How to Plan a Cocktail-Style Wedding Reception
If you want to host a wedding that has a relaxed feel and focuses on mingling and dancing, a cocktail-style reception might be for you! We love cocktail-style weddings because they offer a less formal evening for couples who want a non-traditional night without the classic seated dinner. But just because they feel relaxed doesn’t mean the planning can take a backseat! Cocktail-style receptions often require more planning on the backend to achieve that seamless and easy-feeling night couples are looking for. So, here are a few of our best tips to plan the best cocktail-style wedding!
Consider All Your Guests
Although you and your partner might be looking forward to dancing the night away, some people will want to spend the night sitting and relaxing! Make sure you incorporate seating areas into your floor plan to account for guests that want a break from the dance floor action. There should be some sort of seating available for at least 50% of guests to ensure everyone feel comfortable throughout the night.
It’s a good idea to bring in a few traditional tables and chairs that are reserved for VIPs: parents, grandparents, or anyone that can’t or doesn’t want to stand for an extended period of time.
Get Creative With Food
Since you aren’t doing a formal sit-down, multi-course meal, you have lots of room to play around with your meal type! Cocktail-style receptions are a great opportunity to offer a unique dinner for your guests. Consider food stations, passed bites, or buffet-style. These offerings also allow you to have lots of fun with the food itself; a potato station, DIY tacos, raw bars, and passed sliders are just a few of our favorite options we’ve seen at cocktail style weddings!
Remember, however, that lots of guests will be standing or walking around for a lot of the evening, so the food should be easy to eat at a hightop table or bite-sized.
We also recommend that food be served all throughout the night: passed bites earlier in the night, heavier food station options open after, and passed desserts or a late-night snack towards the end of the wedding.
Be Intentional About Your Breaks
Although a cocktail-style reception should have guests feeling like the party is always going, formalities need to happen at some point. We recommend planning one break in between the “cocktail hour” and the latter portion of the evening to host special dances or toasts. If you have more formalities, you can plan a second break later in the evening once guests have eaten. Be careful not to plan too many breaks, though: cocktail-style weddings are most successful when the night feels like one steady party.
Pro tip: we recommend your cake cutting be done unannounced so the party doesn’t stop!
Communicate With Your Guests
Make sure your guests know that this won’t be a traditional sit-down wedding! You want your friends and family to be comfortable and this information might affect what they choose to wear or how they prepare for the night. The night will go far more seamlessly if everyone in attendance is prepared for this type of event.
Use Music to Set the Mood
While dancing can happen at any point, we recommend playing lighter and calmer music during the “cocktail hour” or earlier portion of the night while guests are eating and drinking. Then, once guests are fed and some formalities have happened, bump the music up to tell guests it’s time to dance!
