Only popsicles and water during cocktail hour?

1. I wouldn’t tell anyone to bring outside liquor. That sounds like a huge liability(and possibly against your venue rules).


2. I would definitely provide some kind of snack. Cheese and crackers or veggies and fruit are fine but popsicles aren’t going to hold anyone over.

I think if you could do cut up fruit with the popsicles it would be nice !

as for the DIY coffee bar that could be done pretty easily! my husband and i did a DIY boba bar ourselves. we bought dispensers and cold brewed coffee the night before and then we just bought cups and extra sugars and flavoring to put on the side. honestly it was so cheap to do overall. the only costly thing are the dispensers but you might be lucky and find them cheap somewhere.

Just water and ice pops? Yes you need to supply something else. Bags of chips are very cheap. You can make big pitchers of ice tea and lemonade. No adult when they are all dressed up for a wedding wants to deal with melting ice pops. If you want to make it BYOB, that is fine. Just provide some mixers, ice, and cups.

Can you serve iced tea or lemonade? You can make gallons for pennies. Alcohol is not required and no one needs to be forewarned. Since you're at a park type location, you wouldn't be allowed to serve it anyway.


To have a cocktail hour, you need beverages plus snacks. If you can't provide that, skip the cocktail hour and go straight to lunch/dinner.

If it’s going to be warm and you have a spot for guests to “cool off” inside, then I would skip the coffee bar. Also, I would trade popsicles and water for actual appetizers (because, technically, both of those items are just liquids). I’d suggest getting simple snacks like: a few cheese/meat/cracker trays along with veggie and fruit trays. Popsicles might be fine for the kids. But I would have actual food for the adults. Also, if you aren’t providing alcohol, that’s fine. But don’t encourage a BYO alcohol for your wedding reception and it turns into a college frat party. I’m sure that your friends can celebrate you and your FH for a few hours without alcohol.

You've suggested a lot of different ideas that raise different questions. First, I'd start by thinking about the location, environment, and formality of your wedding. What will the temperature/weather likely be for your location in Sept? What requirements/regulations does your venue have? (Many will shut your event down if guests are bringing in alcohol.) How far will your guests be traveling to attend the wedding (do they live 15 minutes away or a few hours or farther and they'll need to stay in hotels or other accommodations -- if I've driven a few hours to get to your wedding, I'm going to be hungry when I get there)? Finally, what's the overall "vibe" of your wedding? Super casual (which is what I'd expect with lawn games, popsicles, a play ground, and "few chairs" for those who want to sit) or are you envisioning something more formal? All of those things will potentially impact how advisable some of your ideas are. Personally, I would not eat a frozen fun pop at a wedding (drippy, potentially messy, and I don't like them). As a guest, I'd be pretty disappointed that the wedding schedule included an hour of mostly standing around, outside, with nothing but water and/or an ice pop. To me, that's not good hosting. I'm not sure from your description when the coffee bar would be available. If that's part of your "cocktail hour," I likely wouldn't drink coffee in the afternoon (especially if it will be hot out), and definitely not on an empty stomach or with an ice pop (for me, that would result in a horrible stomach ache). If the coffee bar will be available after dinner, that would probably be a good option.

If your wedding will be a casual outdoor nonalcoholic event in the late-summer/early-fall, for the "cocktail hour," minimally, I'd serve lemonade/iced tea/water/etc., and some kind of snacks (e.g., cheese/crackers/fruit, chips and dips, fresh veggies, etc.), and I'd make sure there were chairs/shade to accommodate all guests.

And, unless your venue allows unrestricted alcohol, I would do absolutely NOTHING to encourage guests to BYOB. (Personally, I would never have a BYOB event.) But, realize there are significant liabilities associated with uncontrolled alcohol at an event you are hosting. Make sure you've done your research so you understand and have the appropriate insurance to protect yourselves and your guests in the event of an accident.

Keep asking questions -- it's the only way to learn and get insights you might not have thought of. Good luck!

My FMIL went to a wedding where they just had a sundae bar and said it was a ton of fun. There was no alcohol or other snacks, and people could choose their desserts and have fun jazzing it up with toppings. Would you be open to this as a step up from popsicles? Just an idea if not.

If it were me, I'd forget about the coffee and provide cheap snacks instead. Our venue told us if guests brought in outside alcohol, they would close our bar (that we paid for in advance) and end our wedding immediately.

I agree with the PP right above me--I would skip the coffee and use that money to provide snacks instead. You can get some cheap cheese and cracker and veggie trays. You will want to check with your venue to see if outside alcohol is allowed. Outside alcohol is usually a big no-no with venues for liability reasons

Definitely need to feed your guests, I would skip the coffee bar sounds like it’s gonna be a warm time of year where ever your venue is.

In your post you mentioned that your guests might need to cool off, so I would skip the coffee bar. If I am warm/hot, the last thing I would want to do is drink something hot. I would also provide more than just water and popsicles. Popsicles have no filling element so your guests are going to be hungry while they wait for dinner. I would use the money you planned on spending on a coffee bar on actual food. Fruit or veggie trays are always nice options. Cheese, meat and crackers are also a good choice. You need food that is going to hold your guests over until dinner is served. I would also look into serving more than just water. Iced tea and lemonade are two pretty inexpensive options. I would also say that having guests bring their own alcohol could be an issue with your venue. Most venues do not allow outside alcohol because it is a huge liability.

I would definitely not tell people to bring alcohol - that can get you in serious trouble with the venue. You need to ask before you do that.

A coffee bar also sounds really cute! I'd just worry that if your venue is a park, then it's probably reasonably warm, especially if you're mentioning a place to cool off. Maybe it's too hot for coffee?

And you definitely need to feed people. It doesn't have to be infamy, but you do need real food and popsicles aren't real food.

I hate to pile on, but I agree with previous posters. Having some popsicles for kids sounds super cute, but definitely plan on having some snacks on hand. It doesn't have to be elaborate. Lemonade, iced tea, and water will go a long way with a plate of snacks to keep people happy before dinner. And definitely do not encourage people to bring their own alcohol. Not sure where you are getting married, but I know with my venue it is strictly prohibited and I would not want to jeopardize my wedding for breaking the rules. Check your contract for sure.

If it’s going to be a warm summer evening where you think popsicles are suitable I would probably skip the coffee. You could use that money for fruit, veggies, cheese and crackers. No one will be grumbling they didn’t get a cup of coffee 4pm but you might have some people wanting a snack. Depending on how big your group is and what you’re serving for dinner it could take a while for people actually get to eat so I would have something small to tide people over. As far as alcohol, this will depend on your venue and contract. Our venue had a bar so any outside alcohol would be prohibited due to licensing. If this is a park or Airbnb or something things might be different.

Water and ice pops sounds super scant. I'd recommend at least investing a little in other beverages (a pp mentioned lemonade or ice tea, which are great ideas). Even water infused with some fresh fruit will feel more upscale. I personally love cucumber-mint infused water, and water with citrus (lime, lemon, oranges, grapefruit) is usually popular.

I'd also recommend SOME snacks, although they are not as necessary if you aren't serving alcohol. A crudite platter or just a nice board of fruit, cheese, and crackers would be nice.

Thank you all so much for the feedback!! I've really only heard any feedback from family members and my fiance—and we're all pretty go-with-the-flow—so it's super helpful to hear from you all.

It seems like everyone agrees we need to serve something more substantial to eat during the cocktail hour. I would hate to have gone through with my original ideas and leave our guests disappointed! I will also definitely throw out the BYOB idea.

I love the suggestion to use the coffee bar money for snacks instead. I'm personally a HUGE coffee drinker; my fiance and I run straight towards the coffee stand at any event. But I can definitely see where most guests would rather eat food than have a hot drink in the summer.

Thanks everyone!

And here's to hoping we get to see all of this planning pay off instead of needing to cancel the wedding celebrations. Best wishes to you all!

It sounds like you need to skip cocktail hour altogether. When people go to a wedding, they spend a lot of money to do so which is why its expected they will be fed and entertained at your expense. But a cocktail hour is not necessary, you can just leave space between the ceremony and reception to let guests go off and do whatever they want. If you do choose to have one though, cheese and crackers or other charcuterie type foods can be very cheap and a good option. I wouldnt worry about having alcohol at cocktail hour as long as you provide it at the reception