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In between your backyard wedding ceremony and tented dinner reception, there is often a cocktail reception or cocktail hour. However, cocktails are not necessarily required, nor does the reception need to be exactly sixty minutes. Traditionally, a cocktail hour was needed so that the wedding party and family would have the time to take group portraits. These days, many couples opt for their formal photographs to be taken before the ceremony, so the cocktail reception can actually be a time to relax and visit with your guests. If you skip a receiving line, it’s courteous to attend the cocktail reception and greet your guests there.
Backyard Cocktail Reception: Locations
If it is a long or hazardous walk from the ceremony to the cocktail reception (or from the cocktail reception to dinner), you should offer a shuttle. You can use the mini-bus you’ve already hired for guest transportation, or you could get a horse & carriage or a hayride complete with a tractor.
The cocktail reception can be almost anywhere you want it to be. I have often seen them held by an in-ground pool or on a hard-scaped patio area. You need very little to define this area: a bar, perhaps stationed hors d’oeuvres and scattered high and low tables for guests to sit or stand at. The flatter the ground, the better, but since most guests stand for cocktails, a slight slope in the yard won’t be entirely detrimental. You do want the bar to be on level ground so that the glassware remains stable. While I generally do not recommend you ever let people inside the house during the wedding, if you have to use the house to accommodate the event, I think the cocktail hour is the best part of the celebration to put in there.
Backyard Cocktail Receptions: What Happens
Once your ceremony has ended, waitstaff should be ready with trays of food and drinks to greet guests as they enter the cocktail reception. Flutes of champagne will set a celebratory tone, but also consider passing a signature drink that means something to you. Your hors d’oeuvres should be appropriate for the season. Hot soup shooters in the peak of summer will not be as popular as a refreshing tuna tartare.
If you are having escort cards, they should be available for guests to pick up during the cocktail reception. This will avoid a bottleneck later while guests are trying to enter the dinner reception area. Note that your escort cards should be displayed in a way that is windproof. Depending on how guests entered the ceremony space, you may need a designated table for gifts/cards. And if you are having some sort of guest book, it is usually available to guests during the cocktail hour.
Most couples do not allocate much of their budget to cocktail hour decor, and that is totally understandable. Your guests won’t be in this space for very long, and it is not a heavily documented part of the event. Small arrangements on the tables will suffice. If you want to be creative, invest in spiffing up the bar. Some ideas include drink menus, use fun straws or stir sticks, and have custom beverage napkins.
The entertainer who provided music at the ceremony usually stays and plays for the cocktail reception. If you hired live musicians, put them in a place that is unobtrusive and allows them to provide ambient music. You don’t want guests to have to shout to hear each other speak.
Check out my foundational home wedding blog posts about: backyard wedding tents, wedding tent flooring, professional lighting for your backyard wedding, restrooms for your backyard wedding, utilities for your backyard wedding, and making a smart transportation plan for your backyard wedding.
