Cocktails before the Ceremony

sounds like a fun wedding party!

I had never heard of doing this, but I went to a wedding in NY a couple of weeks ago and they offered champagne. The invite said 3pm, we got there 2:45, and drank champagne until right before 3:30 when they moved us into the area where the ceremony was to be held.

 

The cocktail hour was pretty much a full meal! My goodness!

Then all the meal courses were spread out through the events of the night, the dancing, the toasts... I liked how it paced the night, especially after eating so many appetizers!

I definitly would like some kind of signature drink at the ceremony maybe a good Sangria/Mojhito/or Margarita and than ofcourse water too. I just thought it would look that much more polished and even a good decoration to have some sort of nice punch bowl on a table with white cloth and a server handing them out. I'm leaning towards White and Red Sangria's though.

I don't know about you guys but my ceremony is going to be short and sweet. I think what we'll do is have a couple of waiters standing there with trays of champagne, mojitos, and margaritas for right after the ceremony. That way everyone can raise a glass, toast to us and the party can begin!

it's funny, i'm from nj, and all of the weddings i've ever been to have been like this...i thought it was like this everywhere...but i've talked with 2 separate people lately who have both told me that the whole meal was served before any kind of dancing, toasts, etc.

anyone know how they do it in mexico?

We're having a server greet guests and point them in the right direction.. he's also going to be offering 2 different flavored traditional mexican fruit drinks (non alcoholic) and some water.. We're holding off on the booze until after the ceremony.. then it's free flowin'.

I wil lprobably offer water and a juice type drink. My dad likes to party and will be super nervous, I don't want him to get wasted before he walks me down the aisle!

This is interesting to me---- how do they lay the evening out? (meaning, if you had to list out the events during the reception (toasts, cake cutting, announcements, dancing, etc..., where do they insert each food course?)

I like that idea to break it up and give more of a surprise to the guests. All the weddings I've been to are the same: ceremony, cocktails, reception (announce the couple, then serve dinner, then do cake cutting, then do dancing)... no variation and I'm tempted to stir things up a bit by changing the order of events thru the evening!

each one is a little different...for the most part, you have the cocktail hour in a separate room. the couple sometimes chooses to come mingle, other times they are still taking pictures. after the cocktail hour, guests are escorted into the main room, where there's bread on the table/plates. music is already playing...a few minutes later, they introduce the bridal party, etc. and then have the first dance(s). then everyone goes to their seats for salad, or appetizers. sometimes, the toasts are inserted in here...music still playing, gets louder and faster when people finish eating, people get up to dance...told to go back to seat by band/dj for next course...this "dance and then sit" routine repeats until after the main course, where the bride and groom cut the cake in the middle of the dance floor...more dancing...coffee/dessert are served, little more dancing, the end.

 

i can't imagine sitting to eat all of the courses and THEN (fatter and more bloated) getting up to dance!