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We plan joining the cocktail hour because like you we are doing pictures prior to the ceremony so a few after the ceremony so we should have time for an appearance at the cocktail hour. We are still be introduced at the reception.
Good luck!
I've been to weddings where the bride and groom were at the cocktail hour but they weren't announced. In fact, it took us all by surprise and people basically accosted them! I don't even know if they were able to do much more than have a glass of champagne, let alone eat. We're not going to go to the cocktail hour though I'll probably feel like I'm missing out on something fun. But we'll get a server to give us all the food while we're getting our pictures taken. We chose this because we wanted a lil more excitement when we're announced into the reception. So excited!!!
We (FI, wedding party and I) will be in a 'holding room' during cocktail hour and will be served hor'deourves and drinks in there (so we aren't famished) but want to make sure our grand entrance is indeed grand. :)
We won't be at all of our cocktail hour, but will probably be there toward the end. I look at it as a great head start on getting to talk to the people who are at the wedding. I have been thinking about having the introductions when we arrive, kind of a get it done and over with thing, but don't know how well it will work.
I think it would be very strange for the couple to skip the cocktail hour. For one thing, it's the time when everyone mingles before dinner so why wouldn't the couple want to attend so that their guests can congratulate them? The guests will probably be looking for the couple as well at that time. Also, alot of people tend to say that the cocktail hour food is much better than the actual dinner itself so wouldn't the couple want to take part in it as well and be able to eat the food they ordered that everyone else raves about?
As far as announcements, I have never seen them done at a reception in real life so I can't say for certain. But honestly, they seem really odd and redundant if everyone has attended the ceremony, which most do. It comes across like the guests don't know who the couple is unless the dj makes the announcement and it's difficult to miss someone in a white dress and the guy at her side.
Kellyalvey, your wedding is on SATURDAY, eek!! Congrats!!
Jennifer Espos and Bella Luna -- I'm worried about that too -- if we're at the cocktail hour, our entrance to the reception might seen very anti-climactic, and like you guys, I do want excitement when we come in. I love the idea of having a little private cocktail hour with the wedding party though, so we don't feel like we're completely missing out!! Hmm...
We went to our cocktail hour (too much yummy food to miss that!), but we didn't get introduced at any point. I've never particularly liked the introductions so I didn't want to do that anyhow.
If you do want to be introduced, I would think it would be best to do it when you arrive at the cocktail hour. It seems like it might be odd to be introduced after everyone's been talking with you.
Personally, I think the whole idea of "introducing" the bride and groom is just odd. Um, everyone knows us or else they wouldn't have been invited? And you're introduced as "husband and wife" at the end of the ceremony anyways. Weird.
Anywho, yes, we'll be at the end of the cocktail hour after we do some pictures; and we won't be doing introductions. Instead, we will welcome everyone to the reception as the salad course is being served.
We skipped our cocktail hour and did pictures. After pictures, we spent those last few minutes (maybe 15 or so) of the cocktail hour alone, sipping drinks and munching on little plates of food from the cocktail hour. I wouldn't have changed a thing - it was so nice to relax, just the two of us, before heading in to the reception. It worked for us!
We're going to be getting our pictures taken during the cocktail hour and then we're going to be introduced at the reception. Right before we're introduced they are going to whisk us into a holding room for cocktails and appetizers.
I don't know that it would be anti-climatic when they announce you at the reception, but I do think you'll be mobbed and won't really get to enjoy the cocktail hour.
We're doing photos during our cocktail hour, but our plan is to make it to at least the last 15 minutes of our cocktail hour (actually 1.5 hours). We wouldn't want to completely miss our own cocktail hour. I want me a drink and hopefully some tasty hors d'oevres! We don't have the same problem as you though b/c we're not planning on being introduced. It's just not a part of the wedding reception that my FI and I really like, so we're doing away with it. Instead we're going to lead a grand procession down the hill from our cocktail hour to the tent where the rest of the reception will take place :-)
We took all our photos before the ceremony - just so we wouldn't miss the cocktail hour! We had our ceremony and reception at the same venue (so, this might be a bit different for those who have to travel between locations), so after the ceremony we took a walk 50 feet to the side garden, took two family photos...and then made our way to the patio for the cocktail hour. We loved mingiling with the guests and it gave us extra time to chat with everyone that had traveled so far to celebrate with us!
Near the end of cocktail hour, we made our way to the bridal suite (just off the reception area), where my mom took two minutes to bustle my dress and my husband and I had time to chat for a few minutes. Then we were introduced (just the two of us) and we went straight into our first dance.
I didn't really think it was anti-climatic to attend cocktail hour, everyone has already seen us...and missing spending time with my friends and family just wasn't worth it to me. I don't think anyone thought it was strange.
We'll be doing a first look and taking the majority of our pictures before the ceremony. Our cocktail hour immediately follows our ceremony and we plan to attend as much as we can. We will also be formally "announced" when we enter the reception. Personally, I love when the bride and groom are at cocktail hour. Plus, you'll get to see many of your guests then and spend more time eating/dancing during the reception!
we had a first look before the ceremony and took our couple photos then. we took formal portraits in a corner of the terrace where cocktail hour was being held, so guests / family could mingle when they weren't needed for pix. we got to spend about 30 minutes or more of cocktail hour eating / drinking / mingling with guests as a result - since it was a natural transition post photos to join the cocktail hour. that was the intention. we actually led the party from the ceremony to the cocktail location. we didn't want to be formally introduced so that all worked out fine.
@Buttons--I'm glad you asked, I have been wondering about this myself.
@Everyone--I hadn't even thought about being swamped like some people mentioned. Do you think the same is true if the wedding is smaller? Ours is 70 people.
I think its a great idea!
I would LOVE to be at our cocktail hour... I'm scared we aren't going to get any of our yummy hors d'oeuvres!! lol
We're having a private wedding party cocktail hour that I am way excited about. It's in a separate room/area so that we can get some food and drinks before everything gets too crazy. Plus, one less hour without my mom all on my case ;o)
We'll be at ours, the idea of being sequestered away from the guests and then making an entrance kind of freaks me out, I just get nervous thinking about it. We'll be riding a shuttle from the church to the reception right along with our guests, no break between the ceremony and reception for us.
I've been to weddings both ways though, no biggie.
We were at ours. We did almost everything before the ceremony for pictures. We greeted guests and then got to sit down and eat some of our yummy food. Then the photographer pulled us out for some sunset shots. When we came back in he had dinner. You could do the announcement then, but we didn't have one until they started our first dance after dinner and cake.
I totally am on the same page as PeytonL79. We are hoping to make at least half of our cocktail hour. Our wedding is small.....less than 100 people. Not sure if announcing us will be very climactic at all :) Besides, the cocktails are my favorite part about weddings!!
I've been to a few weddings where the bride and groom were mingling at the cocktail hour. It was like spying celebrities across the room. :) I'm not sure if we'll make it to ours--it depends on how long pictures take!
It never even occurred to me that it would be strange for a bride and groom to be at a cocktail hour. We plan on being at our cocktail hour, because we paid for this wedding and we want to be able to enjoy every part of it. We are getting our pictures done beforehand so that we can be at the cocktail hour and so we aren't rushed getting some great pics.
We won't miss our cocktail hour for the world! It's always my favorite part of events - pass the appetizers please! We're going to take pictures before the ceremony, and 15 minutes worth after, and that's it. I should add that our ceremony site is 2 yards from the reception site, so. I've been to weddings done both ways, but where I live we have a lot of big, Italian, traditional weddings. More recently my friends are getting away from that, and most don't want to miss anything! And they are then "introduced" at the start of the reception. It's not really that odd, I don't think anyone else notices.
We will definitely attend our cocktail hour, but we'll probably disappear a few minutes before the end so we can be announced at the dinner aspect of the reception. If all of my friends and family are coming to attend my wedding, I intend to spend as much time with them as possible.
We are also going to be at cocktail hour, and I couldn't be more excited! We have a break between the ceremony and reception, and so we will be able to get all the pictures finished before cocktail hour starts. We aren't going to have introductions, because I personally think it's kind of silly to do so after already mingling with our guests, and my FI doesn't really like being the center of attention. Our plan is to break up cocktail hour and dinner by doing our first dance in between, and we will be announced as husband and wife at that point.
we did a first look and photos for 3 full hours before the ceremony. Then we did a grand exit from the curch and a few photos after the ceremony (seriously, 15 minutes done and done) our cocktail hour started at 6, we were there at 6:10, made our grand entrane at 7. It was still a grand entrance, and I LOVED that we were at the cocktail hour with our amazing food. yum
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What do you guys think of the bride and groom being at the cocktail hour? We will be having a first look before the ceremony and we want to get A LOT of the pictures done then, so that we're not rushed later. I'm probably being overly optimistic in thinking that we won't have to take too many pictures later, but if we do have the extra time I was thinking of spending it with our guests at the cocktail hour. I just don't know if that would be weird, though. Has anyone done this, or gone to a wedding where the bride and groom were at the cocktail hour? Would we be announced as husband and wife at the cocktail hour, or would that still be saved for our entrance at the reception? If we've already been at the cocktail hour with our guests, does it seem anti-climactic and weird for us to be announced at the reception?