Cocktail hour and reception in the same room

Ehh kinda wouldn't feel like a cocktail hour to me. Can you just start the reception?

I just went to a wedding like this, I feel as long as there's drinks and food no one is going to care

Yep that's what I was thinking..wouldn't feel like cocktail hour..not a bad idea

Good point..yes we'll be serving the appetizers during that time and the bar will be open.

I wouldn't care

My cocktail hour and reception are in the same place. As long as there is alcohol and some food, I think that's all that matters.

I went a wedding like this and found it awkward because no one was actually mingling they all just went directly to their table for the reception and sat there the entire time. At the same time, that was a wedding where the head table felt like the kids table because the bride and groom got to invite 0 friends besides the bridal party because the grooms parents were paying.

That whole day was just super awkward

I'm with Sara on this one. The guests tend to go right to their table and no one really mingles...

Our wedding will be like this - we've been to several weddings at the same venue, and it is never a problem. The hors d'oeuvres are set up on the dance floor, and the bar is open. There is a patio with small tables and chairs and a fireplace attached to the room, but it is not large enough to hold everyone. Since our ceremony will be in a different location (church) the guests won't all arrive at the same time.

When you are the first people arriving at the reception (I was once) you want to be able to sit down.

ETA: Also, the bar area is large with some couches and chairs, so it is nice for mingling. We are hoping to set up a satellite bar on the patio, since we have seen it done before.

I went to a wedding like this a few months ago, and I didn't like it at all. The ceremony, cocktail hour AND reception were all in the same space. When the ceremony was over, we had to stand in the foyer/hallway and wait for a good 45 minutes while they rearranged everything for cocktail hour. When cocktail hour was up, we had to wait for them to rearrange the buffet to accommodate the dinner foods.

As PPs said, we went straight to our tables and didn't mingle with other guests. It also didn't help that the food wasn't all that great, and the drinks were watered down.

One of my friends went to a wedding like this over the summer. From the way she described it, it was pretty awkward. For starters, the only food they provided at cocktail hour was a cheese platter in the middle of the room that was gone by the time she and her friends got to the reception venue. Everyone went straight to the tables - but there was no seating chart at this wedding. People left awkward numbers of seats left at the tables, and her group of friends had to split up and sit with strangers for the whole reception.

Our venue was a historic mansion. The cocktail hour was held throughout the mansion - guests had access to the ballroom, where they could find their seats and put down their bags. The bar was in a separate area (not the ballroom) and guests had access to the foyer and living rooms of the mansion, where we had live music playing and cocktail tables set up as well as additional seating. We had butlered hors d'oeuvres, so I'm assuming the staff just went wherever the most people were mingling.

This is actually how MOST of the weddings I've been to have been, and we go to 2-4 weddings a year. Personally, I like having access to my table because I can put my bag down and find my seat. It makes getting seated once the bridal party is ready to enter much faster, because you don't suddenly have a rush of people trying to figure out where they're sitting.

Cocktail hour in one space, reception area in another. I'd say that 100% of the time, this is exactly the way our venues handle it.

Keep the events separate.

Huh this might depend on your group, we just did this at our wedding last week and people were mingling plenty. Our ceremony was in a room upstairs and then cocktail hour and reception downstairs. People were able to drink, eat and walk around, but could also find their seats if they wanted to. The waiters brought around the hors d'oeuvres, we made the rounds of the room and there was music playing. A few older relatives were sitting but that's about it

Every wedding I have ever been to has been like this. People still mingle because there are hors d'oeuvres being passed and there is open bar. Our reception and cocktail hour will be the same way. I never had an issue with it and as a PP said it makes it easier to have everyone seated to start the reception on time.

Mine are in the same place. People aren't gonna care, they just want food and alcohol. Lol

One thing I was told when touring venues is that you should try to keep people away from the reception tables before the reception actually starts--Because there won't be that "Oh wow, what a gorgeous reception" moment since everyone filed in and started camping out in their chair with their purse and/or coat.

I agree with everyone above, even though the answers kinda conflict. Let me explain:
- Your formality sets expectations. If people are expecting a highly formal wedding you'll want to separate these parts basically due to industry standard (what your guests will expect). Alternatively, if it's a family BBQ where there's a little more "free-roam" people will mind less because they are expecting less formality (less of the standard). Therefore, if they show up to a formal event and experience less-than-formal it kinda disappoints expectations.
- Either way, it can be awkward if not done right, examples people stated above: don't have people waiting for rearranging things, have a seating plan for the actual tables but also give them space to stand and chat
- Put yourselves in their shoes and imagine what they are expecting. Whether guests are driving or walking from the ceremony spot, people want to check-in/get situated, grab a drink/snack and mingle. Again, the formality decides HOW they go about this. People will either check their coat, grab a drink and mingle in the cocktail hour room, or they'll find their seat to place their items and either sit to wait for people they know or get up and mingle. Formality kind of forces people to mingle officially, whereas the informality allows them to do whatever they want.

To be honest, I’m writing this out to help both of us decide because I kind of have the same question/dilemma lol.