Cocktail Reception Schedule

I would do the sweetheart table and tables/couches throughout because some people will still need a place to sit while they eat/drink, especially with older guests abs COVID restrictions.


First Look/bridal party pictures - 6-30Ceremony 630-7Cocktail hour begins 7Pictures 7-730First dance 730Speeches 740 or 815Cake cutting 830Last Dance 9.

View Quoted Comment Thank you. Do you think we need a lot of couches? We are going to have about 100 people. We will have both cocktail and 60" round tables.

I think once you start to hit 4 hours, your guests will get hungry.Especially if you plan on having dancing. That’s around dinner time. If you don’t plan on serving a plated dinner do you plan on having any other food available there?
I think you could still definitely do a sweetheart table, but from what I’ve read cocktail receptions usually don’t involve that much sitting. It usually involves a lot of standing and mingling.
I just think 2 to 3 hours might be really all you need because people may get hungry and leave and go get food somewhere.

I think the main thing is to have a seat for every guest—so a mix of different kinds of tables, banquettes, etc. And generally the reason cocktail receptions are shorter is because it’s rude to command a ton of time from guests without feeding them a full meal. Are you having lots of heavy apps? I’d open the bar, do formalities first, quickly, then start serving lots and lots of apps.

Also, do you plan on doing open bar for the cocktail reception? If not you might want to plan on doing all of the cake cutting and speeches right at the beginning I’d say within the first 1 to 2 hours

A cocktail reception is usually short because it allows guests to leave to go get dinner or to arrive after they’ve basically already eaten. In my experience Hors d’oeuvres for a cocktail reception are nearly the same price as an inexpensive dinner. If you extend the time I would change to a dinner. Your guests will appreciate it more. A sweetheart table makes sense if you’ll be seated but a cocktail party is usually 70% cocktail tables 30% seating.

Tables and chairs for all is required unless you want guests to leave the minute they arrive. It does happen more than you think. Some people will stand to mingle and eat but most will not. Even those without issues standing for long periods cannot balance a plate, a drink, a purse and a free hand to eat with with just 2 hands. Even balancing a plate on your lap is difficult because your drink is always at risk to get kicked over.

You can do all those activities at any time. Most cocktail receptions run the same 4-6 hour duration that a full dinner/dance reception does. They also generally serve the equivalent or more of a full dinner (think like NYC cocktail hour where guests are so stuffed there is no room for dinner). so no one will be going home hungry. If they, that's on them.

The "cocktail receptions" where guests are fed next to nothing are afternoon teas with tea sandwiches and veggie platters that are not filling at all. A reception of various passed appetizers such as dim sum, mini tacos, spring rolls, satay, sliders, crab cakes with a carving station is going to be very filling and all together more food than on a plate at a plated dinner.

What exactly are you picturing as a cocktail reception?

Depends what you envision as a cocktail reception. As a guest, I would expect to be served a proper meal if the reception lasts for 3+ hours.

View Quoted Comment That's not a bad idea. Thank you

View Quoted Comment Thank you.

View Quoted Comment We are planning 2-3 hours. You're suggestion makes me think we should start a little past dinner time so people can eat first of they want to. Thank you

View Quoted Comment We do plan to go heavy on the apps and some food stations. Thank you for the suggestions.

View Quoted Comment Thank you!

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Heavy apps and food stations IS dinner. It is more food than dinner. If someone goes home hungry, that is on them, not you. Again, tables and chairs for all are a must or people will leave the minute they walk in.

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This completely depends on what is actually hosted. Not all events that serve "heavy apps and food stations" are serving enough food to constitute a meal. If you don't serve enough food to constitute a meal, then the guests going home hungry is on you, not on them. Just saying that you're serving heavy apps and food stations doesn't give us enough information to judge whether it's actually enough food.

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Then that means the caterers don't know what they're doing if their "heavy appetizers and food stations" are no more filling than a cheese and crackers platter. I have a difficult time picturing that being the case. Most catering websites I have seen have said that heavy appetizers are generally served so there is 20+ pieces minimum per person of everything on the menu to be the equivalent of a full plated meal, usually which are very small portions to begin with. Many food stations are small meals in themselves. A very good example is the NYC cocktail hours where many people say there is so much food that the dinner following goes to waste because they have no room left for it. If a guest does not eat what is offered, that is not the hosts' fault.

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I didn't say anything about a cheese and crackers platter. There is a huge gulf between serving just a cheese and crackers platter and serving so much food that food actually goes to waste. Often people try to serve just "heavy hors d'oeuvres" to save money and do not pay for enough pieces per person, or heavy enough options, to constitute a meal. We see people here all the time proposing that because they're trying to save money over having a full meal. A true heavy appetizers and food station reception is most likely going to be more expensive than a plated meal because of the labor involved, which a lot of people don't realize and often aren't willing to pay for. It doesn't necessarily mean that the caterers don't know what they're doing; sometimes it means that the hosts are being cheap or trying to reduce costs and underestimating how much food is actually required. The people paying for the food decide how many pieces of what to offer per person, based on their budget; it's not just up to the caterer.