How to Plan Your Cocktail Hour

by Anne Chertoff, Posted Oct 7th 2010 8:00AM

Cheryl Hoffman

When planning your cocktail hour, think about the fun things you would want there:

An ethnic/regional band -- klezmer, Dixieland
Fun food -- pigs-in-a-blanket, mini egg rolls, popcorn shrimp
Creative decor -- bright colors, cocktail napkins with a phrase instead of just your names
Activities -- photo booth, crafting station for guest book

And for cocktails, you can have an open bar and still highlight a selection of drinks or a drink that you and your fiancé want to have as your signature drink. How do you pick a drink or group of drinks for your wedding? Here are some tips:

If your wedding has a theme, look for drinks that fit the theme. For example, my wedding was 1930s retro - inspired so we had a martini bar.
Color. Can you find drinks that fit your wedding palette? The colors of our wedding were pink, pale green, white/ivory and lavender, so I only served martinis that fit that color scheme: Cosmopolitans, Green Apple Martinis, Classic Martini, etc... I ended up buying about six bar/martini recipe books and visited a few bars to make sure the colors worked, but I do realize I was an insanely detail-oriented bride.
Location. Let your locale help pick your signature drink. Getting hitched in Puerto Rico? Find a cocktail with rum in it. Mexico? Tequila. California? Choose a variety of wines made in Napa Valley.
Culture. Where are you and your fiancé from? Is there a special drink that fits? Are your French? Maybe you want to only serve a selection of French wine or champagne.
Or just choose your favorite cocktail. It doesn't have to match anything. You can just have it because you like it.