If you’re a lover of a Cosmopolitan, an Espresso Martini or an Old Fashioned you might want to consider hosting a wedding cocktail hour! A cocktail hour really is a wonderful opportunity to welcome all your guests with an extra special drink, and allow everyone to mingle and enjoy the atmosphere after your ceremony. Here are our top tips for hosting a sophisticated cocktail hour at Hodsock Priory on your wedding day.

For the perfect cocktail party, we recommend you choose two signature cocktails and base the event around them. Perhaps each choose your favourite tipple, and consider naming them after yourselves as an homage to your brand new marriage! It goes without saying that for ultimate impact your drinks need to look just as good as they taste – our fantastic catering team at Hodsock has that covered! If you want an element of surprise for your soirée, why not choose one well known cocktail and then one that’s a little more unusual? Make sure all of your guests are happy by offering a choice of mocktails for those who aren’t drinking. 

Generally speaking, guests will have one to two drinks over an hour so ensure you order sufficient cocktails – our in house team can help advise you on this! Whether our team are serving your guests or you have a ‘make your own’ station, it’s a good idea to provide your friends and family with a selection of garnishes and mixers. Don’t forget to purchase or order enough ice for drinks and to keep everything chilled. If your wedding cocktail hour lasts longer than an hour, it may be worth offering canapés and nibbles. Alcohol and empty stomachs aren’t always the best combination and you don’t want your guests getting too hungry before your reception. Keep it simple yet scrumptious with platters brimming with olives, nuts, meats, cheeses and fresh bread. You may want to provide food options for those who are vegan or vegetarian, but you can ask guests to inform you of any dietary requirements when they RSVP. Take a look at our Catering page to see what we have on offer for your wedding food.

There are just a few more things to consider when hosting a stylish wedding cocktail hour. Music and décor will help to set the scene and create an atmosphere that will make your guests never want to leave. Think about how you’re going to decorate the bar and space, and whether or not you have a theme you want to tie in. The beauty of Hodsock Priory is that the rooms and interior design speak for themselves, so you won’t need to do too much in terms of decoration. We do recommend using lighting to create ambience, especially if your event is taking place in the Autumn or Winter. For your music, you will need to carefully create the perfect playlist. It needs to be upbeat and cheerful, with an underlying chilled feel so that your guests can still hold a conversation over the music.  

Now you’re fully clued up on how to create a stylish, seamless celebration that’s full of delectable cocktails. Happy wedding planning! 

Hodsock Priory is the perfect backdrop for your wedding cocktail hour, set among 800 acres and rich in history and spectacular architecture. Take a look through our information about your wedding reception to see if you can envision your ultimate sophisticated soiree here!

Thanks to Megan Wilson for images in this article.