PRE-CEREMONY COCKTAIL HOUR?! Why this trend is great for outdoor ceremonies
We are so excited to see pre-ceremony cocktail hour (or 30 minutes!) become a trend at Shiraz Garden. It provides so many perks, namely having everyone on time and arriving together for Ceremony.
At Shiraz Garden, pre-ceremony cocktail hour looks like this:
Guests arrive at the parking lot, follow the string lights to the Formal Garden and then enjoy 30 minutes up to an hour of a cocktail hour together. Then once the ceremony starts time is only a few minutes away everyone can walk together to Sunset Vista. This makes it a fun experience walking the magical little path all together and sitting down as a group rather than trickling into the ceremony and possibly having late arrival who miss the ceremony altogether.
Why Destination Weddings + Families meeting for the first time should have a pre-ceremony cocktail hour!
This is perfect for families who are all just meeting for the first time or haven’t seen each other in ages. If you have family coming in from all over or abroad we encourage this even more! This means there is a chance to mingle, hug, and refamiliarize themselves making the reception more about having fun than catching up with distant relatives. Let’s be honest you want your family and friends to be focused on you and the wedding activities.
The walking path was incredible, and we had a mariachi band waiting on the path after the ceremony completed. Once we were married, they began to play, and everyone followed them down the path into the Formal Gardens where the fun really started! SHIRAZ BRIDE
Sunset Photos and Why Pre-Cocktail Hour extends your March-November Weddings
Having an outdoor ceremony means you want that sunset glow. If sunset is late (depending on your month) that can be tough, so having a cocktail hour before so guests can arrive have a drink, and mingle THEN head to Sunset Vista is a pretty cool flip on the traditional. Then reception and food service start right away after the ceremony.
Here's a write-up on this option below! HERE are MORE GREAT REASONS TO CONSIDER IT from InsideWeddings.com
Shiraz Garden Wedding that included the pre-ceremony cocktail hour and was flawless BELOW!
Take it from the Mother of the Bride:
There is nothing like the Texas Hill Country, and Sunset Vista provided the classic hill country backdrop for the ceremony. The walk to and from the ceremony to the Formal Garden was a total pleasure.
Sunset Ceremony with a View of the Texas Hill Country - April at Shiraz
“Where do I begin! Shiraz Garden and Kalli made our wedding the most epic and seamless wedding experience. Better than anything I ever imagined for myself! I could not have asked for a more beautiful ceremony, epic reception and smooth planning process. The Shiraz Garden venue is quite possibly the most beautiful venue I have even seen.
We were married at Sunset Vista with the most beautiful backdrop of the Central Texas Hill Country. We did not even need much décor because the view itself was more beautiful than anything we could have ever created ourselves. The guests also had the best time hanging back and taking pictures with the view themselves – who does not love a good background! From there, the ease and beauty of getting from the ceremony at the Sunset Vista to the Formal Garden was another part of the amazing experience.” BRIDE
Open Air Reception at the Formal Garden
… The Formal Garden made for such a beautiful reception with the gorgeous waterfalls, fire pits and great space for everyone to feel safely distanced. Also, the short distances from the bar to the dance floor was of course a major hit! OH and the RUGS on a dance floor were epic! I have been to a million weddings and it was something special and beautiful that I had never seen before. Everyone was raving about how unique it was! BRIDE
Magic for the Salsa Crew on the plush Persian Rug Dance Floor
I cannot say enough about Shiraz Garden as a wedding venue and Kalli Doubleday and her team. They made the e entire process so simple and seamless. She provides all the tools and communication you need to make every wedding decision possible. It was the perfect destination wedding in the hill country. The guests loved staying at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and the convenience of how close it was to Shiraz Garden made the traveling so easy. I know all our guests will be coming back to stay and had an incredible time.
First Look on the Hidden Staircase & Sunset Portraits at Mohana Outlook
