Hors D'oeuvres Reception - Wording

Panda01

We are having an hors d'oeuvres reception following our evening wedding. The reception should start around 7:30. There will be plenty of food and we are having hosted beer and wine, but not mixed drinks. 

I'd like to include on our wedding website something about it being an hors d'oeuvres reception so people know what to expect. Can it sill be considered a "cocktails and hors d'oeuvres" reception? To me, cocktails makes me think mixed drinks, but since we're only hosting beer and wine, I'm not sure if that terminology is misleading? But, I would like a fun way to word it on the web site. Something like cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and dancing will follow" or something?

Does anyone have any fun suggestions for how to word this on the web site?

Also, is simply "reception to follow" appropriate for the fomal invitations, or should that be worded differently somehow to indicate it wont be a sit down meal?

Thanks in advance for suggestions! Happy Friday!

aegrish

Honestly for a 7:30 reception you should be serving dinner.  Or heavy, heavy apps if you are stuck with that time. I am not sure if you mean heavy heavy apps by 'plenty of food'.   What time is your ceremony at?  People are probably going to be HUNGRY for dinner at 7:30pm and want dinner.  Definitely let them know on the invite that only appetizers, beer and wine will be served.  Putting it only on the website may get missed by some guests who don't visit it, and then show up expecting dinner.  Cocktails does mean mixed drinks to most people. 

foreverurz23

Sometimes theres enought food to make it a dinner, but we still call it an orderve reception...thats what we are doing. look on the interent to find different wording and pick the one that suites you best for the invite.

cpm1223

I agree, 7:30 is late for an hors d'oeuvres reception, if a dinner reception is not an option for you make sure you lots of choices and like the PP said "heavy apps" (i.e. mini hamburgers, shrimp, etc.) something that people can actually fill up on since they most likely will be hungry.
 
You could maybe consider having a pasta bar or a potato bar?

NolaBride2012

I have to disagree with the above posts. I have been to a 7pm wedding in which all the food was passed (hors d'oeuvre style) and I ended up stuffed!!!

I should mention I'm from New Orleans, so I'm a little anti-full seated dinner (ducks to avoid all the verbal backlash that will follow).

Honestly, as long as you have heavy items that are served throughout the entire wedding, I don't know that there is any reason to notify your guests. The wedding I am referring to did not - and it would have changed anything on my end (I arrived hungry, and left stuffed!)

Good luck!

[Deleted User]

I don't get it. Dinner is 5-6, so at 730 people should have had PLENTY of time to eat before hand.
Plus, I usually grab something before a wedding, since at horsderves I don't rush the snacks I find there's a chance I might not get any. If you're all dressed up for a wedding, go have a nice dinner and then enjoy yourselves at your friends/familys day, its about them not them stuffing your faces. Lunch is usually around 12/1230 right? I couldn't imagine waiting until 730 to eat, unless I knew it was a dinner reception. If you were serving a sit down dinner though, then yea it is a nice time to do that, giving people time after work to get ready, etc.
(I've tried typing this so it doesn't sound like a hate/rant/hate-rant! Please don't take it as flames or directed at anyone or their wedding style, I'm not meaning this in any way but literal!   )

"Horsderves and (light?) refreshments will be served at the reception to follow" or something? I think people generally assume alcohol will be served at weddings, especially an evening one, so maybe just saying refreshments won't lead them to mixed cocktails? I am not the best at wording, sorry!

elizajane519

Depends upon the logistics of your wedding. If the wedding is before the reception- presumably at 5 or 6 pm then people do not have the option to get dinner then- they are sitting at the wedding. If you are only doing appetizers I would have the wedding starting at 6:00 or 6:30 and the reception immediately after at a close location.  That gives people time to eat beforehand and they shouldn't have sit and wait while you do pictures or anthing else.  I am having a Catholic ceremony so between the hour long service and the travel time to the reception site I would have to start at 5:00 and if people are not fed until 7:30 they will be starving even if they ate at 4:30.  
 H'orderves(sic) and light refreshments will be served sounds nice.

MyNameIsNot

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_hors-doeuvres-reception-wording?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:f7dc13de-68ab-4888-94fe-c8b66f363033Post:ff42747e-3cd7-4d51-a743-487e925b8cbb">Re: Hors D'oeuvres Reception - Wording</a>:
[QUOTE]I don't get it. <strong>Dinner is 5-6, so at 730 people should have had PLENTY of time to eat before hand</strong>. Plus, I usually grab something before a wedding, since at horsderves I don't rush the snacks I find there's a chance I might not get any. If you're all dressed up for a wedding, go have a nice dinner and then enjoy yourselves at your friends/familys day, its about them not them stuffing your faces. Lunch is usually around 12/1230 right? I couldn't imagine waiting until 730 to eat, unless I knew it was a dinner reception. If you were serving a sit down dinner though, then yea it is a nice time to do that, giving people time after work to get ready, etc. (I've tried typing this so it doesn't sound like a hate/rant/hate-rant! Please don't take it as flames or directed at anyone or their wedding style, I'm not meaning this in any way but literal! :)  ) "Horsderves and (light?) refreshments will be served at the reception to follow" or something? I think people generally assume alcohol will be served at weddings, especially an evening one, so maybe just saying refreshments won't lead them to mixed cocktails? I am not the best at wording, sorry!
Posted by JazzDragon022[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Where would you get that dinner hour is 5-6?  Most people under 60 don't eat dinner that early.  Don't believe me?  Walk into any restaurant on Saturday and check the reservation book.  7-8 is the busiest time.</div><div>
</div><div>OP, as long as you are serving enough food to make a meal, it doesn't matter what the format is.  If you're doing heavy apps, just put "reception to follow."  If you're doing light apps, you probably want to push back to start after 8, so that people will get dinner before.  In that case, you could call it a dessert reception.  

</div>

clough5309

Honestly, I am from the midwest and the same goes for us, lunch is at noon and dinner is between 5-6pm.  I am also having an evening wedding at 6:30, and would expect people to have already eaten by then.  The only people that eat later than that are single, young people who don't have children.  If I didn't feed my child by 6pm they would be knawing off their arm.  It doesn't matter if the hors d'oeuvres are "light" or "heavy", what is important is that you have more than enough for everyone and a large variety for all tastes.  Your friends and family are there for your celebration, not to critique your reception.  Relax and have fun, ask friends and family for inspiration.

FutureMrsM13

I have been interested in other's thought! I got amrried 12-30-83 and had a 7:00 church wedding then an Hors D'oeurves reception with an open bar. It was perfect! I personally do not like sit down affairs-I do love to eat but also like to mingle, drink, and dance. My daughter wants the same thing, so thatis what we will have. A 7:00 barn wedding on their property with catered heavy apps and full open bar immediiately following. Now we just have to PLAN-chairs,tables, caterer, music, tent, potty trailers (a must have-with flushing johns and running water to wash hands),parking, etc., etc., etc......