4 Tips for Hosting a Successful Cocktail Hour

Where is your favorite place to go for happy hour after a long day of work? Now picture your cocktail hour to be just like that but better! Think about it: It's early in the evening, and you have all of your friends together with your favorite drinks, apps, great music and comfortable seating. Read on to see our four tips on what it takes to pull off an easy-breezy cocktail hour that your guests will enjoy (and a few extra tips on the side to take your cocktail hour to the next level!)

1. Cocktail, Please! 

Let's face it, when your guests arrive to the cocktail hour, the first thing they expect to have is a drink in their hand. It is called Cocktail Hour after all! Our top priority during the cocktail hour is to make sure all guests have a drink in their hand within the first 5 minutes of arrival. Whether the ceremony is at a separate location or in the same location as your cocktail hour, guests will always arrive in large groups. An idea to avoid long lines is to have servers tray pass pre-poured glasses of red wine, white wine, champagne and/or your signature cocktail. Not only does this eliminate guests from rushing to the bar and creating a line, but also adds a welcoming touch.  

2. Plenty of Food

We often recommend a nice variety of 3-4 delicious passed appetizers along with at least one food station. This amount of options will keep your guests happy until dinner is served. The food station of your choice can help carry out the theme of your BIG day- taco station, wood fired flatbreads, or a farm-to-table cruditè bar. All food options should be bite sized, finger foods to avoid spills and to also give your guests more of an opportunity to keep the conversations running smoothly. 

Helpful Hint: If you decide on a signature cocktail, make sure the appetizers you chose are complementary to your drink. 

3. Create a Comfortable Environment 

Create an environment that is welcoming and comfortable to your guests. We like to design cocktail hour spaces by providing tables of varying height - a combination of tall and short cocktail tables so the elderly guests and women in heels have a place to sit down. If the budget allows, we like to recommend adding furniture groupings for your guests to lounge on. The furniture design choice and the overall look of your cocktail hour can set the tone for the remainder of the evening. 

4. Choose The Right Tunes

Although most guests will be busy catching up and talking with old friends during the cocktail reception, providing a bit of background music is an integral part of hosting a fabulous cocktail hour. Whether you choose to hire a live musician (examples may include a jazz band, string quartet, or acoustic guitarist) or simply play tracks through a sound system- your music choice should match the overall mood that you are looking to create. 

Delicious Wedding Reception Food Trends of 2015

From farm-to-table inspired fare to indulgent late night bites, the creative possibilities are endless when it comes to customizing a menu for your BIG day! Below are four of our favorite wedding food trends for the new year.

 1. Farm-to-Table

We are heading back to our roots with the farm-to-table movement! Farm to Table is best described as food made with locally sourced ingredients. Honey Salt, a local Las Vegas restaurant, for example, offers a farm-to-table inspired menu that "balances the reality of living in the desert with the amazing ingredients regionally available for those willing to look a little harder." Local foodies may even incorporate locally grown vegetables or fruits into their table decor to bring this trend to the next level!

"Farm to table" is the concept of purchasing locally grown food directly from the source. The term comes from the idea that the less time and fewer hands it takes for the food to get from the farm to the table, the fresher, more environmentally sensitive and community minded it is. This can include growing your own garden for sustainable consumption at home or for your restaurant. Benefits
You can greatly impact the economy of your community, health of your patrons and bottom line of your food cost budget as a result of buying from a local farm as your main food supplier.
- See more at: http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/education/chefs-corner/the-farm-to-table-concept/c28253.aspx#sthash.3DQvYzGf.dpuf

"Farm to table" is the concept of purchasing locally grown food directly from the source. The term comes from the idea that the less time and fewer hands it takes for the food to get from the farm to the table, the fresher, more environmentally sensitive and community minded it is. This can include growing your own garden for sustainable consumption at home or for your restaurant. Benefits
You can greatly impact the economy of your community, health of your patrons and bottom line of your food cost budget as a result of buying from a local farm as your main food supplier.
- See more at: http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/education/chefs-corner/the-farm-to-table-concept/c28253.aspx#sthash.3DQvYzGf.dpuf

2. Family Style Dining

"Farm to table" is the concept of purchasing locally grown food directly from the source. The term comes from the idea that the less time and fewer hands it takes for the food to get from the farm to the table, the fresher, more environmentally sensitive and community minded it is. This can include growing your own garden for sustainable consumption at home or for your restaurant. Benefits
You can greatly impact the economy of your community, health of your patrons and bottom line of your food cost budget as a result of buying from a local farm as your main food supplier.
- See more at: http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/education/chefs-corner/the-farm-to-table-concept/c28253.aspx#sthash.3DQvYzGf.dpuf

"Farm to table" is the concept of purchasing locally grown food directly from the source. The term comes from the idea that the less time and fewer hands it takes for the food to get from the farm to the table, the fresher, more environmentally sensitive and community minded it is. This can include growing your own garden for sustainable consumption at home or for your restaurant. Benefits
You can greatly impact the economy of your community, health of your patrons and bottom line of your food cost budget as a result of buying from a local farm as your main food supplier.
- See more at: http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/education/chefs-corner/the-farm-to-table-concept/c28253.aspx#sthash.3DQvYzGf.dpuf

2. Family Style 

Let's face it: you want your wedding guests to interact with one another and have fun! The concept of family style meals is an icebreaker for most guests, because who doesn't love talking about food? Family style dining brings a laid back element to even the fanciest of weddings. This food trend could not be more perfectly paired with the long table trend of 2015!

3. Tasting Stations 

So your wedding day is the best day of your life, right? Wouldn't you want to eat your favorite food on that day? Well... that's what tasting stations are made for! Tasting stations have taken weddings by storm... from seafood stations and make-your-own taco stands to a grilled cheese bar and food trucks, the idea is to surprise your guests with a fun party food to keep their tummy's happy until it's time to dance the night away! 

This idea doesn't stop at food.. it also may be fun to create a beer tasting station or a scotch & cigar lounge. These types of different drink stations are yet another way to let guests peek into your personal tastes, with the added bonus of helping you keep your bar budget in check.

4. Late Night Bite 

This trend has been popular for a few years, but trust us when we say it's not going anywhere! I mean, your guests are working up an appetite by dancing the night away... why not send them off with a little parting nibbly? Much like the enticing appetizers that greet guests at the cocktail hour after the ceremony, the late night bite offers a satisfying something before they depart. Whether it is something salty or sweet, surprise your guests with a delicious treat served in a stylish yet disposable way!

Remember, your reception menu is a fantastic way to infuse your personality into your BIG day! So relax, have fun and make sure to sample the array of tasty treats you've chosen to delight your guests.

XO,
Your Team at Open Invitation