Just appetizers

mollythurston85

I'm thinking about skipping the formal dinner and just having some really nice appetizers for my guests.  More of a party feel is what I'm hoping for... and, of course, hoping to save some money on food costs.  Anyone have experience with this?   Advice?

Avion22

It's okay to do appetizers instead of a meal as long as your reception isn't at a meal time, or if it is, then you should make sure there's enough food to constitute a meal.  Unfortunately, appetizers are usually labor intensive to make, so enough food for a meal will usually cost you MORE than a meal iteslf.  But if that's the party feel you're after, then it might work out okay, and still fit into your budget.

You might save money by having "action stations" like a carving station, pasta station, stir fry station, or whatever.  These are interactive for your guests, but also fun and less expensive than a lot of passed apps.  You'd have to talk to a caterer about how to make it work in your situtation, because with a large guest lists, lines can get long at popular stations.  

Sue-n-Kevin

To reiterate Avion22 (and the position that most posters on the Knot say), an appetizer only reception has to have one of the following to work:

1) if you are interested in saving money, choose a non-meal time to reduce the volume of food. Non-meal times include the time for the ceremony, because people leave their homes early to get there, so the ceremony has to start at a non-meal time. That would be either 2 pm or 7:00-7:30 pm.

2) If having your ceremony start around a meal time (noon, or 5 pm or later), you can have appetizers but have to plan on 12-18 per person, and they have to be hearty filling appetizers. They should constitute a "meal replacement"

Also, Avion22 is correct. Based on my wedding planning and knowledge of catering (my Mom used to do catering for events & weddings), appetizers can often be costlier than a buffet meal or stations. Each one is handmade and labor intensive. It can end up costing the same or more. A caterer has an easier time putting a large volume of foods into the oven and cooking it than making several appetizers separately.

Having said above, you can have the reception you want, and I think having several appetizers to choose from, whether on a table or passed, is a fun party. But the timing and amount per person matters.

MyNameIsNot

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_just-appetizers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:761d6005-9b89-4c79-a30f-3f336890247aPost:b308f4d3-07f1-4fa4-a3f5-1671f9ddc83f">Re: Just appetizers</a>:
[QUOTE]To reiterate Avion22 (and the position that most posters on the Knot say), an appetizer only reception has to have one of the following to work: 1) if you are interested in saving money, choose a non-meal time to reduce the volume of food. Non-meal times include the time for the ceremony, because people leave their homes early to get there, so the ceremony has to start at a non-meal time. That would be either 2 pm or <strong>7:00-7:30 pm</strong>. 
Posted by Sue-n-Kevin[/QUOTE]

<div>I agree with almost everything you said, except the bolded.  7-7:30 is still dinnertime for most people.  Most people would not think to eat dinner before they came to a 7:00 wedding.  </div><div>
</div><div>OP, you're fine to offer apps only, but unless you a doing enough to make a meal, you need to start around 2:00 or start after 8:00 or 8:30.  </div>

Jen4948

I agree that if you're going to serve appetizers, I'd do it outside of a meal time, but I think between 2pm and 4pm I'd serve desserts.  It just seems a little soon after lunch for appetizers.  Appetizers seem best between 4pm and 6pm and after 8pm.  Between 6pm and 8pm is when most people would expect dinner.