How many Hors D' Oeuvres?

Re: How many Hors D' Oeuvres?

• SD3194 member

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  Is this for cocktail hour? 3-4 is enough per person if you're having a full dinner afterwards.

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• ItalianViolinist member

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  Thanks. The thing is, we're not doing a full dinner afterwards. My cocktail/reception starts around 3pm. We're probably doing a pasta station with salad and garlic bread and a dessert table. Hopefully that will be enough.
  
  Another question... if I'm having a dry reception (budgeting reasons), what kind of inexpensive drinks can I serve during "cocktail" hour?
  

  

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• lmg1115 member

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  If you're not doing a full meal I'd push for closer to 4-5 pieces per person.
  
  As for fun drinks for the cocktail hour... can they make a fun beverage with sparkling water? Some sort of juice and sparkling water "mocktail" maybe?

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• ItalianViolinist member

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  Thanks for the ideas! I never thought of a "mockail." Very cool! That just got my creative juices flowing

  

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• Magdala9 member

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  No.  Each guest will typically want 5 to 6 pieces and will typically want to try each variety (unless it happens to be something they absolutely don't like).  So with 750 pieces (6*125) you would want 250 pieces of each of your 3 selections.  

  
  

  For drinks, I also would suggest a mocktail that fits the season.  Spiced cider for fall, Berry lemonade or Arnold Palmer for summer

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• ItalianViolinist member

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  Thanks for the advice!
  
  So, you don't think 5-6 pieces per person would fill the guests up too much considering afterwards I'll have a pasta station with salad, meatballs, and garlic bread? We're also having a dessert station with cookies, cupcakes, wedding cake, mints, and truffles. We might also have a chocolate fountain with fruit.
  
  
  

  

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• SD3194 member

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  I honestly think 5-6 pieces is too much. Pasta, meatballs, garlic bread and salad seems like a full meal to me. If I was a guest and knew you were serving dinner I probably wouldn't eat 5-6 hors d'oeuvres because I wouldn't want to fill up. I have a feeling you would have a lot left over if you serve that many.

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• planetkari

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  I used to plan weddings for a high end hotel chain, and we recommended 3 pieces per person if the hors d'oeuvres are butler passed, or 5-6 pieces per person if the items are on a buffet.  People naturally take more hors d'oeuvres when they are on a buffet, and fewer if they are passed by servers, so you may want to consider having the items passed if you're trying to save money.  Also, if you're having your wedding later in the evening and guest will be very hungry when they get to cocktail hour, count on offering more hors d'oeuvres.

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• tesskerr member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  I would probably eat 3, my FI would probably eat 10. I think at least 1 of each, maybe double up on 1, say filo first, then bruschette, then chicken, then finish with another round of filo.

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