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Vanessa
Beginner August 2019 Alberta

Is a three hour cocktail hour too long?

Vanessa, on October 21, 2018 at 10:38 Posted in Wedding reception 0 11
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We are working on our day of time line, and our ceremony will be 30 minutes long (outdoor venue with tented reception tent) . For our cocktail hour, we will be serving lots of food and the bar will be open. We will also have lots of yard games, music, and places for guests to sit and hang out. We have also hired an Axe throwing company as part of our entertainment, they are booked for three hours. We are leaning towards having them set up before dinner, which would make our cocktail hour three hours long, with dinner served immediately after.

Is this too long? We will have some guests making use of our shuttle bus from the hotel, so not everyone will have the option to leave during cocktail hour.
we will also be joining the party during cocktail hour to greet our guests, immediately after pictures.

The other option would be to have Axe throwing set up after dinner, but I am not sure how well that would go in the dark, and I would rather people did not miss the first dances and speeches.

any feedback is appreciated!

11 Comments

Latest activity by Vinod, on October 23, 2018 at 09:49
  • Vinod
    Top August 2017 Ontario
    Vinod ·
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    3 hours for games, booze and food doesn't seem bad especially since some guests may not want to go home for a long drive and start drinking earlier. Bus transportation is always a good time for those who want to go or to the hotel to rest.

    For those guests near by may go home and do whatever is needed as suggested. They would be going to the cocktail hour about half hour before it ends so they make it on time for reception.

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  • M
    Newbie July 2019 Ontario
    M Mills ·
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    IMO 3 hours is too long for a cocktail hour. With or without axe throwing lol. But...everyone's mileage is different.

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  • Maegan
    Super July 2018 British Columbia
    Maegan ·
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    I don’t think 3 hours is too long. You’ve said you have food booze and games. What more do people need?? Our cocktail hour was at least 3 hours and people still seemed to be enjoying themselves at the end of it.
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  • Stephanie
    Master July 2018 Alberta
    Stephanie ·
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    It’s fine. We had three hours. My friend had four. There are things for people to do. Plus, everyone brings their phone everywhere these days and have data or games so they can entertain themselves if need be.

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  • Petra
    Frequent user June 2020 Ontario
    Petra ·
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    I honestly don’t think it’s too long. I’ve been to weddings where the ceremony is at 1pm, lasts about an hour and dinner starts at 6/7. People can go home in my opinion if they don’t want to wait
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  • E
    Expert December 2018 Ontario
    Emma ·
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    You may have to pay for 3 hours. But it doesn’t mean you have to actually have them there for 3 hours. If the ax throwing is a must for you then just pay them the minimum and then have them there for an hour and a half or something,

    You asked for our opinions and if I was a
    guest and couldn’t leave, after about an hour and half or 2 hours I would be starting have had enough and be getting bored. I would honeslty start looking forward for dinner so it could be over and I could leave.
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  • Vanessa
    Beginner August 2019 Alberta
    Vanessa ·
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    Thanks Ladies, this is a huge help. I have reached out to the vendor to see how weddings normally go when they are hired, unfortunately three hours is the minimum and included in our package, so we can’t change that.
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  • Bianca
    Master August 2019 Ontario
    Bianca ·
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    I think a 3 hours for cocktail hour is long. Guests might over drink (which would make me not want to put an axe in their hand), and some might just get tired.

    If I were you, I’d have cocktail hour start 1.5 hours before dinner and maybe cut back on how long you’d have the axe throwing game.
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  • E
    Expert December 2018 Ontario
    Emma ·
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    Yeah I think 3 hours before dinner even starts may be a little much. Especially if it’s not an open bar and if some guests have no choice to go somewhere else.

    I know you are saying it’s becIse the ax throwing is 3 hours. But do you really need 3 hours of ax throwing? You could cut it down to 2 hours or an hour and a half.

    For the big issue is that guests who have to be there the full 3 hours. As a guest if I had that much of a break before dinner I would want to be able to leave and come back. You may also have more guests who then decide to leave shortly after dinner.
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  • Vanessa
    Beginner August 2019 Alberta
    Vanessa ·
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    Thank you! I did inquire if the Axe throwing company would be willing to break up the hours, but it wouldn’t really work out as they can’t really sit stagnant when they could be making money elsewhere. The Axe throwing itself is a game, the guests sigh a waiver and the instructions let them throw axes at targets, there will also be other games and such. The bar will be a toonie bar, so not full price. I will make suggest to my SO to have it open bar for only the cocktail hour to make up for the long wait, that is an awesome suggestion
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  • Tori
    Top October 2019 Manitoba
    Tori ·
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    I do think that 3 hours would be too long but as long as your guests are given booze that they don't have to pay for, and something to entertain them (plus maybe games as I wouldn't want to watch the same thing for 3 hours), it should be fine.

    If it's a cash bar I would not be down for that though - it's one thing to pay for your drinks at a wedding and its another thing to have them pay for an additional 3 hours worth of drinking where they don't have much option to do anything else.

    At the same time - I get why you wouldn't have time after supper for 3 hours because of the light issue... even if supper is at 6 you wouldn't get outside till 7 and the sun sets at 8:30... Is there any chance you can break up the 3 hours??

    All IMO of course!!


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