Cocktail Reception

Cocktail Reception: A standing reception with high tables and passed appetizers, no full sit-down dinner.

A cocktail reception is a stand-up event with passed hors d'oeuvres, a few high cocktail tables for resting drinks, and lounge seating clusters. Guests mingle freely. It usually has no formal seating chart — at most a small "VIP table" for parents or the couple.

Related terms

• Banquet Style — A seated, served dinner with assigned tables — the traditional reception format.
• Open Seating — No assigned tables — guests sit wherever they like.

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