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Short Cocktail Hour

500days500days member
First Comment First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper
in Wedding Cakes & Food Forum
We are planning on cutting our cocktail hour down to 30-40 minutes. The wedding is on a Friday night, ceremony will start at 6:30. We do not want our guests eating dinner too late. I personally get cranky if I have to eat dinner at 8pm and haven't eaten since lunch. 

How many cocktail appetizers should I have for 100 guests for the apprx. 30-40 minutes between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception? We are aiming for dinner to be served at 8pm. I don't want to be wasteful, but I want to make sure people eat something substantial especially if they worked that day.
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Re: Short Cocktail Hour

  • Knottie52923642Knottie52923642 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    4-6 pp should be plenty.
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  • 500days500days member
    First Comment First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    Interesting, my caterer says 3 should be fine...but I'm wondering if 4 would be better.
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  • JennyColadaJennyColada member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    Based on my experience (which is limited), 4 sounds better (some have 5, some 3; versus some 4, some 2).

    But it also depends in your selection: sushi, maybe more. Pinewheel wraps, maybe less. Shrimp cocktails, maybe more, mini corn dogs, maybe less.
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  • 500days500days member
    First Comment First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    @JennyColada At first we planned on clamcake and chowder shooters, sliders and fries and grilled brushchetta. Trying to think of one more app to add. I just don't want to have too much for half an hour, but I also don't want to have leftover food either.
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  • MesmrEweMesmrEwe member
    First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    500days said:
    @JennyColada At first we planned on clamcake and chowder shooters, sliders and fries and grilled brushchetta. Trying to think of one more app to add. I just don't want to have too much for half an hour, but I also don't want to have leftover food either.
    Chicken fingers or boneless wings..  All really depends on what the main entre' is that you're planning to serve...
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  • JoanE2012JoanE2012 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    500days said:
    We are planning on cutting our cocktail hour down to 30-40 minutes. The wedding is on a Friday night, ceremony will start at 6:30. We do not want our guests eating dinner too late. I personally get cranky if I have to eat dinner at 8pm and haven't eaten since lunch. 

    How many cocktail appetizers should I have for 100 guests for the apprx. 30-40 minutes between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception? We are aiming for dinner to be served at 8pm. I don't want to be wasteful, but I want to make sure people eat something substantial especially if they worked that day.
    But, this is what the cocktail hour is for.....eating and drinking!  I don't mind eating dinner late when I'm having all kinds of appetizers during cocktail hour.  Heck, some cocktail hours I leave so full that I can barely eat my dinner.  I'd be sad for a shorter cocktail hour.
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  • kvrunskvruns member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
    I'm trying to figure out a similar timeline. We did 630 also bc it is a Friday night but now I kind of regret it because Dinner might be late. Though if we do pretty much all pix ahead of time maybe we don't really need much of a cocktail hour. Hmm (thinking out loud)
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