Joining the cocktail hour?

Most of my venues have a little time for the couple to spend privately, but they almost always join the cocktail hour about halfway through. They leave as the guests are shepherded into the dinner and then they are announced.

We did a first look and all photos beforehand, so that we and our bridal party and family could enjoy all of our cocktail hour. It would have been a waste of money otherwise.

I was in a bridal party where the couple did a first look and took photos before, but not the bridal party. We missed the entire cocktail hour; the venue was supposed to provide us with refreshments, but didn't. No way would I do that ...

Thanks you all helped me to make my decision too. I had been going back and forth but now will be going to our cocktail hour!

I'm purposely doing a first look and ALL bridal party and family pictures prior to the ceremony so that I don't miss ANY of our cocktail hour!

We had our ceremony, did a group shot with all guests, then did formal portraits with our guests (use a call list and have someone get the next group ready). We did formals in 15 minutes. At the same time as formals, cocktail hour began. Once we were done formals we joined the guests to mingle during cocktail hour.

As guests we getting seated and instructed to take their seats, we walked off to hide for out intros.

We will be doing pictures during cocktail hour. I think it's a little weird for the bride and groom to be at cocktail hour and then do the grand entrance at the reception.

We are spending the entire cocktail hour and reception with our guests.

We're having a cocktail reception and no grand entrance, so yup, by default we'll be there! We're having a first look and most photos will be taken before the ceremony, but there will still be a few after it. Then we'll just meld right into the crowd.

But even if we weren't doing thing this way, I'd find a way to spend as much time mingling with our guests. I really want to maximize our time with people who have come (at some expense!) to share our day with us.

I'm paying a lot of money for this wedding, so I am not missing a second of the party! FH and I will definitely be at cocktail hour.

I like it! i thibk grand entrances are wierd

I am in the same boat. I definitely want to be with my guests during all festivities. Hoping my photography can move through pictures quickly.....

I arranged my day of timeline so that my fiance and I can join the cocktail hour. We love to eat and I really want to party. I can greet families and get a few pictures done in a receiving line. Luckily my cocktail hour is 1.5 hours.

I went to a wedding in early April and the bride and groom did not join cocktail hour. I honestly was confused if we were in cocktail hour or not. It was very odd.

But we're doing first looks and intend on joining cocktail hour for at least half an hour. I think it will give us more time to make rounds and greet our guests.

I would like to, so hopefully times allows us to. Plus, I would like to get the chance to eat the hors d'oeuvres we picked!! Lol

Definitely join if you can!! This is one of the reasons that we went with a first look, so that we could join most of the cocktail hour! It also gave us an opportunity to say hi to more of our guests.

The bride and groom have been at the cocktail hour for almost all the weddings i've gone to. if they do a grand entrance, they wait until everyone else has been seated for dinner and then do an announcement and walk to their tables.