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Making Cocktail Hour…Fun!

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Upon reading the title of this post, most people’s initial reaction would probably be: “Why do I need to make cocktail hour MORE fun..it’s already fun as it is!” And generally, they’d be right. After all, anything involving an open bar usually is a good time. Here at Celebrationz, we focus on the extraordinary, not the status quo. Everyone has a cocktail reception at their wedding these days. In fact, it’s pretty much expected by your guests. The idea here, just like the rest of your wedding day, is to create a magical, unforgettable experience that will be remembered and talked about for years to come, for both you and your guests. Here are just some fun, creative, and unique ways we’ve come across to spice up Cocktail Hour..and set the bar for the unbelievable night of food, dancing, and festivities to come. Specialized Cocktail Station Offering special “above and beyond” drinks like a dedicated martini bar is a great way to start a buzz and have guests interacting with each other. Putting out an elegant “martini menu” with anywhere from 3-10 different unique martini options, mimicking the latest trends on the bar scene like vodka bars or mixology inspired drinking holes, will set your reception apart from the standard “open bar with bottles on display”. Take it one step further, if your budget allows, by hiring a professional bar chef or mixologist to design and create custom drinks just for your wedding.

Say Cheese!

One of the ideas that we came across that we noticed really got people excited, is ironically very simple (and cost effective) to implement as part of your reception. Buy a couple of instant cameras (yes, they still make them) and a whole bunch of rolls of film. Create a simple yet elegant “photo clothesline” by pinning twine or ribbon between two racks or poles. Leave a bunch of clothespins, and….Voila! Instant Selfie Wedding Memories PhotoBooth! Watch as eager party goers (who are a little more liberated due to the amazing cocktails you’re serving) line up to take polaroids of themselves and their dates and pin them up! You can even create an awesome wedding scrapbook or collage with all the photos after the wedding.

Food Stations

Yes, we realize that you have an epic 10000-course foodie meal awaiting your guests, but who can deny the opportunity to pair a fantastic cocktail with fantastic hors d’oeuvres? Having various stations (with possible themes even) of bite-size treats as an aperitif for the meal to come, will leave your guests very appreciative. Plus, we all know that between all the speeches and ceremonies, it will be a while before the actual food is served. Taking it one step further by offering customized food and beverages (ie. Wine) pairings is never a bad idea.

Games and Activities

Having stuff for your guests to do – besides standing and pretending to be into the smooth jazz trio in the corner you’ve hired, is always a good bet. Make cocktail hour interactive! We’ve already alluded to this with the whole polaroid station, but setting up novel activities, such as Cocktail Tic Tac Toe, or a graffiti mural, will have your guests entertained and happy enough to sit through your brother-in-law’s well-intentioned but unnecessarily long speech.

As you can see, Cocktail hour doesn’t have to be cliché. Jazz it up a bit (not with an actual jazz band, although those are nice too) by creating engaging activities and entertainment for your guests. Leave your guests gossiping about the “coolest wedding they’ve ever been to”, and setting the bar for others!

The Pinterest Effect

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Image     As a creativity-fueled business, we love social media. There is no better way to not only share our designs and ideas with our customers, but also stay up to date with the latest trends and styles. Our goal is to deliver the most cutting edge and current styles to our clients, and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest allows to keep up with the ridiculous pace of floral and event décor fashion.

However, social media can be a double edged sword. It creates unrealistic expectations, and narrow minded fixations, that result in some clients being disappointed. Let’s do a breakdown of this phenomenon, so you guys can get a better idea of what we’re talking about. You’re a bride to be.

You’ve just gotten engaged and now are giddy over the prospect of planning and designing the wedding of your dreams. You’ve cleared out Indigo of their stock of wedding magazines. You’ve toured the wedding and bridal show circuit. You TV is permanently set to TLC and HGTV. You spend your days constantly recharging your phone, because you’re on Pinterest so much.

These are all good things, right? Being educated and focused on exactly what you want will make it easier to turn your wedding dreams into reality, right? Not so much…and here’s why. Scouring the internet for random pictures from other people’s weddings can actually be detrimental to your wedding plans. Clients come in all the time with beautiful Pinterest boards, assembled from images and ideas from all corners of the internet. They’ve spent so much time and focus on sifting through the millions of ideas that can be found, that now they have their heart set on exactly what they have on their pinboard.

This is often a problem, because recreating those ideas exactly like they appear on Pinterest can be a problem in reality. Often times the implementation of those designs would be way too expensive for a particular wedding’s budget, and clients don’t realize this until they’re meeting with us or their wedding planners. As a client centered business, the last thing we want to do is to shut down your dreams based on what you’ve shown us on your Pinterest board. While not being realistic, being set on a very specific design or style also has the negative impact of stifling creativity! Allowing us to run with a general concept allows us to work as a team and create something truly unique and magical, unlike anything you could ever assemble on Pinterest.

It’s not that we hate Pinterest and other social media. We love it, we truly do. Rather, all we ask is you have a general idea or style or identify certain theme and motifs that you like, and allow us to guide you in order to create a truly individual wedding that has your own personal touch! So, next time you go in to a meeting with your décor or event planner…NO PINTEREST ALLOWED! Just kidding..just be open minded! Now, excuse us, while we get back to finishing this latest Pinboard.