- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
i was just recently at a wedding like this in upstate ny, where there was a HUGE feast for cocktail hour. to be honest, i seemed a little overwhelming and i was soooo full before dinner. it was nice, don't get me wrong, but it was just unnecessary. i personally prefer a simple cocktail hour with passed hors d'oeuvres, and maybe a cheese/fruit platter.
A simple cocktail hour is lovely and what I'm going to do. I went to one of those large multi station cocktail hour wedding last year in NJ and while at first it's impressive, it makes you feel guilty because when you actually sit down for dinner you can't eat it because you're too full! Perhaps instead of a plated dinner you could do multiple stations to get that feel? Also if your mom is disappointed not to have a full on feast for the cocktail hour feel free to let her know that if she desires it she's welcome to pay for it.
I just stumbled on this post somehow but I get how you are feeling - I am from North Jersey and all the cocktail hours in NJ/NY/LI are massive. I honestly think they are way over the top and kind of a waste. But I know a lot of people are used to that.
My venue's base price was already really expensive and the cocktail hour only included 8 passed hors d'oeuvres. I splurged and got a cheese/crudite station (seriously, how is that not indcluded?)
I was worried it might look a little spare (and cheap), but I really don't think that is the case - I am sure everyone had enough, and really no one needs a cocktail hour so huge that you can't eat your dinner. I always get overwhlemed by all the choices and eat too much! I don't think anyone missed it. The quality of the food is much more important. Our dinner was excellent and everybody got to enjoy it. I think we made the right choice.
This is one of the reasons I'm so glad I've gone to so many weddings. Experience in this case is golden.
I personally think NJ CCs over do it a bit with the cocktail hour food. While certainly it's appreciated in the moment right after the ceremony (when you wanna get your munch on), I've always overstuffed myself to the point of misery during these types of cocktail hours. I mean, you get pasta, sushi, carving station, etc. etc. and also fill up on drinks. By the time the three course dinner comes, I can't even look at it. I've never had more than 2-3 bites, ever! And we're talking fancy cod, filet mignon, etc. That's why I feel like most wedding food is such a waste!
For our cocktail hour, we are being much more traditional with just drinks and passed hors d'oeuvres. Then we'll have the dinner afterwards. We don't want to waste money, yet we want our dinner to be enjoyable and somewhat memorable. I say nix the over-the-top buffet cocktail hour. I can't think of a single person who can restrain themselves enough at the cocktail hour that they actually enjoy dinner later! As long as your guests are fed one way or another, they won't really care.
Bees, thank you so much for weighing in! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels like the huge cocktail hour is just too much! (Not even in terms of pricing, just in terms of overkill.) My parents came to see the venue that my fiancé and I lovvvve this past weekend, and they totally get it now. It's very beautiful, but in a "quieter" (?) way than the catering halls, and a simple cocktail hour just fits the whole vibe there and I think it will be so elegant and lovely. (We're having it at Knickerbocker CC, which is a private club, so they don't advertise, but nonmembers can have weddings/events there. This goes for many other private country clubs too... you just have to seek them out and call the catering manager. I did this thinking they wouldn't allow nonmembers, but found out that they ALL do! Just have to ask!)
@eeper: Seriously, how is cheese/crudites not included?? Same with my venue, but we will also splurge on it! Where did you have your reception?
You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| ndreighton | 5 |
| Suikerbossie | 5 |
| Miss Godiva | 3 |
| Future Mrs K | 3 |
| Rivendeler | 3 |
| janetsnakehole | 3 |
| krisanne | 2 |
| hamikay | 2 |
| aussiebee | 2 |
| PaulBabyBallerina | 2 |
Sorry, there are no users yet.
Hello! My fiancé and I are thinking of having a country-club wedding, and the ones we've been to (White Beeches CC, Ridgewood CC, Knickerbocker CC) don't seem to have the giant-buffet-before-you-eat-dinner style cocktail hours that are popular at the catering halls and hotels in this area. You can do it (they'll do anything you want), but it would be waaaay over $200 per person to add lots of extra stuff. The typical prices we've seen are around $175 (including tax and gratuity), and that gets you 5 hours of open bar, an hour of 6 different passed hors d'oeuvres + cheese table + crudités table, then a seated salad course, pasta course, entree, and dessert (wedding cake or something else if you want to bring in the cake). My mom seems a little disappointed that the cocktail hour won't be a feast, with carving stations, pasta stations, seafood bar, etc. But my fiancé and I feel like it's overkill and thought a simpler cocktail hour would be nice (plus, guests won't be stuffed when their dinner arrives). Do you think our guests will be disappointed and underwhelmed because there's not a TON of food when they arrive? Everything is going to be made fresh by the chef (nothing frozen or premade) and we can customize the entire menu to be whatever we want. Your honest opinions, please! Would you appreciate a simpler cocktail hour, or think it was lame and that we skimped on it?