Upbeat Cocktail Hour

People like to talk and mingle during cocktail hour. Upbeat music is fine, but make sure it's not too loud.

View Quoted Comment We told him to go all out, get people dancing! No mingleling at this wedding lol

I recently went to a wedding where they had gambling stations set up for their cocktail hour- it was like being at a casino only they didn’t play with money. If you won you got a ticket for top shelf liquor. It was a lot of fun and so much more memorable than your avg cocktail hour so I say go for it!

View Quoted Comment Thanks for the encouragement. We will turn it down for dinner.

I came across the casino idea and loved it, but too late to get that creative!

I’m a vote for yes! Why not get people moving and shaking as a way to set the tone for the night?! Have fun!!!

Cocktail hour is when I like to talk with everyone I know that won’t be seated at my table. I’d feel really weird having to yell over loud music at that point in the reception. To each their own though- it just isn’t something that’s done in my circle.

View Quoted Comment It won't be that loud! It will take place outdoors. Pucture going to an outdoors summer music fest. You can still talk to the person next to you. But I get what you're saying. I think my circle will welcome the twist to the typical cocktail hour.

View Quoted Comment Yes! Thanks Jenny ;-)

I mean you can do this, but I’d be thrown off. I know that my guests will just want to talk to each other - my wedding is kinda happening in lieu of the Christmas party we throw every year so a lot of these people just want to mingle and talk. And a lot of people don’t really want to party before dinner. A cocktail hour is all about mingling so to answer your question, yes, I’d be a little thrown off haha

We’re hiring a brass band for cocktail hour. We want to get the party started early!!

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That sounds amazing!

I think it will be fun. I don’t think it will be to loud . It is one person not a rock band.

We are having a musician come that does all of our parties at our beach house. He is pretty upbeat and that's what we are going for. He won't be playing dance music, as he is an acoustic guitar player, but he does do Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffet, and stuff like that. I def want to kick off the night in a fun way!

It's not slow tunes vs. fast tunes. A cocktail hour should just be neutral background music. He can certainly play some more upbeat songs, but I wouldn't expect or try to get people dancing at that time.

View Quoted Comment We understand the typical cocktail hour, we're deliberately deviating from it. I guess some people may be thrown off, but we're not worried.

I think even with “dancing” music, people probably won’t dance. Cocktail hour is when people mingle and talk to people they won’t be sitting with at the reception.

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Well, just don't get your expectations up that your guests will deviate from it. They'll probably just mingle regardless of what your musician plays.

View Quoted Comment I won't, I'm sure some will be into it and some will mingle.