Cocktail hour food

mkmd1980 · April 2012

Hello,

Do you need passed hors d'oeuvres and an hors d'oeuvres station (cheese, crackers, veggies, fruit, etc) at cocktail hour? Our ceremony (30 min max), cocktail hour, and reception are all going to be in the same place so dinner will be served relatively soon after the wedding begins. To save a little money we are thinking of only doing passed OR a station. Do people usually expect both? We are considering having some late night snacks by our catering company (sliders, pizza, or something like that) so maybe that would make up for it? Thoughts?

Sue-n-Kevin · April 2012

I think this is a regional thing, as I see this often on the east coast.

Around here, in the mid-west, with a ceremony and reception in the same place, with only about 30 minutes between them, no apps would be expected.

Maggie0829 · April 2012

As a guest, I would prefer stations rather then passed just because sometimes it is difficult to get food from a server. I have been to many weddings with just passed apps and I was only able to get one piece during the whole cocktail hour because every time the server came around their tray was empty or I just couldn't get to the server to get a piece of food (very irritating!)

For your situation I would go with stations...you will save money because you won't need to have servers and then people can get what they want when they want.

Peavy · April 2012

If you are serving alcohol for an hour, you definitely need some food to go with it. You can do stationary, passed, or both, it doesn't really matter. Instead of a late night snack, which not all guests will enjoy as some will have already left, put that money toward the hors d'oeurves or the bar.

Maggie0829 · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_cocktail-hour-food?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:23Discussion:17ce3da9-0a7a-4638-88ba-c676578fc6e6Post:e76923a1-3a8e-4ea5-94ce-ea6c863e8923">Re: Cocktail hour food</a>:
[QUOTE]If you are serving alcohol for an hour, you definitely need some food to go with it. You can do stationary, passed, or both, it doesn't really matter. <strong>Instead of a late night snack, which not all guests will enjoy as some will have already left, put that money toward the hors d'oeurves or the bar.
</strong>Posted by Peavy[/QUOTE]

This is a very good point. Late night snacks are "cute" but you have to purchase enough for all your guests but then maybe only half or a third of your guests will be around to enjoy them...that is a lot of waste.

ChristineNB · April 2012

If there is not much time between your ceremony and reception I don't see cocktail hour as being required. Some weddings I've been to have had them, some haven't. I am having one, even though dinner will be only an hour after the ceremony.

rlavach · April 2012

Around here, it's expected to have apps during the cocktail hour. Like mentioned before, if you have alcohol, then you really have to. If it's about saving money, then just do the station. It is easier for people to serve themselves.

It seems like in some regions, a cocktail hour is just drinks & a few light apps (like the cheese & crackers you mentioned). In my area, cocktail hour is a full blown meal. You are very full. There are several stations with all types of antipasto & dozens of other types of apps that are passed around. One isn't right over the other, just different custom.

molly&dale · April 2012

I have been to cocktail hours with no food, but I think it depends on how long it will be before dinner is served. I have also been to cocktail hours with appetizers that I didn't eat because I wasn't hungry yet. I think you're fine serving drinks without food, but not for more than about 30 minutes.

librababy · April 2012

I am doing 'stations'. And just a light cocktail hour, with cheese and crackers, chips and dip, cookies: that sort of thing. I am thinking of stuffed jalapenos too and some type of bruschetta on crostini.

DeClue82 · April 2012

I'm in a similar situation. Our ceremony will be 30 minutes tops ending at 6 the latest. Dinner will be served at 6:30, so we are offering sliders and a mashed potato bar for cocktail hour. At our venue no alcohol can be served unless food is served with it... Since its such a short time between we kept it small. I am originally from NY and I've seen some massive cocktail hours, but I'm getting married in NC where FH and I met... My family will lrob be shocked that the cocktail hour is not a full meal, but his family (from ohio) prob won't have expected anything for a 30 min span... It's all where u come from and where you're having the big day...

Cocktail hour food

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