Finger Food Fight

Kathiiy

We are having our engagement party on the 22nd of this month and I am just about to enter into a bit of an argument with my Mother. Before I do this I was just wanting some feeback to see if I am in the right. The party is being held from 7pm at a brewery in the central city where I come from. We have stated on the invite that some drinks and finger food will be provided. My Mother thinks we should be providing a 'dinner' amount of food as it is an annoying time and people won't know whether to have dinner beforehand or not. She said that some people have even asked her if they should eat beforehand... So my question is, what does 'finger food' mean to you? And how many peices per head is the norm? Although I will probobably just google that last question... Thanks for your help!!!!

jagore08

I think that it is an awkward time to not provide food but you can get away with serving heavy hor dourves. If I got the invite I would eat before just because it says "finger food". What I don't understand is the "some drinks". What does that even mean? Are you going to have a limit as to what you're going to spend on alcohol? Are you doing just beer and wine? That doesn't make much sense to me. As for how much food per person, I have no idea.

GeekGurl

IMO if you are having a party at a "dinner time" like 7 pm, you should provide dinner portions. Engagement parties are pretty much just parties...you shouldn't plan them for yourselves but really, it's just a "party". I'm siding with your mother on this one.

saschaduran

I would think 7 is dinner, but stating finger food on invite makes it perfectly clear to me. Finger food is appetizers, not a full meal. If you are starving, eat. If you are fine with some snacks, wait. I am a piggie so I would want to eat at least 5-10 pieces.

anna.oskar

Definitely provide heavy hors d'oeuvres. Finger food is usually interpreted by a caterer to be 3-6 pieces per person, but at that time i'd recommend 10-16.16 can constitute a full meal so I personally would shoot for 12 pieces per person.

Kathiiy

Hi Jagore08 - by 'some drinks' (that might not have been the exact wording we used, I can't quite remember) we meant Beer and Wine only. It's just supposed to be a casual get together so we didn't want to do the fancy cocktail thing, well, that was the original intention before Mum blew the guest list from 60 to 120!! Thanks for everybodies input, maybe I should have picked a later time, I am just a bit of an early eater and I thought because it's mid winter and things will be dark and icy that people wouldn't want to venture out to late. DOHH!!!

saschaduran

Yeah anna...who am I kidding. I would eat 20. I don't know where that 5 came from. At least 10 each.

MissIntentional

i'd eat 5/6 pieces myself depending on if i'd eaten before and how good they were. my fmil is throwin our e-party & she is doing apps only too.

nda_roxybabe

I'd eat at the very least 10. I love food.

anna.oskar

For my wedding, I'm doing 15 per person plus 2 rotating stations.

Kathiiy

Whats a rotating station? I'm so not up on the lingo yet. If anyone is interested here is the link to where we are having it http://www.thetwistedhop.co.nz/ Not sure what the deal is with the Mods and Rockers party on the same night....yeeks.

saschaduran

Sweet...I could bounce between your party and the Mods and Rockers party! And snatch some of their food:)

anna.oskar

rotating station:  It's a relatively new thing so don't feel bad.  I will have 2 stations: mini mac&cheese & soup shootersafter 45-60 minutes, the stations will switch over and will become a mached potato bar and a prime rib carving station

saschaduran

Sounds like a dream come true anna.

anna.oskar

i sure hope so. South Dakota is a little behind the times, so I'm hoping to enlighten them that a wedding reception doesn't have to always be pork loin with a tossed salad and rolls. 90% of SD receptions have that as the meal.

Kathiiy

The revolving station soup shooters sound awesome. I think I might insist on soup shooters for my wedding. It just Ssssounds good. Pork and rolls, blurck.

anna.oskar

yeah, it's gross and I'm not a fan anyway after years of keeping kosher.

danieliza1127

If the invite says "finger food" will be provided, I would know to eat beforehand and not expect dinner.

laurening

I take "finger food" to mean appetizers and don't assume a full meal. If the invitations have already been sent mentioning finger food, I wouldn't serve a full dinner. Most of your guests will have probably eaten and will be annoyed by the misleading info. If your Mom is insistent, go with heavy apps.