romantic and classic outdoor wedding reception celebration then you just got lucky. An outdoor celebration immediately sets the entire party tone while making the entire setting more inviting and romantic! Keep the space available throughout the celebration, so that all your wedding guests can step out for some fresh air or a quick phone call later on!

Comfy Seating Is a Big “YES”

Well, for many of your wedding guests, your wedding cocktail hour will be all about standing and walking around while mingling and having some interesting convos, but some of your wedding guests will want to take a comfy seat while savoring every sip of the fine wine or whisky in their glasses! To offer the perfect combination of both the words, all you have to do is not overcrowd your wedding cocktail hour space with chairs all over the place! Just leave enough space for standing spots and for walking while adding some really comfy seats or by creating a lounge area!

When it comes to seating, there are endless and creative ways to do it! Not only will these creative ideas definitely elevate the entire seating arrangement in order to make your cocktail hour a perfect celebration but will also look stunning in all your wedding videos and photos! You can create some really unique and yes, of course, comfortable seating, just by using the combination of high tops and regular height tables, along with some lounge furniture, low chairs, barstools, floor pillows, and poofs! This way you will be able to give your cocktail hour a different feel than your classic sit-down reception dinner! If you are planning a winter wedding and looking ahead to adding a cozier vibe, you can consider building a virtual outdoor living room with comfy armchairs, rugs, and vintage end tables!

Music To Soothe the Ambiance

As most of your wedding guests will be busy talking, sipping, and snacking during your cocktail hour, bringing in some mood music will surely elevate the mood of the entire ambiance and the crowd too! Adding some soulful music is another simple yet classic way to have a perfect cocktail celebration on your wedding day! Since it is not a casual and upbeat dance party yet, keep the volume turned down and the vibe mellow so that all your wedding guests can chat with ease and savor every sip of the wine in full delight! It does not matter whether you have planned a lively DJ to keep the vibe and energy high throughout your wedding reception, but just for the cocktail hour, slow it a bit down to resonate with the calm and composed ambiance of the cocktail hour! You can consider hiring a jazz trio, quartet, or acoustic guitarist to set a completely unique, distinct, and intensely romantic mood for your memorable cocktail hour! Summing everything up, providing your wedding guests with some really delightful mood music is surely an integral part of hosting a really fabulous cocktail hour that your wedding guests will never forget!

Over-Stocking the Bar & Hiring Plenty of Bartenders is a Good Move

A perfect cocktail hour is all about enjoying drinks and having a good time with each other! With cocktails all around, we are pretty much sure that your wedding guests would be able to get their drinks quickly and without a hassle! It will be an easy breeze for them! The reason we are emphasizing so much on hiring more bartenders is if you won’t hire enough bartenders and don’t stock the bar, there might be chances that your cocktail hour celebration might fall flat pretty quickly! Just imagine the scenario of waiting in a long bar line for an entire hour? Not a good-looking scene, right? As we all know, bad bar service always results in unhappy wedding guests! So, in order to avoid this rookie mistake, all you have to do is to hire two bartenders for about every 75 wedding guests and stock the bar with plenty of liquors, mixers, and supplies! As it never hurts to have some extra, because running out is quite embarrassing, which we are pretty sure you don’t want if you have a planned perfect cocktail celebration in your mind!

If you have planned to serve bottled beer to all your wedding guests, we wanna recommend that you consider placing individual bottles in a big and fancy tub with different shapes of ice cubes and leaving plenty of beer keys for all your wedding guests giving them the option of self-serving! There should not be any reason for your wedding guests to wait in line for a bartender to pop open a bottle of beer! If you’re serving beer from kegs, however, leave it to the pros behind the counter.

Stylish Cocktail Hour Celebration is a “GO”!

We can’t deny the fact that you and your sweetheart had spent ages choosing the reception venue and then some good time to finalize the reception decor to have a memorable and picture-worthy celebration! With these things sorted, don’t let your cocktail hour celebration go by the wayside, especially if you have planned it in a separate and panoramic space! Consider bringing in small centerpieces and some aromatic votive candles to style the ambiance as the combination of these two together offers a great way to finish off the room on a romantic note! For example, if you are planning a cocktail hour under the striking city skyline, followed by an indoor wedding reception in an opulent ballroom, don’t be afraid to vary the decor of the ambiance! Take advantage and make the best use of the natural foliage offered by mother nature. Bring in some string wide ribbons and colorful banners with some lovely string lights from the tree branches to illuminate the entire setting making it cozier and extremely romantic! Well, you can also consider setting up some chic and unique floral installations near the entrance to make a that will leave all your wedding guests in great amazement! These kinds of unique ideas will also give our professional wedding photographers and videographers endless opportunities to capture your wedding day in the best and most creative frames!

A Resonating Cocktail Hour Decor Theme is Must!

Well, the color palette, centerpieces, and the entire table setting always set the theme for a wedding celebration and also the wedding reception! But, if you are planning to host your cocktail hour in a separate location or outdoors, you must try something different when it comes to the decor! You definitely do not need to make all your wedding guests wear leis and Hawaiian-themed shirts, but you can consider serving the tropical cocktails out of coconuts, and some chips with fresh papaya and mango salsa! All your need to do is take your cocktail hour celebration theme to the next level just by expanding it to your music and decor! Step up and twist your decor game and experience the magic through naked eyes and also in the wedding photos and videos! Ease out the whole decor game and just hire a mariachi band and set up some handmade guacamole and churro stations for some extraordinary elements to the overall decor! Or you can simply just have a jazz pianist and singer perform throughout the celebration and consider decorating with some different and chic art deco-style chandeliers and a bold black and white color palette! All-time classic and chic!

Don’t Forget about Signature Cocktails and Non-Alcoholic Drinks!

Well, it is absolutely true that having on-demand liquors behind the bar is important, but don’t forget about those of your wedding guests who prefer non-alcoholic drinks! Make sure there are enough signature cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages for everyone so that they don’t miss out on any moment of your cocktail hour celebration! If you are planning an outdoor summer wedding, make sure you have got a few drink selections for non-drinkers, too! For summer weddings, try water infused with cucumber, melon, and mint with lots of ice to allow everyone to relish the summer vibes in full swing! If a winter wedding celebration is on your mind, try serving cozy and seasonal, like hot apple cider with some cinnamon sticks! The bottom line is that just offer more than just water and soda to all your wedding guests by having at least one mocktail on the menu! All you need to do is work with your caterer or mixologist to come up with something inventive and really chic like a mix of grapefruit and orange juices, or a little coconut milk and a small scoop of orange sherbet on top!

Scrumptious Bites Are a Must Add On!

We know that it’s your cocktail hour menu, but we just want to say that make sure it must be diverse enough so that all your wedding guests can enjoy at least one appetizer to the fullest! If you think you just got lost where to begin, touch on the major tastes: just serve something slightly salty, sweet, bitter, and savory! Keep on offering various other dishes to complement the signature cocktail drinks! Make sure you have kept a note of all the special diets or allergies ahead of time to ensure that everyone has something to enjoy! As a twist and something different, you can consider going ahead and offering all your wedding guests something sweet before they all sit down for the reception dinner! You don’t need to spoil their appetite for what’s to come (so save the chocolate ganache for later), but don’t forget to offer a seasonally sweet treat, like a fruit tart or lemon sorbet, which could be the perfect palate cleanser before the final dinner. You can also forgo typical utensils entirely by offering all bites on edible spoons or in mini crispy cones.

Source of Entertainment is Mandatory to Keep the Celebration Alive

It’s your cocktail hour celebration, so, don’t let the name cocktail hour get you or anyone on the guestlist confused! This part of your wedding day celebration can also include fun activities, games, and endless entertainment along with cocktails and conversations! In fact, it is a great way to keep your wedding guests entertained throughout the celebration. Fun activities and games will give all your wedding guests something to do, especially to those who are quite less comfortable in social situations or just don’t know anyone at the wedding! If you are planning your memorable cocktail hour celebration in the great outdoors, you can consider lawn games such as horseshoes, corn hole, and some others that you think your guests will enjoy to the fullest. And if you are thinking of having your cocktail hour inside, you can consider bringing in a photo booth or a caricature artist on hand to create some really unique and hilarious portraits. Just one thing to remember, don’t be afraid to get creative in order to find something that perfectly fits your style and budget and can make your cocktail hour a memorable celebration for all your wedding guests!

Bring on Personalized Details and Touches

Personalize, personalize, and personalize and don’t let these words go out of your mind if you actually want to host a memorable and perfect cocktail hour for all your wedding guests to remember for years to come! From monogrammed napkins to personalized koozies, or straws with DIY flags, there are indeed endless ways through which you can incorporate personal touches and also bring in your personality or your wedding theme into the cocktail hour celebration alive in the best way possible. Just because it is the in-between time between the two main celebrations on your wedding day, that simply does not mean that it should be generic and not extraordinary! Adding your personalized details and personal touches is nothing but a great way to give all your wedding guests a little peek at what’s coming during the wedding reception celebration!

Summing up, everything! These unique and simple ideas will definitely elevate and step up your cocktail hour celebration game. We can assure you that with these tips, not only you will be able to host a memorable cocktail hour, but your wedding guests will have something to actually talk about for years to come! Cheers!

Social