Open Mic during cocktail hour?

I think depending on the location of your wedding and what kind of vibe you're going for, it could be really successful.

As a professional wedding musician, I can tell you, with complete confidence, that that is the worst idea ever. This will completely suck the vibe right out of everything, and will be so awkward and disorganized. It's not a tuesday night out at a pub. It's your wedding. Please don't do this.

Also, why a 2-hour cocktail hour?

I don't like this idea. This will force people to pay attention to the speaker for the duration of the cocktail hour instead of mingling.

I can't imagine this going very well. I'd seriously reconsider. As a guest, it will likely be annoying and cringe-inducing (especially if people cannot sing or are rambling for too long). It will also kill the vibe of your party. Cocktail hour (1 hour not 2) should be for mingling, chatting and socializing with the other guests. If every time I go to start a conversation with someone it is interrupted by your crazy drunk uncle giving a speech or your high school best friend serenading us I'm going to be very annoyed.

I want to mingle and talk to friends and family during a cocktail hour, not listen to random people give toasts. Toasts, by the way, that are off the cuff and usually horrible.

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Please don't do this - see above poster. All I can see is semi-drunk and or toasty people getting up and saying, "I love you guys!" then leaving. As a guest I want to talk and mingle with my table guests, not sit and turn and listen to yet more people talk and talk.....and talk.

If you want toasts at this time, have someone introduce your two/three toasters and make clear there will be only those people. You just never know what people will say. Me - we are limiting the toasts to three as I am concerned my sister will get up and go on about our deceased mother. (But that is an issue for another day)

Alcohol + Open Mic + Lowered Inhibitions = Disaster,

More info re: our day and vibe
The 'cocktail hour' will be outside in a park on the grounds of an 18th century stone building on a Duck/Foie Gras Farm in the south of France in early June. Going for rustic, boho, country fair theme. There will be lots of lawn games and activities for guests. This was one idea - I've been to a wedding where this was done before (for toasts and anecdotes though, not for music) and it worked well, which is where we got the idea. At that wedding it was done between courses at the seated dinner though.

The one wedding I’ve been to that did this it went horribly wrong. Some of the groom’s friends started sharing anecdotes from when the bride and groom were on a relationship break, some shared info about the groom’s past girlfriends, and a very drunk MOG got up and said she felt bad her son was getting married but she supposed it was time since he already “knocked up the bride twice”. Their two kids (5 and 2 at the time) were present and it was super awkward.

View Quoted Comment Oh goddddd. That's the point where you just cut the mic. Those poor kids 😔

What others PP said. However, if you want to compromise, how about you ask a handful of people who you are close to and who you know will not embarrass you or themselves to share a story or make a toast?

As a guest I wouldn't want to do that for 2 hours. Are your musical guests traveling? Will they be bringing their instruments? If it ends up being mostly speeches, that means your guests are going to have to give their attention to the speakers and probably won't be playing the games etc. I would just focus on the music and make any speeches that you want to have planned ones.