Cocktail hour music?

How long is your reception? i have never heard of a DJ not doing the cocktail hour. We are playnig calmer love type songs during the cocktail hour. i think you need something.

I don't think it's absolutely necessary but it's nice. If you had an ipod dock to use until the DJ gets there I think that's fine

But we are having it. We're using Michael Buble and Frank Sinatra music to set the vintage vibe before we arrive at the reception.

Well, we have him for 5 hours (all of the packages are 5 hours) and the reception is technically 5:30-10. I'd rather not finish at 9:30. Plus, he's set up inside our reception room, and the cocktail hour is another space (directly outside, but still separate). I'd like people to stay in the cocktail space until it's time for the reception, and he'd need to have the doors open if he's playing the cocktail hour too, so there are logistical issues as well.

ETA: Cocktail will start between 4:20 and 4:30, depending on how long it takes people to walk from one building to another.

Lauren - I think you're the person I initially borrowed (okay, straight up stole) that idea from. We're also doing Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, maybe some Motown during cocktail hour.

I think having music is nice, but cocktail hour is definitely a time where you could just set up an iPod until the DJ gets there since it just needs to be background music.

What do I do about the sound, though? All of the speakers, etc, are inside the reception room.

I don't mind that you stole it Princess

Oh yea that could be a problem FML

Is it a super large area? Because they sell portable speaker systems with multiple bluetooth speakers that you could spread out around the room. You could just put a speaker in each corner and use an ipod.

But if the room is huge, 3 or 4 mini speakers aren't going to cut it.

FH has a keyboard that's pretty decent quality (he's played backup for our best man, who has played gigs in coffee houses, is putting out a CD, etc.). Maybe the easiest option is to just use his keyboard and pay the pianist to stay?

We spoke with our venue coordinator about this just last week. We weren't sure if we needed to book our cellist to play a little longer to cover the cocktail hour. At our venue, the cocktail area is a separate room next to the reception room too. She said normally the DJ brings a small speaker and wires it from his regular table, to play music over in the cocktail area.

I'd ask the venue if there's any sort of speaker system in the cocktail space. The keyboard option sounds good too!

How much is the pianist?

I just sent him an e-mail asking how much he would charge to stay for cocktail hour with a supplied keyboard. He's a fellow alum, recommended by another professor, so I think he's already cutting us a deal. It's probably a matter of $100 versus the $250 for the DJ. I'm just wondering, though, if we'll have to carry an additional rider on our event insurance for bringing him into the venue space, and that's another $150. He does wedding and cocktail hours, so he may have his own general liability insurance, but he's primarily a composer, so I'm not sure.

Where is your cocktail hour and what is the setting/vibe? I was just in a wedding where the cocktail hour did not have any music, but there were drinks and appetizers and we were in a gorgeous garden you can walk around so I don't think that anyone noticed the lack of music!

I think cocktail hour you could 100% get away with a blue tooth speaker and pandora.

It's essentially outside the reception room. Unfortunately, this is my least favorite space for the whole wedding. We're getting married on our old college campus, and the reception space is gorgeous, but the best place for the cocktail hour (to keep it indoors, in NJ in Nov, because I'm too chicken to have it outside and bank on weather) is somewhat academic-looking. It's not bad, but it's nothing special, either. We'll have high top tables, chairs, and centerpieces. There's some seating available as well, just not pictured in the one pic I have on my phone (space is bigger than what's shown here).

Can the venue supply music? I believe at my venue they have a drop playing piano and we will just use that for cocktail hour

If I get bluetooth speakers, any brand suggestions?

How expensive are you looking? I have a Bose speaker that I love and it's small. Sound quality is great too.

I have this same question! How does this work? Does the dj move from the ceremony location to the cocktail location? If so, when does he set up for the reception location? My ceremony is outside in a garden, then the cocktail is in another garden on the property, and the reception is under a tent. I will have a string duo play during the ceremony. The dj is only their to provide sound and mics. Is it easiest to have the string duo to play during the cocktail hour as well so the dj can set up for the reception?

I second Bose speakers.