Everything You Need to Know About the Wedding Cocktail Reception
The wedding cocktail reception is the short reception between the a wedding ceremony and the wedding dinner. This is also the part of the party where you should invite those who are not close enough to be obliged to invite them to the meal. It takes the form of a cocktail party or an aperitif. It is the best time to make introductions and give short thank-you speeches.
Who to Invite to the Wedding Cocktail Reception?
It is not always easy to draw up the guest list for the wedding dinner, especially when you know a lot of people and have many friends. To make your choice easier, make two lists: on the first, put the important and priority people and write "invite to the meal". The second will be for people who are less important and whose absence will not be felt at the meal. If the number of guests for the wedding dinner is limited, move those who were removed from the first list to the top of the second list. Choose from this second list all the people who can be invited to the wedding cocktail reception.
What to Serve at the Wedding Cocktail Reception
The food and drinks that will be served will depend on the duration you plan for this reception. For one hour, opt for a cocktail party with 8 to 10 pieces. You must increase the number of pieces to 15 or 20 for a two-hour reception. For food, ask the caterer for petits fours, bites, "surprise" breads, or verrines. If your budget allows, you can set up culinary entertainment such as a wheel of Parmesan and its Italian chef to offer Parmesan pasta, or a chocolate fountain with fresh fruit. Do not forget the sweet pieces, and for this, you should count 3 or 4 pieces per person.
For drinks, champagne is the traditional drink, but it is possible to serve kir royal, organic wine, cocktails, and fruit juice. If you take champagne, count one bottle for 4 people. Even if you only have adults, they must have a wide choice of soft drinks.
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The Wines to Choose for Your Reception
Tradition dictates that we serve wine or champagne with sweet and savory delights. For this choice, you should not take one bottle or another because your partner and you enjoy it. You must select the wines and champagnes according to local tradition. If you are from Charentes, you can serve a Pineau des Charentes at your reception.
Offer your guests a Champagne d’Épernay or a Champagne de Damery if your reception takes place in Champagne or if you are from this region. Bordeaux newlyweds will have a wide choice between white Bordeaux and rosé wines. For the choice of your champagne, your wines, and other alcoholic beverages, discover the Oé organic wines. It is possible to have them delivered to the location of your choice in 24 hours.
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Some Tips for Organizing This Important Moment
Even if you want to please these people who are not invited to the meal, you should not organize a four or five-hour wedding cocktail reception. If that is what happens at your wedding, the cocktail reception will be a full-fledged part of the reception and it will be difficult for you to get people to leave. However important these people may be, you must not neglect the guests at your reception. The duration must be limited to 3 hours maximum and start serving the wine as quickly as possible so that your party does not drag on.
It is not always easy to choose the location. If you organize it at the reception venue, these people may invite themselves to the party. Choose another location that is not very far from the reception venue and that is also not far from the town hall or church to save time after the ceremony. Find out about the party halls in your region. Since the cocktail reception will only last two or three hours, it will not be necessary to rent seats equal to the number of guests. Do not forget that the wedding cocktail reception is a buffet that takes place standing up, so you will not need chairs. Still, plan for a good dozen chairs for the elderly, pregnant women, and children. You will also need to think about installing a few parasols so that people can take shelter from the sun.
We tend to simplify the reception and forget the entertainment. Plan a fairly simple activity so that your guests at this cocktail reception also feel like they are participating in the wedding. For the comfort of your guests and for optimal space management, opt for several buffet tables instead of one large table. To avoid crowds in front of the buffet, hire at least 2 servers to serve the appetizers. These servers can also be useful in portioning out the food and drinks.