Is a party that cocktails are served. Its sometimes called a cocktail reception.During the cocktail hour, guests socialize while drinking and eating appetizers.

This is a stand up private function held before a meal.

A variety of light snacks are offered as part food offer.

Assorted beverages both soft and alcoholic are offered as part of the bar

When planning a cocktail, many experts on entertaining suggest hosts should assume at least three beverages per guest, unlike a dinner or reception where heavier foods are expected to be served and fewer drinks are served.

A cocktail party may include a variety of finger foods, light snacks or even heavy cold starters, but the primary focus is generally on cocktails, good conversation and music, not much on the food. Mention any special food arrangement during invitation.

guests may have to monitor their own alcohol consumption and ability to drive home safely.A well-planned cocktail party is often an exciting blend of social mixer and night on the town. Guests may share a common bond, such as work or school. Meeting new people can be easier under the relaxed atmosphere of a cocktail party, which is some people prefer to call ‘social mixer’.

A wedding reception is a party held after the completion of a marriage ceremony. It is held usually as a hospitality for those who have attended the wedding, the couple receives society, in the form of family and friends, for the first time as a married. Entertaining guests after a wedding ceremony is traditional in most societies, and can last anywhere from half an hour to many hours or even days.

(Lillicrap, 2007)

Weddings were more typically celebrated with wedding breakfast (for those whose religious traditions encouraged morning) and wedding balls (for those who were married in the evening).

Location Wedding celebrations were most commonly held in the bride’s home, in whatever style of entertainment was within the means of the family.

This might be a grand ball for a wealthy family, a luncheon for middle class families, or afternoon tea, featuring cake and lemonade, for working class families. The choice of where the wedding reception is to be held depended primarily on the family’s economic situation, and in some cases, mass weddings were favored as a way to share costs.

Guests must be greeted with a receiving line. In a receiving line, couple, and often the wedding party, their parents, and any attendants, stand in order of precedence and greet every guest in turn. Each guest greets the first person in the line and if necessary introduces himself. The first person then introduces the gust to the next person in the line, and turns to the next guest.

The food served at a wedding reception is determined by the time of the wedding and local customs. Food may range from a single non-alcoholic drink with wedding cake to elaborate, multi-course dinners. The type of food chosen entirely at the discretion of the host.

In most Western countries, either before or after food is served, toast are made by the wedding party, wishing the couple well. Commonly toasts are proposed by the bride’s father, the groom, the best man, and/or the maid of honor.

If there is dancing at the end the celebrations after the wedding, the newly married couple typically open the dancing with their first dance. The style of dancing depends on the nature of the music chosen. While most contemporary Western couples select a romantic song and a relatively formal dance style, some couple choose to perform humorous choreographed dances.

As the newlyweds are the guests of honor, the other guests are expected to remain at the reception until they leave them, and consequently, it is an imposition on the other guests for the newlyweds to stay unreasonably long at the party. On occasion, the newlyweds will stage an official leave-taking so that guests feel free to leave, and then quietly return through another door.