What time should a cocktail party start

What Time Should a Cocktail Party Start?

Answering the question “What time should a cocktail party start?” is much simpler than most people make it. Each event is unique, so we can’t tell you exactly what time to start your party, but we can offer some guidance based on our own experiences!

Let’s go over when to start your party, how long it should last, and how to communicate your vision with guests clearly.

Key Takeaways

  • Most cocktail parties start in the evening, but there’s no right or wrong time to host a get-together!
  • Stating a clear start and end time on your invites will make the best experience for you and your guests. 
  • Plan for 2 to 3 hours, plus additional time for set-up and clean-up. 
  • Plan activities to fill the time during your event. This helps avoid awkward lulls, especially if some people will be meeting each other for the first time.

Choosing a Start Time

Choosing a Start Time for Your Cocktail Party

Technically, there’s no right or wrong time to start your party. That being said, some times are better than others. According to most hosts and attendees, the perfect cocktail party start time is 6 or 7 PM. 

This is seen as the perfect start time because of a few factors. It won’t disrupt people mid-day and will allow them to leave before it is too late at night, whether they’re leaving to go home or to another activity. It’s also an easy time to work with childcare and employment schedules.

How Long Should A Cocktail Party Last?

How Long Should A Cocktail Party Last

Two to three hours is the best timeline if you want a fabulous cocktail party that isn’t too long but doesn’t feel rushed. Guests should have plenty of time to try hors d’oeuvres, mingle, and partake in any planned activities.

Keep in mind that most guests arrive close to the scheduled start time, not right on the dot. The same applies to when they leave. 

For instance, if you say the party will end at 9 PM, some might make their exit around 8:30 while some stragglers will make small talk until 9:15.

Making Invitations

Making Invitations 

We can’t stress this enough – if you host a cocktail party, put an end time on the invite! Leaving the end time open invites guests to stay as long as they like, which will probably be longer than you would like!

Other important details besides the start and end times to include on your invites are:

  • Theme – cocktail party themes make it fun for those attending to coordinate their outfits to the theme or get excited about the theme prior to their arrival.
  • Cocktail menu – if you want, share some of the cocktail party food and mixed drinks you’ll be serving. Easy, crowd-pleasing options like savory tarts, chicken skewers, and sliders are preferred. 
  • Bar details – not every gathering has a full bar with unlimited drinks. If there are limits on how many drinks per person, make a note of it on the invite.
  • RSVP information – make it easy for guests to tell you if they’ll be in attendance for the cocktail hour or not. This will make it easier to plan the right amount of party drinks and finger foods to go around.

Cocktail Entertaining Tips

Cocktail Party Tips

As self-proclaimed party experts, we want to share some tips. We’ve attended just as many parties as we’ve thrown ourselves, so we’ve picked up some do’s and don’ts along the way.

While formal events (think weddings or class reunions) have bar staff to serve cocktails, most aren’t quite that luxurious. Try to serve drinks that can be made in big batches before everyone arrives or drinks that can be made without cocktail shakers. Preparing each drink in a shaker takes forever! Have plenty of red wine, champagne, and white wine on-hand for quick-pour refills too. 

Cocktail Party Tips

Do not try to plan a full meal for your guests! The goal is to keep guests satisfied without having a ton of leftovers. Scale the number of food items to your guest list after people have RSVP’d. If you’re hosting a large gathering, the convenience of food catering may be worth the splurge.

Our next tip goes back to the theme. Whatever it is, make sure you commit! Everything should tie into your party theme, from the decor to the food served and the cocktail glasses used for serving. In addition to drinks and hors d oeuvres, offer a couple of non-alcoholic drinks. This gives guests a way to pace their alcohol intake and acts as an inclusive offering for people who can’t drink and designated drivers. 

Our final tip to keep the atmosphere light is to create a playlist of mellow music. Keep your audience in mind when making a list. You’ll probably play more family-friendly tunes around business associates or during open houses than you would at an intimate get-together with close friends. If it’s too time-consuming to make your own playlist, you can search for playlists made by other hosts on Apple Music and Spotify.

FAQs

What time of day do most cocktail parties happen?

Most cocktail parties happen in the evening, around 6 or 7 PM.
Brunch or happy hour are good themes if you want an earlier cocktail event!

How long is the average cocktail party?

Most cocktail parties last 2 to 3 hours. The goal is to give people enough time to socialize and drink but not overstay their welcome.

Should a cocktail party have a planned ending time?

We highly recommend planning an ending time for your gathering. These types of parties can drag on longer than expected without a planned ending time. 

One Comment

  1. Joydev chatterjee

    My desire is to understand if one of the guest invited in a cocktail party gets late by an hour from the actual time fixed by the host.Will that guest be served drinks and food.

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