We love how brides and grooms are looking to customize their weddings more and more these days…anything goes now, and often the more unique touches the better! One of our favorite twists we’re commonly seeing these days is hosting a cocktail style reception instead of a formal sit-down dinner. Here are a few great reasons why we love this idea!

1. There is more opportunity to mingle!

Sometimes seating arrangements can be a daunting task for bride and grooms, as it’s often difficult to come up with the best groupings for all your guests. By hosting a cocktail style reception, you can easily skip this step! Incorporate some high-top tables and lounge seating areas, and allow your guests to mix and mingle as they wish. It also makes it easier for the bride and groom to work their way around to visit with all of the guests!

2. They offer more menu variety! 

A big concern is often wondering if your guests are going to like the options for dinner and taking into consideration all of the individual dietary restrictions/allergies. With a cocktail style reception, you can incorporate as many different canapé/appetizers as you would like. This means a much larger variety of food for your guests to pick at to please everyone’s taste!

3. You can totally customize the event!

There are a few different ways you can plan a cocktail style reception. You can have appetizers passed around by servers, or create different appetizer/food stations – this allows you to have some more fun with it! With different food stations, you can also get creative with the presentation and mini versions of foods that are sure to be crowd-pleasers.

4. There is more venue flexibility! 

Each venue has a specific capacity of guests for sit-down dinners. With a cocktail style reception, chairs and tables are not needed for all guests, so you can often get away with fitting more people in the space. Just remember it’s still important to have a few tables and some seating around for guests who might want breaks from standing for so long! This style of reception also allows for a lot more creativity when it comes to décor – a personal favourite for us it mixing and matching different styles of furniture for lounge areas.

5. They can be more budget-friendly! 

The price point for the catering at your wedding is something that widely varies depending on your venue and the quantity and types of food you select. However, doing a cocktail style reception can sometimes be more budget friendly than a formal sit-down dinner. It’s also important to keep in mind you won’t have as many additional décor items such as chairs, linens, centerpieces etc. as there won’t be as many tables required.

6. They are more relaxed! 

Sometimes sit-down plated dinners can feel more formal and structured than what most people are looking for. A cocktail party is a great way to make the night feel more relaxed…yet this type of dinner can still be executed in a very classy way! Keep in mind, the night can also still have all of the traditional reception activities such as cake cutting, the first dance etc.

7. There is more time to dance and celebrate! 

Another common request we hear is bride and groom’s wanting quick dinner service so that the majority of the night can be spent dancing and celebrating! Cocktail style receptions can take up less time as all guests aren’t being served an individual plated dinner…leaving more time for the party to celebrate your special day!