Wedding Dinner vs. Hors d'oeuvres/Finger Food

Following! Similar situation.

If that fits in with your budget more comfortably, then that's what you should do.

It's really about what you and your FH want to do, and what's important to you guys. Is it more important to a serve a dinner, and have a limited open bar, or is it more important for people to have heavy app's with slightly more stocked bar?

It's your preference really.

ETA: Those are just examples above, by the way.

Thanks you for the info ladies!

I think it's kind of cool that you all have a family tradition going on there! That would be fun if it were heavy hors d'oeuvres all night!

I did see in a post earlier that the ceremony was like at 6:30/7 and it was just dessert served. If you make it known that it's just apps + dessert, then people will come without empty stomachs. Just make it known and you should be good.

We have a wedding on a budget so we totally decided to skip cocktail hour and just serve dinner and dessert, which our venue provides. people pick so much during cocktail hour that by the time dinner is served, they are too full to eat and end up wasting the food (AND YOUR MONEY). we are saving about 30-40 dollars PER PERSON and I am having 100-120 people. THATS ALOTTT OF MONEY SAVED. don't skimp on dessert, people usually leave room for that lol

We are doing appetizers/finger foods. Our reception is beginning at 3:30 though too. We actually saved almost $2000 just from going plated to finger foods

We are on a budget and having an afternoon reception. Our food is more along the lines of appetizers. It works perfectly for our venue and the casual reception we're hoping for. We are having 45 guests. We found an AMAZING caterer who is performing a food miracle for $330! We are having fruit platters, spinach salad, meat and cheese trays, bread baskets, sundried tomato penne and antiplasto platters full of wonderful nibbles. She'll also bring infused water and sweet tea. We're providing our own wine and microbrews and I'm going to get round cakes and pies from the grocery store and weddingfy them myself.

SweetestLeslie: how many people are attending your wedding? and how many appetizers/desserts will you have available? Our guest list is pretty big: 200. I am trying to figure out the cost for that many guests. I got a price qoute on just meat for dinner, it was $1600 for meat alone (no catering, chicken & tri-tip).

Melissa: we do plan on having the invitations specify that we will be serving finger food & desserts. Thank you! Have you been to wedding that did not serve dinner, but finger food?

I think if you don't serve a full meal, your reception should be held at a time of day when guests aren't expecting a full meal (and you should indicate that it will just be apps). I've been to "heavy apps" weddings where everyone was starving and we left early to get food. Just sayin', there are some things that I am glad stayed in the 80s.

I would expect some heavy apps, enough to make a meal, and often this costs more than a full meal (it did at our venue). We did a buffet dinner with full open bar including apps at cocktail hour for $60/pp (a good deal in the DC area).

However we did do heavy apps for our rehearsal dinner and it was wonderful (and enough for a meal). At that venue it was cheaper.

Either way I'd be fine as long as there are enough apps for a meal if you go that route, but you may find it costs a lot more depending on caterer. I'd look at things like sliders, kabobs/skewers, meatballs, eggrolls - some heavier duty type apps. Cheese/crackers/veggies aren't going to cut it!

That's so funny because I was thinking meatballs and egg rolls also! How big was your wedding Stephanie Y? We will not be having an open bar, just non-alcoholic beverages

We had 84 (86 including us). About 25-30 at the rehearsal. At the rehearsal we offered mini crabcakes, tex mex eggrolls, stuffed mushrooms, steak empanadas, and shrimp cocktail (if I remember correctly). At that venue we were able to order pieces (so we paid for 100 mini crabcake instead of $4.50 pp for mini crabcakes and so on).

If you do appetizers, maybe you can also do a station or two? ex, mashed potato bar, pasta station, taco bar, etc for a more substantial option. Though not having alcohol does mean people won't need the food to help cushion the drink

We're paying $15.50 per head for unlimited hors d'oeurves (choice of 4) at our Welcome party, but not much more for a full dinner at the reception. The basic buffet starts at $24 for salad, 2 entrees and 3 sides (or 2 sides and a veggie pasta). That doesn't include the bar bill.

We went to a mom and pop restaurant for a $1200 steak buffet. Shop around

I think it's a great idea. It's what me and my FH are doing. My FMIL cooks and bakes for a living, and she is aaaaamazing, so we're having her put together a big variety.

There are a few things I prefer about going this route:

1. People with dietary restrictions have a lot more variety

2. I have a lot more variety (I'm obsessed with variety, can you tell? )

3. It's easier to plate, eat and clean up

4. The food is much easier to make look chic imo

We're doing heavy hors d'oeuvres rather than a formal dinner (due to some complicated space issues with table set-up) and it was honestly a little MORE expensive to do hors d'oeuvres. There is a lot more it. We're doing petite version of full meals - so they really are heavy, but it's not always cheaper to go that route.

Courtney...what are the details of your reception? How many options are you having? How much are you spending?

I don't mind an appetizers and dessert only reception, one of my sisters did hers that way. As long as you have plenty of options. I don't want just cheese and crackers, fruit platters and veggies. Make sure it's FOOD.

We are having 150 people. we have huge platters of Chicken drummetts, fruit trays, vegetable trays, Italian hoagies, Buffalo bites, cheese and crackers, chicken salad on dollar roll, and cupcakes with coffee, tea, water, and lemonade of choice to drink. For 150 people that costs us $2025.00 we are in Missouri....I know location has alot to do with alot lol