Late Night Revolving Reception. Thoughts?

You're hosting a Saturday evening wedding. That's prime time, in the wedding world. The ceremony starts at 7:30 PM, so your cocktail hour, featuring apps, should begin about an hour later. Yes, it's fine to do food stations and a bar at a cocktail reception-- perfectly fine -- but what concerns me is the "small plates" addition to your post.

They need to be fed...not appetized, but fed. For plenty of people, a formal dinner on a Saturday happens at 8:00 PM or later. Make sure your invitations advise your guests that what you're hosting is an app wedding, because "small plates" means apps -- not a full meal. Then, it's up to them to decide whether they want to have dinner before hand, eat what you serve, or decline.

I would definitely anticipate dinner for a 7:30 PM start time. Maybe if the ceremony started at 8:30 I'd feed myself

If your ceremony is at 7:30pm, guest need at least 2 hrs to get ready, shower, etc... that probably means you expect them to eat a light dinner at 5pm??

Sorry for lots of people that's more like late lunch LOL

We eat dinner around 8pm

Stations sound yummy and fun! But you need to have lots! Enough to make a dinner out of .

You'll need to think about serving enough food to make a full meal.

My venue offers a package that has multiple cocktail hours....if this makes sense with just on going food....mainly finger foods.

The girl I work with is actually going with this package. She has a HUGE party family/crowd and they won't even blink an eye at this.

From what I read this package is the same if not more of the highest sit down dinner and just loads of food.

I am having a small plate, apps only reception for a mingling cocktail party vibe instead of a seated dinner. However, there will be more than enough food for it to be a meal.

How much food will you be providing? I will have 20-25 pieces per guest that will all be 2-3 bites. Just so you know, this is double what having a true buffet would be from my caterer.

I eat dinner around 6:00-6:30 every day unless I'm working late. I would definitely not expect dinner at 8:30 at night. If you have heavy enough stations people can definitely make a meal of it. If you have a pasta station, potato station, some sort of protein, etc. that equals a full meal in my mind. Just make sure there is enough of everything and a place for everyone to sit down.

You could go with that style of serving food, but I'd serve enough to fill everyone up the same as a plated or buffet meal. also, you still have to provide tables and chairs for everyone because most people still won't want to stand and eat. trust me, people will still mingle and party.

Thank you for the suggestions! The more I think about what you said, I basically am just doing away with a set time for the dinner. By having the food stations and "small plates" I'm allowing guests to eat as they please. Some guests can go straight to the food stations, such as the carving stations, side dish stations w/ vegetables, pastas, etc and even a salad/bread station and then other guests can mingle take photos, hit up the bar, check out the guest book, etc. I would still have tables for people to sit but also a lot of high top cocktail tables; I wouldn't have assigned seating

I'll see about pushing the ceremony back, I originally wanted an 8:00/8:30 ceremony but my FH wants it before the sunsets

The other thing I can think of is that I don't always wear comfortable shoes for wedding. I will be kind of grumpy after two hours in stilettos if I didn't anticipate that much standing. Make sure you have enough seating and a place for ladies to check thier bags

Ranae, it sounds like you're doing what Kirackle is doing -- which is great. I've been to several of these types of receptions, and they're a blast. Carving stations, side dish stations, vegetables, pastas, salad and bread stations? Sounds perfect.

Happy wedding.

It's important to have seats for everyone with some extra with that style of reception.

@Jenny thanks for the bag check idea! And thank you @Rachel for the support!

How many people are coming to your wedding? You need seats for everyone and honestly, mingling type weddings don't usually work for full meals if that's what you're providing.

For me, if there's enough good food for everyone, drinks, and a decent place to rest my feet from the heels I'll probably wear, I think it's okay. I've never been to a wedding with only small plates, but I feel like there should be some sort of heads up that it's not a full dinner. (otherwise my hungry self will be waiting for dinner to be served..."oh let me not fill up on this because they'll pass dinner soon" kinda thing.. ) Good luck!