Xp horderves at cocktail hour?

SJM7538

I'm meeting with my venue on Sunday to pick our final menu choices. We already have our dinner choices and appetizers picked out but I can't decide what to do about cocktail hour. We can choose to have horderves during cocktail hour and they run between 160 to 180 per 100 pieces. Our guest list is about 215. We can also opt to do a cheese spread, cracker and fruit platter option for 2.75 a person. Ceremony is at 5, cocktail hour is from 5:30 to 6:30 and dinner will start right around 6:30. Doing the cheese and cracker option will save us a significant amount of money but I am worried this will be insufficient for guests. What do you all think? Would you be okay with the cheese and cracker option or would you expect horderves? Posting from my phone so sorry if its hard to read.

lyndausvi

I would expect more, but I've always seen more so that is what I'm use to seeing.  Can you add some veggies, breads  and dips?

misssunshine17

I generally think that people serve too many hor dourves, it's not needed since they'll be eating shortly. I would do something light and as long as differ is served promtly, I think you'll be fine. 

Jager1219

I'm confused, you're having apps and dinner at the reception but just cheese and crackers at the cocktail hour?

If you're having a multi-course dinner (more than a salad and entree), then yea, I'd expect passed hors d'oeuvrs in addition to a cheese display.  Can you save the money by doing hors d'oeuvrs during cocktail hour & not doing apps for dinner?

SJM7538

Sorry should've clarified. It's a multi course dinner. First course is the appetizer which which is a variety of soups, shrimp cocktail or fruit we have to choose one then the salad then the main course. So it's basically the first course but our venue calls it the appetizer. During cocktail hour we choose between the cheese, cracker and fruit platter or having several different horderves served deviled eggs, pesto balls, pigs in a blanket ect. but to have horderves as opposed to just cheese and crackers is much more expensive. I've been to weddings where no food at all was served during cocktail hour so I don't know what people expect.

SJM7538

Oh and apps are included with the price of dinner so I can't really choose one of the other. And again sorry posting from my phone so the punctuation and parentheses won't post.

Jager1219

Got it.  My venue was set up similar (expect that in the standard price/person it included 5 different passed hors doeuvrs as well as the cheese & crackers, fruit, veggie platter).  We actually cut out the first course so it's just salad & entree (I didn't want dinner to take forever) and obviously that helped lower the price/person by a little bit.  Have you considered a station?  You might get more for your money with like a pasta station than passed hors doeuvrs.

I've never been to a cocktail hour without substantial apps - more than cheese & crackers (just seems like a bad idea to drink without eating something).

LisaA2014

I never really take advantage of passed hors doeuvres at weddings. 6:30 is around my dinner time on a normal day so I would not be upset with just a cheese and cracker display.

SJM7538

posting from a computer now! ah..so much better.

I just looked over my menu again and I was incorrect. Apps are not included in the price of dinner. So I can definately cut out apps and do horderves instead at cocktail hour.  There are so many more options for horderves anyway.

So now my new question is this.... horderves are ordered by 100 pieces. So if I chose 4 or 5 horderves would that be enough to serve 215 people (that is assuming every single person RSVPs yes.)

Jager1219

The rule of thumb I was told is that you need to have 1.5 of each hors doeurves/person.  This is because someone will take 2 and someone will say "Suzy got a stuffed mushroom and I didn't", KWIM?  Since they're by 100 pieces, I would get 300 pieces of how every many varieties of hors doeurves you want/have the budget for.

SJM7538

Sounds perfect! Thank you. I tried asking my coordinator from the venue her thoughts on it and she wasn't very much help.

Jager1219

Anytime!