Poll: Dinner, or no dinner?

akg0053

Sorry in advance if you have seen this on multiple boards. 
Our hour long nuptial mass begins at 7pm on a Friday. Including drive time, we have a cocktail "period of time" (it's not quite an hour) starting at 8:30. The reception goes until about midnight.
So, the dilemma is: do we serve a full dinner around 9, or do we just do heavy hors d'oeuvres? While FI and I don't think 9 is too late to serve an actual dinner (especially since our guests will probably be at the church through mealtime). At the same time, if they eat dinner early and then don't want to eat at the reception, I don't want to have to waste all that food. 
The dinner would be a sit-down dinner (because at our venue, it's actually less expensive to do a sit-down than a buffet).
I will tell people on the invitation that dinner will be after the ceremony to give them a heads up.
So, what would you do? Would you serve a late dinner, or would you just do heavy hors d'oeuvres?

kellster22

heavy hors d'oeuvres - my vote - just think you have to communicate it to your guests.

SarahPLiz

I think a cocktail reception with heavy apps is perfectly fine. If the ceremony doesnt start until 7, then most people will have time to eat before they get there around 6:30.

chloetutor

If I were a guest I'd be expecting a meal unless it said otherwise on the invite.

akg0053

Thanks Chloe.

kelseymw

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_texas-austin_poll-dinner-dinner?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:126Discussion:6b35a525-a05f-47e4-8874-bdaf670cb346Post:8df0661b-2415-4796-b605-7f33b0908d30">Re: Poll: Dinner, or no dinner?</a>:
[QUOTE]If I were a guest I'd be expecting a meal unless it said otherwise on the invite.
Posted by chloetutor[/QUOTE]
 <div>This. I have seen some invitations that say the reception will be heavy hors <span style="font-size:12px;" class="Apple-style-span">d'oeuvres</span>, and that's perfectly fine. Just let your guests know what to prepare for. </div><div>
</div><div>Since your wedding is on a Friday, unless the majority of the guests were taking off early it will be difficult for people to go have dinner before the ceremony. I know I personally get off at 5pm, would have to drive home during traffic, change and then drive to the wedding. Even if guests took off a bit early, traffic in Austin on a Friday evening is always heavy so it will be difficult for people to get dinner. (Of course some will have food at home, but not all will.) I would be starving by the the time the reception started, even if I did have a snack before I got there because that would probably have been at 5-6pm and if food isn't served until 9pm that's still a few hours. I just have a demanding appetite, though lol. </div>

akg0053

Ok cool. Thanks for that.

So I'll just let them know one way or other on the invite.

Thanks!

lgurnie

i think you can totally go without the dinner and do the heavy apps...just tell them on the invite, like the other girls suggested. make sure a variety of foods are offered and no one will mind one bit...it's an opportunity to try more things.