Cheese + charcuterie only for cocktail reception

I think this would all be fine, if it were being held in the late afternoon, not in the evening and around dinner time. We had an evening wedding and guests began being seated at 7:30, we did our entrance and toasts, and dinner was served at 8pm. I feel like anything happening within the hours of 5-9pm interferes with dinner time.

I would suggest moving up the open house reception so everyone would come and go in the late afternoon (3-5ish, possibly as late as 6pm), so that after they have stopped by, they can go get dinner at their normal meal time.

That sounds very tasty! As long as the guests know that a full meal isn't being served I think what you mentioned above would be wonderful!

I'm inclined to hold the event later at 7:30-9:30 due to the weather. It could be quite hot out and my patio gets blasted by the late afternoon sun. Having the event later alleviates that issue.

I'm not really sure what input you're looking for here since you seem quite set on what you're planning to do regardless of the feedback. If this "concept" is the "go to" in your social circle, then, cool, go for it. I'm obviously not part of your social circle, but it would strike me as odd to be invited to a 2-hr open house wedding reception, where the expectation is that I wouldn't stay for more than a half-hour??? What the heck? Why bother to invite me? I'm tying up my night so I can stop in, wish you well, grab a cracker and some cheese, and go? At what point are you going to cut a wedding cake when people are coming and going? Am I likely to think I need to bring a gift? (Even if you don't want gifts, most people, when invited to any kind of "wedding party," are going to feel like they have to bring/send a gift. So then my 30-minute drop-in starts to feel even more awkward, like, I'm just there to deliver my gift....) I think it would be better if the time line were longer and/or it was more of a party/reception than an "open house." Also, I'd find a cocktail hour type reception more fitting in the early afternoon -- like 2-5 pm -- which would potentially work after your family luncheon.

We host, and attend, open house-type holiday parties every year. People drop in over a period of usually 4+ hours, but a lot stay nearly the entire time. In addition to beverages, heavy hot and cold appetizers, and a variety of desserts, we always have a couple of hot main course items (e.g., turkey, ham, lasagna, etc.) and sides. People serve themselves and circulate through our house and backyard (weather permitting). Everybody has a great time -- and, it feels like a casual party -- not like a "drive by."

I'm not entirely set on the idea, but I am leaning towards it. I wanted to get feedback on how a meat & cheese grazing table would be received.

I am also thinking about adding a food truck and maybe extending the event another hour, so three hours total.

I like your last update. Without knowing you, I get the impression you're trying to come up with something low-key and casual that doesn't say, "Hey! Come celebrate our marriage!" But, at the same time, the vision you originally posted here just seems like it's sending a confusing mixed message -- "we are celebrating, but just stop in for a minute...." If you are inviting people to anything related to your wedding, there are going to be some expectations about things like hosting, activities, gift-giving, etc. I get that your goal might be to be humble and low-key, and that's admirable, but I think extending the time a bit and owning that it's a shorter "cocktail reception" vs. an "open house" are good ideas. Given that night time is better because of the day-time temp, stick with your evening time line, but maybe make it 7:30-10:30 (with the expectation that some won't stay the entire time). Giving it a definite start time will let you have a little bit of a flow & timeline to the evening: 7:30-8:00 greeting guests, 8:00 toasts and an opportunity for you and H to thank guests for sharing in your happiness, 8:15-8:30 cut cake, then just casual interactions and more good food/beverages for as long as people want to hang out. Depending on your location, perhaps a "taco cart" (or something similar as opposed to a food truck) might also be a good option. They can set up on a patio in very little space, are usually super reasonably priced, and provide hot, quick light food options -- especially for a later evening event. Good luck!

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I cited the website because we are getting married in an LDS area and have LDS family. Over 50% of our guests are LDS and those that are not live here, and are familiar with the set up. So while we aren't having a temple sealing, we are adopting the format (earlier private ceremony followed by a casual reception). Anyway, I posted to clarify what likely seems strange to anyone who isn't familiar with the specific LDS wedding culture.

And yes, as I've posted my question I've started to ponder other options including the food truck thing. So maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it on this thread as it changes the reception to some degree.

If I were invited to an evening reception that specifically said "open house" I would not be expecting a meal. The latest time I would be expecting a meal is 7:00 pm. People just don't eat as late here, I guess.

If this type of affair is common in your area, then your guests will know what to expect. I would not bother to dress up and go out for a half hour stay at anyone's house for any reason. I would probably decline the invitation and send you a gift.

I do think that you are presenting a confusing picture. You are showing pics of elaborate spreads but describing a skimpy offering. It may be all you can do in your home with the space available, but this is a classic case where providing that information up front would have helped.

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Yeah, I didn't feel the need to list every nut variety or exact count of fruit. Sorry if that confused you. When I look at the pictures I see 5-6 cheeses and 3-4 types of sliced meats which are going to be various types of salami and ham. In addition you have the assorted bread and crackers, plus fruit. Space permitting I'd add a crudite display and a dip or two. My set up would look similar to the photos, but a little more contained so that it doesn't look like a messy pile of fruit and deli meat five minutes in. It wouldn't be skimpy in terms of the grazing table, it would look abundant. But if you were expecting a full meal or even a large assortment of hot appetizers it may seem that way to you.

Since I didn't respond to your original question about the proposed menu, my other comments aside, personally, there is very little in that selection I'd eat. I do not eat cold cut-type meats and there are only a couple of types of cheese I eat (but not more than a cube or slice). So, if I'm going to eat at all, it will be a couple pieces of fruit and a few crackers. I get that the plan wasn't for this to be a "meal," but if I'm hungry, I'm going to be really disappointed that these are my only options. If you stick with the original plan that you're only expecting me to stop by for a few minutes to wish you well, this menu will meet that need. But, back to my original response, it would seem very weird to me to go to any wedding-related party for ~30 minutes. If I knew that was the plan, I'd decline the invitation.

Is it possible to move this somewhere other than your house so you can have more variety? Community halls are usually inexpensive and would give you more room, not to mention your house wouldn’t be trashed by people filtering through. Who’s gonna restock the TP?

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I could have it somewhere else (I have a gorgeous community center nearby), but it starts to turn into more than I think we want. Also, I have no idea how far it gets booked out for a Sat evening in June. It's not about the cost, more about our desire to have a casual, low-key celebration vs a big wedding reception. Also, I really like the idea of having it at home, just seems more personal and intimate. I just need to work through the concept a little more, make sure its feasible.

I've never heard of a set up like this, but I personally love the idea! Seems like a know your crowd thing, but if you're comfortable with your group's expectations - go for it! Definitely make sure you have more food than you need though. At least in my crew, the cheese and salami trays would go FAST

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How did you estimate how much to get of each meat and cheese? I'm struggling trying to plan this for my upcoming wedding...this will be 1 of 3 food stations for our cocktail hour (another Wings station for my fiance and a mini taco bar station) followed by a full dinner. Larger wedding. Estimating around 500 guests. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

View Quoted Comment I believe in quality over quantity. My wedding charcuterie had just 3 cheeses and 4 meats (and all the other accoutrements) and because everything was high quality, it was just fine.

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This is an old thread and I believe the bride was LDS.