is it okay not having a seat down dinner but appetizers & candy bar

jessicarhea · July 2010

is it okay not to have a seat down dinner and just have a candy/dessert buffet and appetizers? it will be a late wedding 7

rknox88 · July 2010

If your wedding is at 7 I don't consider that a 'late' wedding. I actually think that is right at supper time for most people. I suppose people might think to eat a head of time and if that is the case heavy apps and the dessert buffet would suffice, however, I would make sure they are heavy apps and there are plenty of them. Are you serving alcohol and having a dance? Either one of those two components calls for some substantial food. Cake and vodka on an empty stomach do not mix well.

MommyMarta08 · July 2010

Mmm cake and vodka!

Haha... I think as long as the hors douevres are heavy enough then it is fine. Make sure it's not just cheese and fruit then cake.

Lisa8888 · July 2010

What are you planning for appetizers? How long will the reception be?

7 o'clock sounds like supper time to me. I think people will be expecting a meal.

twilight.rose · July 2010

Ditto PP...I would definitely be expecting a meal. It's often 8-ish before my H and I sit down to dinner, so this falls right into dinnertime.

tldh · July 2010

We're doing heavy appetizers for our wedding. The caterer is going to be providing enough so that it could replace a meal. Included are mini beef wellingtons, chicken satay, sesame beef skewers, bacon wrapped scallops, mini salads served on tortilla shells, stuffed mushrooms, veggie spring rolls, carrots and cucumbers, apple and brie in a puffed pastry, cheese and fresh berries, bruschetta, bread and herbed butter.

After our tasting FI and I were stuffed.

kaesha · July 2010

If the reception starts at 8 (wedding ceremony at 7), then you could do heavy hors d'oeuvres & dessert. If the reception starts before then, you need to give people the equivalent of a meal.

fam6 · July 2010

YES!!!!

amandajean36 · July 2010

if you're only doing hors d'oeuvres & dessert, i would make sure to note it on the invites some how. "cocktail reception" or something. i would want a little heads up so i knew i should probably eat a sandwich or something before the wedding (at like 6pm). if i ate lunch around 1pm and only had hors d'oeuvres around 8pm, i wouldn't be in a great mood - but low blood sugar makes me moody

MommyMarta08 · July 2010

I am having mini beef wellingtons in my cocktail hour too- they are delicious!

kaesha · July 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_okay-not-having-seat-down-dinner-but-appetizers-candy-bar?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:54117cc5-edfa-4699-a310-6e4737e558cdPost:0233513f-0d83-44b7-be79-e412c916acae">Re: is it okay not having a seat down dinner but appetizers & candy bar</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>if you're only doing hors d'oeuvres & dessert, i would make sure to note it on the invites some how. "cocktail reception" or something. </strong> i would want a little heads up so i knew i should probably eat a sandwich or something before the wedding (at like 6pm). if i ate lunch around 1pm and only had hors d'oeuvres around 8pm, i wouldn't be in a great mood - but low blood sugar makes me moody :)
Posted by amandajean36[/QUOTE]

Great point! Let people know if they aren't going to be receiving a full dinner.

mysticl · July 2010

I eat dinner around 7 or 8 so I would need some sort of heads up to grab something around 5 before I went to your wedding. The wording of Cocktail reception or dessert reception would give me that heads up. The wedding food I remember best is the one I went to in 1986 (I was a kid) at 6pm and we didn't get a meal (or warning that we wouldn't get one, and we were close family). Really what I remember is the lack of food, it was hors devours but not enough to make a meal out of.

superherogal · July 2010

I personally don't think it matters when the reception is. If you don't want to provide a meal, then don't. We aren't.

Simply speaking from experience, a good chunk of food is wasted. And since your guests are likely mostly adults, they can be responsible for their own diets and feeding schedules.

I'd simply put "Dessert Reception to Follow" and leave it up to the individuals discretion.

LCtimes2 · August 2010

Super is so funny but so right. We expect to go to a wedding to be fed when we should take care of our belly's beforehand if it is not specified. I am also doing a heavy appetizer menu. I was skeptical because I am from the South and we believe in feeding people, but I got over it when I started thinking about waste. Go with it.

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