Cocktail hour.... why?

Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres are mandatory beforehand in my eyes.

To provide your guests food, drinks, entertainment and the opportunity to socialize with each other.

Our cocktail hour will be more like 45 min. We will be doing a first look and majority of pictures before. But will do some posed formals in the church etc with that's "just married" glow and new wedding band! It's a nice break for people too. They just sat through a service now go sit for dinner? No, people need to have a little break. It will be amazing how quickly it goes! Another reason people do a cocktail hour is if the reception isn't in the same place as the wedding. Gives people driving time and something to do while they wait for the entire wedding to relocate.

Even if you don't do pictures during the cocktail hour, you need a second after the ceremony to regroup. You don't want your guests waiting around for you to be introduced at the reception.

We had a short one like 45 minutes while we did the marriage license, shot a few extra photos, thanked the officiant as she left. Then we joined our guests for a short while until dinner was served. We only had 2 appetizers so not a lot of expense for food. The bar was open and people could mingle before we opened the dining room. I am pro cocktail hour ... Unless it turns into cocktail "2 hours". Those suck!

Everyone is spot on. It gives your guests a chance to chat and find a drink. Even if you take all of your photos before, I would recommend taking at least 20 minutes to yourselves to celebrate the fact that Eeeek! YOU JUST GOT MARRIED!!! It is the most exciting feeling and you wont want to have to rush through it. It doesn't have to be a full hour but, it is a really helpful buffer for you and your guests.

Even if all your pictures are done I'd recommend even a short cocktail hour to give you and DH and second to breathe and be excited together. We took all our BP pictures, pictures of just the two of us, and immediate family pics before the wedding and then after the ceremony we just did extended family and then did a few more just us two. Our smiles are so much more natural in the after ceremony ones and doing the pictures together actually gave us a breather since it was just us two and the photographer.

What time are you planning on having your ceremony? and what type of ceremony? I have attended many catholic weddings starting at 2 or 3, that get out around 4 or 5. This is very early to go straight to dinner --- which is why cocktail hour is good. In addition, if your having a short ceremony and start it at 5, ends at 5:30; that is still very early for dinner in my opinion.

@morgan

Yeah, I was looking to have the ceremony at about 6, and since neither of us are religious, we're just going to do a short ceremony to exchange our vows. I plan on having pretty much all of our photos done before the ceremony since I know we would both appreciate the privacy of a first look. I do think I would like to have a short kind of cocktail hour so that we can have a moment to ourselves.

We're doing a cocktail hour with appetizers/hors d'oeuvres and drinks. Haven't decided yet on a first look, but either way, we'll be doing a cocktail hour to allow guests to mingle and get a drink.

@Jennifer where are you getting married? A reception cruise down the Connecticut River sounds lovely.

Basically to keep your guests occupied while pictures are being taken. No one likes an awkward period with nothing to do for 30-60 min

We have a drinks reception here, which is more or less the same thing as a cocktail hour except it lasts longer.first look isn't very common so all the photos are taken after the ceremony. Our ceremony starts at 2. There are also, tapas, and canapés, jam (jelly) and cream scones and and a chocolate fountain (don't really think this is necessary,but it was included in the package) at the drinks reception (needed for soakage!) the dinner bell goes at 5.30 for 6pm. Then the speeches probably 6.30 ish for meal to start.but it's a five course meal so it's takes time.

I agree the cocktail hour gives guests a chance to mingle, move around a bit before sitting down for dinner. But sure ,there are so many different ways to do weddings, I was at one in CA that had none,and it wasn't even noticed.