Cocktail style reception: Yay or nay?

Forgot to add a pic of the venue

We had a cocktail style reception. Drinks and appetizers were passed around but we also had a buffet table of all the appetizers.

We are having a full reception, but also want to keep things fun for everybody so we are having action stations, a macaroni and cheese bar, a salad bar. Then we have small bites for later in the night. And since we are having a shuttle for guests from the hotel we have rooms blocked at over to the ceremony/reception location, we're having our cocktail hour before the ceremony. Then after the ceremony and pictures the music/dancing will start right away!

I think the main thing you will need to worry about if you are planning a cocktail wedding with just apps and not actual dinner is the time. Is it late enough for people to realistically have dinner ahead of time? Probably don't make your wedding start until 7 pm or so or people will be hungry and pissed off that there isn't real food. Trust me. I've been that person. Wedding at like 5 or 5:30. Bullshit tiny cupcakes and apps after. Where's my meal?!?! I ran over right from work too. Can we say hangry? I wasn't the only one either. So make it late enough or have a TON of hearty apps that would feed starving guests for dinner. The idea sounds cute and fun but don't forget your guests.

Cocktail style reception can work. I also agree that a table of the food can also be good so people can mingle and dance and then grab food if they wanted instead of looking for waiters to serve.

We were originally going to do this but then realized that our wedding would be happening during a dinner time and when people probably haven't eaten for 6 or more hours. So we opted for the full meal reception. Your idea can definitely work, just make you're not serving only apps at a dinner time, or that you have very heavy apps. Good luck!

It can absolutely work; I love it. You need to have enough food; stations, passed things, maybe some small plates. If you've ever been to a cocktail hour in NJ, you know that it's plenty for dinner....

I think cocktail style reception is great as long as it doesn't interfere with meal time. I would say either make sure your reception ends by 5:30 or so OR have your wedding ceremony at 7:30 PM, so most of your guests grab dinner on the way to the wedding.

We are doing this. Ceremony at 7:30, heavy apps and open bar and cake after. Tons of food. That's the main thing that's most important anyways

I've heard from friends the two they went to had the best food they have ever had at a wedding

We had one and it worked perfectly and people still talk about how it was the best idea ever. Hotel venue. Ceremony start 7pm. Moved to the reception room for passed apps. Then had pasta station and stir fry station. Late night pizza and nachos. 5 hour open bar. Set up cocktail rounds and highboys. 80 people. You have to know your crowd. We went for a total lounge/club party vibe.

Wedding date twins!!!!

We are doing a Cocktail style reception since our weeding starts at 2pm. Super easy to do, sticking with fruits, veggies, small sandwiches(ham/cheese, shredded pork, meatballs possible shrimp cocktail as well. We will have other things, but thats what I can think of.

Your post isn't clear on this, but be sure that you don't remove chairs to avoid feeling cramped. I love the idea of mingling at a cocktail style reception to get the party started. Just make sure that each person has a seat available!

We are doing a cocktail reception with passed appetizers at the actual cocktail hour, then passed, stationary, and action appetizer stations for the dinner. We want it to really be a causal, fun atmosphere where people mingle instead of being attached to a table. There will be cocktail high top tables (some with bar stools!), a few lower cafe tables with seats, and one large round table for the few older guests we have , plus our sweetheart table (just so I have a landing spot!)

We are doing 5 passed apps at cocktail hour, then 2 passed, 2 action, and 4 stationary (each with a variety of food - like a slider bar, a dip station, a seafood bar) for the dinner hour, followed by cake and late night boardwalk fries...all plus open bar. We have an onsite coordinator who gave us good advice about how much food to have.

Yay!! I love them as long as there is a large variety of food. Unfortunately, that can get expensive.

Jackie D. How many guests do you have?

@sylvia We're having about 90 guests