Tips for Planning a Cocktail Party Wedding Reception

Couples have been trending away from traditional seated wedding dinners for the last few years. One of the most popular new styles to emerge from this trend is the cocktail party wedding reception. A cocktail reception is typically very glamorous, relatively affordable, and a lot of fun! Check out these tips for planning a cocktail reception that everyone will enjoy.

Because they are non-traditional by nature, it makes sense to choose a unique venue for a cocktail reception. Depending on the size of your guest list, it could be a loft, an art gallery, a wine bar, a museum, or perhaps a tent. While you certainly could host a cocktail reception in a more standard venue like a wedding hall, country club, or ballroom, you would lose some of the special ambiance that gives this type of celebration its hip and chic reputation.

One thing that clearly distinguishes a cocktail reception from a traditional seated wedding dinner is...the lack of traditional seating. You won't find a dozen round tables for ten at a cocktail party. The vibe is much more mingle and sip than sit down for an extended time. That said, it is important that you have adequate seating for all of your guests. Sufficient table space is also crucial. If you have ever tried to hold a drink, balance a plate of appetizers, and eat all at the same time, you know why! A good arrangement is a combination of small tall tables with stools (preferably the kind with backs) and low sofas with side tables and coffee tables. This type of furniture can easily be rented if your site does not have it.

Since the focus at a cocktail reception is not a full meal, the menu will be a bit different. For one thing, you won't have a cocktail hour followed by a traditional reception with dinner, given that the whole party is like an extended cocktail hour. A cocktail reception tends to be shorter in duration, which can help save money for the couple on a budget. The menu should mostly be easy-to-eat finger foods and small bites. Since you will not be serving dinner afterward, plan on a much larger quantity of appetizers than you would for a 45 minute cocktail hour. The closer to a typical meal time your reception will be, the heavier you should go on the hors d'oeuvres.

Passed hors d'oeuvres of all types should be served by waitstaff. You will also want to set up several displays where guests can help themselves, including a cheese display. Think creatively about what your guests might enjoy. You can add a few interesting stations to your cocktail reception to make the food really special. Options include a tapas bar, raw bar, sushi station, and a mashed potato bar. Sometimes couples also have a pasta station; while not exactly an appetizer, pasta is inexpensive and filling for those who will find appetizers alone to be too light. Naturally, you will want to have a full selection of cocktails, wine, and beer for this style of reception. Many couples also incorporate a signature drink, which is both chic and can trim the bar bill a bit too.

Since a cocktail wedding is non-traditional, the bride will likely want to select an interesting dress and unique bridal jewelry. A princess style ballgown would be out of place for this celebration. A cocktail reception is the perfect excuse to choose a chic short wedding gown, worn with a fascinator and unique handmade bridal jewelry. 1950's or '60's retro inspired dresses are also fabulous for the bride. Round out the evening with music provided by a jazz trio for the perfect background to a chic cocktail wedding reception.

The Story Behind The Caledonian Spritzer

I like to think that during medieval times, somewhere, somehow, there was a knight sipping cocktails in a classy tavern. It’s the stuff of fantasy, of course. When the Romans referred to Scotland as Caledonia back in 84 A.D., they didn’t have the necessary ingredients to craft cocktails -- certainly not this one. The first Scotch whisky would not be distilled until 1,500 years later, around the same time Riesling started to appear in documents.

This cocktail has Scotch and Riesling in it, both available in this day and age for wide consumption, thankfully! I find that pineapple juice brings something special out of a good blended Scotch, so we brought some of that with us to our tavern. Pineapple gives the drink a crisp citrus zest, but also brings a lot of sugar into it – hence the Riesling, to balance it out. To bring this drink back down to earth, I picked some fresh thyme from my garden and mixed it into a quick and easy simple syrup mixture; that really did the trick.

The Story Behind The La Naranja Amarga

With the East Coast and Midwest awash in unseasonably gorgeous weather, our taste buds believe we’re in full-on spring. Who are we to dissuade them? It’s a perfect time to recreate – with subtle differences, naturally -- a classic cocktail from our favorite bar in a springtime destination that’s beautiful all year round. I’m speaking of Mexico City’s Hanky Panky.

We start with a gin base, as they do at Hanky Panky. But we wanted something with an orange tinge, so we split the sweet vermouth and instead of the traditional 1.5 ounces used 1 ounce of Punt e Mes, which has a slightly more orange taste. The remaining ½ ounce was replaced with a local Argentinian triple sec. Of course we kept the Fernet Branca; I don’t think you could call it a Hanky Panky variation without the Fernet. But this rendition is a little drier than your typical classic.

Ingredients In The La Naranja Amarga:

1.5 ounces gin
1 ounce sweet vermouth
½ ounce triple sec
¼ ounce Fernet Branca
1 cup ice
Grapefruit twist (garnish)

La Naranja Amarga Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass
Stir gently for around 1 minute
Strain into a coupe
Garnish with grapefruit twist

The Lillet Rose Spring Cocktail

This cocktail comes to us by way of Martha Stewart. Not only is the drink delicious, it also features a floating flower, which ups the Instagram-ability big time.

12 ounces Lillet Rose
12 ounces Ruby Red grapefruit juice
6 ounces gin
6 edible flower blossoms

Combine all the ingredients minus the flowers into a pitcher full of ice and stir until chilled. Strain and divide cocktail among 6 stemmed cocktail glasses, such as Champagne coupes. Float a flower in each.

Cocktail of the week: lemon fizz recipe

This is one of our new “twisted” wine cocktails, made from spirits derived from grapes. Serves one.

25ml limoncello
25ml ginger liqueur (we use Giffard Ginger of the Indies)
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
20ml fresh lemon juice
Champagne, to top
Pickled ginger (pink, ideally), to garnish

Shake the limoncello, ginger liqueur and pulp, and lemon juice over ice, and strain into a chilled flute. Top with champagne and garnish with pickled ginger petals scrunched up into a flower shape.