Wedding Cocktail Hour Entertainment: Why Caricatures Work Best During Both the Cocktail Hour and the Reception
- Kathy Buskett
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
One of the most common questions I get from brides is, “Can you just come for cocktail hour?”
I totally understand why. Somewhere along the way, “cocktails and caricatures” became a popular wedding idea. It sounds perfect. Guests are mingling with a drink in hand, there’s live entertainment, and everyone gets a fun keepsake before dinner.
The problem is, for most weddings, cocktail hour by itself just isn’t enough.
After nearly 30 years of drawing at weddings, I’ve learned that the best wedding cocktail hour entertainment doesn’t end with cocktail hour—it starts there. I actually love beginning during cocktail hour. It’s a great way to get the party started. But continuing into the reception gives your guests something even more valuable: time.
Caricature artists are human. We can only draw so many people in an hour.
I’m fortunate to be one of the fastest caricature artists in the world, typically drawing 20 to 30 guests per hour. During a typical four-hour reception, I can draw up to 100 guests while also creating a special full-color caricature for the bride and groom before I leave.
That speed is one of the reasons couples fly me in from all over the world.
But here’s something many people don’t realize. More time doesn’t just mean more drawings. It means a better experience for your guests.
Why I Recommend Starting During Cocktail Hour
One of the reasons I love starting during cocktail hour is because I know exactly what’s about to happen. The ceremony ends, the doors open…and everyone stampedes to the bar like a herd of wild buffalo.
I’m only half kidding.
That’s why I usually set up near the bar. While guests are waiting for a drink, I invite my first couple to sit down. Within minutes, people standing in line start watching. Someone laughs. Another person points. Before long, I’ve got a little crowd gathered around, and then people start asking, “Can we get in line?”
Just like that, the party has started, and we’re off to the races.
Why Speed Matters
Here's something many people don't realize. More time doesn't just mean more drawings. It means a better experience for your guests.
One concern I occasionally hear from couples is, “What if the line gets too long?”
Honestly, it usually doesn’t. At least not with me. Because I draw so quickly, most of the time the line is only four or five couples deep. And it goes by pretty quickly. Guests watch for a few minutes and realize they can grab a drink, head out to the dance floor, visit with family, or enjoy dinner, knowing they can come back a little later. Throughout the evening, the line rises and falls naturally.
That’s one of the reasons I recommend continuing into the reception. Guests don’t feel pressured to squeeze everything into one hour. They can simply enjoy the wedding and get their caricature when the time feels right.
It also means you don’t have guests who waited in line for an hour and a half only to be turned away because time ran out. Nobody enjoys that, and I’ve heard plenty of stories from guests telling me it happened at other events.
Why I Recommend wedding receptions start with Wedding Cocktail Hour Entertainment
Now, does that mean caricatures should never be part of cocktail hour? Not at all.
In fact, I think cocktail hour is one of the best places to start.
Guests are already mingling, looking for something to do while the wedding party finishes photos, and the drawings become an instant conversation starter. Before long, you've got people gathered around watching each caricature come to life, laughing together, and waiting for the final reveal. It helps create a fun atmosphere right from the beginning of the reception.
The difference is that I don't recommend ending there.
For most weddings, cocktail hour simply isn't long enough to give everyone a chance to participate without feeling rushed. By continuing into the reception, guests know I'll still be there. They don't feel like they have to choose between getting a caricature, eating dinner, talking with Grandma, or dancing to their favorite song.
One question I sometimes get is whether moving between cocktail hour and the reception is difficult. Thankfully, it isn't. At least not for me.
My setup is lightweight and designed to move quickly. Because I work with dry media, there are no paints, water containers, or messy supplies. I don't even need a table. At weddings, where every square foot matters, that's one less thing taking up valuable space—and one less table you have to rent. If your timeline calls for it, I can move from cocktail hour to the reception in about five minutes with very little disruption.
It’s About Entertainment, Not Just Drawings
One of the greatest lessons I learned came during my years working in Las Vegas.
That's where I learned that my job isn't just to draw caricatures. My job is to entertain.
So I don't just draw quietly in a corner from photos—I interact with your guests, and that's half the fun.
I was fortunate enough to be trained by one of the legends in our industry, Buddy Rose, founder of the International Society of Caricature Artists, often called the Godfather of Caricature—and my late husband. Buddy taught me that the show is just as important as the art.
I've never forgotten that.
When guests sit down, we talk. We laugh. They ask how I became an artist. I reassure them they don't have to sit perfectly still or smile the whole time. I grimace as I say this, and that gets a laugh, and your guests visibly relax. Before long, the people standing around are laughing too, waiting to see the final drawing.
For many guests, it's their first time ever sitting for a caricature. The experience becomes just as memorable as the artwork they take home.
Even people who never sit in my chair often stop to watch because that's part of the entertainment. I hear comments like, "I could watch you for hours," or "I can't even draw a stick figure!"
To which I usually grin and reply, "That's why I have a job."
That usually gets a laugh.
And that's exactly why I believe wedding caricatures are about so much more than the drawings themselves.
I didn't always think that way, though. In fact, one crazy Saturday in October a few years ago completely changed the way I book weddings.
The Day That Changed How I Book Weddings
The first wedding was a morning wedding at Bellingrath Gardens. I arrived early, set up, and even drew the jazz band as a warm-up. They loved it. The bride and groom were mushroom farmers, and so were many of their friends. (You can’t make this stuff up!)
It was a wonderful wedding, and because it was the first one of the day, I was relaxed, having fun, and able to really enjoy interacting with everyone.
Then I packed everything up and drove to Pensacola for a wedding at the Barkley House.
I couldn’t find parking anywhere. Eventually I left my truck in a spot I wasn’t completely sure about because I couldn’t afford to be late. I made it on time, but I spent the entire reception wondering if my truck was going to be towed and if I would make it to my next wedding.
Yes, three in one day!
The wedding planner had hoped to sit for a caricature herself, but I had another wedding waiting for me. I had to pack up and leave right on schedule. She completely understood, but I hated walking away knowing there was someone who wanted one that I couldn’t serve.
Then it was back in the truck again, heading to Gulf Shores for my third wedding of the day at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.
The reception was already underway when I arrived, but thankfully the bride knew ahead of time that I’d get there as soon as I could. I stayed later for that one, and she was thrilled.
On the drive home, I remember thinking, “I’m never doing this again.”
It wasn't because anyone complained. Quite the opposite. All three brides were happy.
But I knew something they didn't.
I knew how much mental energy I'd spent thinking about traffic, parking, travel time, and getting to the next venue. I wanted every couple to have my full attention, not an artist who was mentally calculating how long it would take to get across town.
Living on the Gulf Coast, traffic is always a wild card. Even though these weddings were all in October, one accident, one bridge backup, or one unexpected delay could have thrown the entire day off.
That's when I realized I didn't want to build my business around hoping traffic cooperated.
I also realized I had been asking myself the wrong question.
Instead of wondering, "How many weddings can I fit into one day?" I wanted to start asking, "What's best for this couple?"
From that day forward, I decided to reserve my entire day for one wedding.
It didn't take long to realize it was one of the best business decisions I'd ever made. Not because it made my life easier, but because it made my couples' lives easier.
I've drawn at enough weddings to know that timelines change. Hair and makeup runs long. Family photos take longer than expected. Dinner gets delayed. Someone decides they want another twenty minutes to visit with family before everyone heads into the reception. That's just how weddings are.
Not too long ago, one of my brides called and asked if we could change the timeline. Because I had reserved my entire day for her, my answer was easy.
"Absolutely."
There was no panic. No checking to see if I'd make it to another event. No disappointing conversation where I had to explain that another bride was waiting for me across town.
She got the wedding day she wanted.
That's exactly why I changed the way I book weddings.
Today, I reserve my entire day for one couple. It allows me to be completely present, and it gives you the flexibility that almost every wedding needs.
Now, are there exceptions? Of course.
If you're planning a small, intimate wedding with around fifty guests or fewer, I may very well tell you that cocktail hour is all you need. Every wedding is different, and I'd much rather recommend what's right for your celebration than automatically steer everyone toward the biggest package.
For most weddings, though, I recommend starting during cocktail hour and continuing into the reception. Your guests have time to eat, dance, visit with family and friends, enjoy watching the drawings, and then sit for a caricature when they're ready. It creates a much more relaxed experience, and more guests have the opportunity to take home a one-of-a-kind wedding favor that night.
But that's never been the most important part to me.
The caricatures are the keepsake.
The experience is the gift.
Experiences > Things
Over the years, I've had countless guests tell me they'd always wanted a caricature but had never had the opportunity. You're giving them a bucket-list experience they'll remember long after the wedding is over. What a wonderful way to thank the people who traveled, rearranged their schedules, and came to celebrate one of the biggest days of your life.
If you're wondering what would work best for your wedding, I'd be happy to talk it through with you. After nearly 30 years of drawing weddings, I'll give you my honest opinion, even if that means telling you I don't think caricatures are the right fit for part of your day.
I care much more about your wedding being successful than I do about making a sale. That's just who I am. My goal is to help make one of the most important days of your life the very best it can be—at least my little part of it.
If it sounds like we'd be a good fit, I'd love to hear what you're planning.
About the Artist
Kathy Buskett has spent nearly 30 years creating live caricatures at weddings, corporate events, and celebrations across the country.
A former Las Vegas caricature artist and one of the fastest caricaturists in the world, she's known for creating flattering drawings that entertain guests as much as the artwork itself.
Based on the Gulf Coast, Kathy travels nationwide, helping couples create unforgettable wedding experiences that their guests will be talking about for years.
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