When I hear cocktail I immediately think of Pretty Woman I am loving the idea of a cocktail reception as an alternative to a formal seated dinner especially when the event is outside and it’s summer… Everyone is happy to mingle and sip drinks with a croquet mallet in the other hand!

Here is some inspiration for comfortable seating I found online. What’s great about a cocktail reception is anything goes – from hay bails to outdoor living rooms, you can do it all but make sure you offer plenty of seating options because no one wants to stand all day.

Our Navy By Sea Wedding is having a cocktail reception and I am excited to see more options available for rent these days with this in mind. Other Navy by the Sea posts here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

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And an article I found online: Why a sit down dinner is a waste of money