Alternatives to Cocktail Hour?

I would have some music playing, apps (even light ones) and soft drinks, lemonade, tea etc.

You can have some appetizers, tea, lemonade, water and soda for your guest why you take pictures.

Make sure you have food! What about a lemonade bar, they can add different fruit to it or something. What time of day is your ceremony at?

Are your ceremony and reception in 2 different locations? I would include appetizers. Maybe provide something fun for them to do. We have well wishes cards for people to fill out, the guestbook, we're looking into getting a corn hole set and maybe ladder ball. There's also the photobooth, but I think that begins later in the evening. Definitely provide food though. Especially since you're not having any alcohol.

Yep, it's ok to do apps and non-alcoholic drinks to fill the time.

Can you have outdoor/lawn games setup with some apps and fun soft drinks (flavored teas and lemonades, make your own mocktails, etc).

I think it's great that you are thinking of this instead of making guests occupy themselves. You could have a cocktail hour still, the only difference would be that you would just serve non-alcoholic beverages. It's always nice for people to have some food to snack on and refreshments. Could you offer some sort of nice "virgin" signature drink? Like a punch or spritzer? It would give the same feel as a regular cocktail hour without the alcohol

"Cocktail hour" doesn't need to include cocktails. If it's a dry wedding, just make sure you have some kind of refreshment you are providing your guests, both food and drink.

Appetizers and non alcoholic drinks would be great! Another bride on here who had limited alcohol provided an Italian soda bar, which is a fun idea. Lawn games or music are also great ways for guest to entertain themselves. Semantically speaking, if someone invited me to a cocktail hour, I would expect a cocktail. I think you are right to call it something else. Refreshment hour?

Another idea would be to shorten your photos a bit. I personally think an hour is a pretty long time for just bride/groom photos. Especially since you'll have such a small guest list so you're photographer will probably get a decent amount of photos of just the two of you throughout the entire wedding.

I'd do appetizers but I'd also do wine. Just me.

To All - Added a little more information about the wedding. It's a Sunday wedding, during the day. Not sure if it will be more of a lunch or just an early evening wedding just yet. It will likely be 4 hours or a little less all together.

So you think drinks and some appetizers would be enough? Since the reception is indoors, I can't really do lawn games Should I try to plan some sort of activity along with everything? I worry with so few people that mingling won't be enough to fill the whole hour. Maybe I'm worrying too much!

@AlexisM082 - Those are really cute ideas. Maybe I could do something like the well wish cards - like those questionnaires I see all over pinterest where you guess who the statement applies to -bride or groom?

@Jacqui722 - An Italian soda bar would be so cute! I'd have to see if the hotel would let me do something like that (they are catering the wedding, so I will have to look over the contract again on things like that).

@Kaylie - The signature mocktail is a great idea! I will need to get in touch with the hotel about it to see if they do things like that. I would love to make something myself if they don't have some clause about not bringing your own drinks.

I definitely like the tea/lemonade ideas! I think that would go over well.

@SwoleMates2016 (your username gets me every time! I love it!) - you think it's too long? I was shooting from the hip as far as estimating how long it would take. My photographer said she could work with as a little as 30 minutes. You think I should plan for 30-40 minutes instead (extra ten for wiggle room)?

@Celia - I like wine myself, too. I don't personally have a problem with alcohol or anything. But his entire family doesn't drink at all. And my mom doesn't drink. SO, that meant dry! lol.

Sounds like you have it figured out. Just do a cocktail hour without the cocktails. If you have appetizers I think people will be happy. Adding in a virgin drink will make it even better.

Here are some other small ideas:

- If you are doing a slideshow, you could have it playing on loop for people to look at if they wish (I wouldn't call attention to it, just have it there)

- If you are having any sort or dance after (maybe not given the time) you could have people write down song requests

- Alexis mentioned this, but well wish cards are great. My cousin had "marriage advice" cards for people to fill out. Some people wrote serious things others were silly, mildly obnoxious, or a little inappropriate, but we all had a great time doing it and it gave people something to talk about.

- What are you doing for your guest book? We are making a photo guest book. There will be lots of empty space for people to sign, but there will be 1 or 2 pictures per page of FH and I with various friends/family (from various points in time). I anticipate people taking time to flip through it looking at the pictures. It will probably also be a conversation starter.

- Are you doing favors? Another cousin of mine gave out card decks. I missed the wedding, but I heard that some people were playing cards with each other while they waited. Maybe you could do a creative favor of some sort.

@KB - Thank you for such a detailed response, I don't know if I agree about having things figured out lol! There will be a small space for dancing, but to be honest I don't anticipate anyone dancing for very long (just based on knowing everyone!).

- I wondered if I should do marriage advice cards. But then I thought it might not be great because there will only be a few married people there! Regardless, I think that or something like that could work out now that I've been given the idea!

-We haven't decided on what kind of guest book yet. I had considered maybe doing a canvas with ink pads for everyone's thumb: seen so many on pinterest! A photo book sounds amazing. I may have to look into what all kinds of guest books people are doing nowadays

-We are doing favors, but no decisions there yet! Thinking of the carts though, we did consider putting board games out (we met at a board game party). I just don't know if they'd get used. But it's definitely something to consider!!

We too aren't doing a first look, per request of FH. So I've been doing a lot of research on timing. Asking your photographer is obviously the best way to go but here are a few suggestions too. Bride/bridesmaids/bride’s family (and same thing with groom), you need at least 30 minutes for the group pictures after the ceremony if you are wanting the traditional family and bridal party poses. They say to plan 3 mins per shot that you want. Then you’ll need 15-20 minutes minimum to shoot with your new spouse. Consider what shots you really want to have (do you need individual shots with each aunt and cousin, or will one big group shot of your side of the family do) when you’re figuring out your wedding day timeline.

We are serving appetizers, and our open bar will start during that time. Also, we are setting up an area where guests can play board games (and bring them home after, they are our centrepieces).

I had a friend who held their ceremony at a theatre and after while they took pictures they had a movie showing for their guests to kill the time.

@SwoleMates2016 - OMG that 3 mins per shot comment is so great! I can totally micromanage this thing now Jokes aside, that really is very helpful. That will really help me decide what kinds of shots I want and see how that adds up in an estimate. Thank you!