No Day-of Ceremony - How to best attend cocktail hour?!

My initial thought: why are you even having a cocktail hour? It's my understanding that they are to provide a buffer for the guests in between the ceremony and reception, sometimes for the bridal party and family to take photos and/or the couple to sign their marriage license. I would just delay your arrival if you want to still make an entrance!

We're having our ceremony with the reception immediately following, and are sneaking away to sign the license, but will have taken most of the photos earlier in the day as well. We'll have appetizer stations and the bar open when guests arrive at the reception location, and will probably give everyone 30 mins to get settled until we make our entrance. So no real "cocktail hour" - just a delayed start to the party. Maybe this is more what your event will look like as well?

View Quoted Comment Our venue has the cocktail hour built into the entire per person cost! So it’s going to be a full cocktail hour with food and drinks no matter what, so we figured since we are getting a lot done before that time that we can attend it. We of course love a good cocktail hour so we are planning on popping up to our own! Day of the event might be different in terms of time but the way yours is set up makes sense! If time is crunched ours will probably look more like yours and we will just get announced come the actual start of the reception.

I am very confused. Are you having an officiant at your private ceremony? If so, that is your actual wedding date. Then you're having a reception on a different day? You don't really need a cocktail hour but if it's built in then I guess like most receptions, have the DJ announce you as soon as all guests are seated for seated for dinner.

Some friends of ours did this, pretty much exactly! Basically, they were there at cocktail hour doing their pictures with the photographer/family, and the rest of us were mingling/drinking. They would come by as people showed up, in-between pictures, and say a quick hi and welcome, and go back to pictures. Once we sat down for dinner, they walked in and were introduced by the DJ just like any other wedding. It wasn't weird at all!

I think a cocktail hour is a great idea, especially because all of your guests won't arrive at exactly the same time!! This allows people to trickle in, grab a drink, and start mingling!

I'd vote for joining your cocktail hour right away and then doing an entrance / announcement at the beginning of the reception when all your guests are there!

View Quoted Comment I am having an officiant marry us a month before, it was more of a writing mistake on my part but the “reception” what we are calling a celebration in late April with everyone will be the full event including a cocktail hour and dinner/dancing, etc. Leaning towards what you said though with having being announced at dinner!

View Quoted Comment Sounds amazing! Seems like the kind of idea we are feeling out with ours. thanks so much for the input!

View Quoted Comment Thank you!! Yes that’s exactly what we are picturing, being able to mingle as people make their way to the event and then move forth with the formal announcement at the dinner portion. Excited to see how it falls into place day of. Thanks again!

The day you get married is your wedding. The affair you're hosting a month later is a delayed reception. I would mingle with all your guests as you would at any other event with a cocktail hour and would not do an announcement other than to say it's time to head into the reception, or for a special dance, etc.