Dedicating the cocktail hour to greeting your guests so you can enjoy more of the reception?

It's absolutely a good idea to dedicate some time to greet all of your guests, but I doubt that will help you completely avoid talking to them again later throughout the evening. Everyone there will be happy celebrating you and want to interact when they see you (at the bar, at your table, on the dance floor). It's completely OK to cut conversations short to keep moving, because you will have a lot going on. But I wouldn't focus on ways to prevent talking to people during the reception because that will be simply impossible.

In my case, no…my husband and I were present for all but 15 minutes of our hour and a half cocktail “hour” and made the rounds with everyone (small wedding so totally doable to have meaningful convos and get photos with nearly all of our guests).


Yet, we were still interrupted constantly throughout our reception. I had two bites of food. People pulled us in different directions the entire night.

This is exactly what we are doing. We are having a first look and all photos before the ceremony. Then cocktail hour is dedicated to meeting and getting family and friends. We get married Saturday and I can let you know how it goes!

It won't work people are still going to do it. We did the first look and decided to get all the pictures out of the way so first I'd have time to bustle up my dress and second to talk to guests at the cocktail hour and actually enjoy ourselves. We had to have talked to guests for and hour and a half and guess what. At the reception we were still having so many people come up to us asking for pictures or to talk even people we had talked to at the cocktail hour.

This is exactly why I decided to have a small wedding lol. My first marriage, I barely ate or spoke to my new spouse at the wedding because I felt like I had to be running from guest to guest to chat. I want this wedding to my new spouse to be calmer, quieter, more meaningful, and intimate.

We did this and it helped some. It also helped that we were served each course first and then all our guests were immediately served so unless other people were skipping dinner, they weren’t interrupting us while we were eating. I did get pulled off the dance floor a few times but mostly just to say goodbye to people who didn’t stay until the end.

View Quoted Comment We were also served first. I've never been to a wedding where the head table wasn't served first. But I have seen people still bug the bride and groom while they were trying to eat. People waiting to be served might still come up to talk to the bride and groom. Especially when you have a buffet and people are called by table numbers to go up and get food. They call up table numbers 5 and people from table numbers 10,11, and 12 decide its their perfect time to get to talk and take pictures.

View Quoted Comment I’ve never experienced this at a wedding. I will add that at the almost two dozen weddings I’ve been to as an adult only two have been a buffet so I’m sure that changes things a bit. At my wedding and most of the ones I’ve attended servers are serving tables immediately after the couple is served so no one is waiting for their food.

View Quoted Comment I've only ever been to buffet style weddings. But I agree with the amount of servers serving people that guests wouldn't have time to talk to the bride and groom before their meal came out.

Our DJ is going to announce that once we are finished with our dinner, we will get up to make rounds to each table . Our coordinator is going to serve us both the salad & entrée at the same time while the guests receive one course at a time to slow things down & allow us time to eat. Maybe you can try something similar?

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My goodness, I just don't get people well thanks for the reality check lol, I understand that as the bride you will continue to interact with everyone but I'm hearing from other brides that people will come up to your table in the middle of you eating or pull you off the dance floor. I just really wish people were more considerate.

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Hmmm.. so if I'm going to get pulled regardless.. lol then do you think it's worth greeting people during the cocktail hour? Maybe I should just spend most of the cocktail hour doing a private meal with the new hubby so that we do get that intimate time together

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Yes please let me know! I'd greatly appreciate it and best wishes for your wedding day!!

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That's a great idea that otherwise would not have occurred to me lol, thank you so much!

View Quoted Comment I think that’s a lovely idea! I’ve heard of lots of couples who go into hiding after they take their cocktail hour photos and get to enjoy their apps in private. I wouldn’t waste your cocktail hour making the rounds!

People are going to approach you regardless so if it cuts into important photo time I wouldn’t come down to cocktail hour. You can always do one at the beginning of the reception by the entrance doors when guests are walking in if you don’t want to make rounds during dinner.

I love the idea of a first look! Also photos can be done while your makeup is still fresh.

I’ve definitely heard of this and been to weddings where it worked very well. We are intending to do the same. From many posts here and as a guest, table visits can be awkward when the couple comes up while you’re eating and they last much longer than expected, cutting into the rest of the festivities.


One couple I read about online mentioned that they decided against table visits and the bride stood at the bar for the entire cocktail hour so she could greet them while they ordered drinks, while the groom mixed around the room and they were able to spend more time with guests in addition to dismissing the rows after the ceremony than they would with a 5 minute visit per table which lasts much longer total.
A first look and knocking out all pictures before the ceremony allows you time to spend with your guests that you would not be able to if you skip the first look.

View Quoted Comment Just to give you an update, doing the greeting during cocktail hour was SO NICE. 10/10 would do it again it was so nice to see and talk everyone before the music started.

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That's great!! Congrats and thank you so much for letting me know