Food at a wedding

[JessaKye]

DF and I are getting married in November. We have our hearts set on a cocktail style function as we're not formal people. Our service and reception are all at the same place we are planning on a 4 or 5 pm wedding but as we're planning on a cocktail we wont be having a dinner meal as such.. More or less lots of fancy finger food.

Just wondering what thoughts are about this? Have you been to a cocktail wedding? How did it work?

[NancyBlackett]

I've been to a couple of cocktail style weddings and I really like the vibe.

However, you absolutely have to ensure you allow enough food for people. They will always eat more than you expect when standing around drinking.

There is nothing worse than there not ring enough yummy cocktail food

[SK2BC]

My brother got married about 3 weeks ago and had a cocktail reception.
It was fine except I don't think there was enough food.
They kept missing us until my brother told them to feed his preggie sister lol
So yeah like pp said make sure you have enough food

[Berrie]

personally, I find cocktail weddings much more enjoyable. People are so much more social, there's enough chairs for the oldies, but everybody else mingles. (this is coming from somebody who's definitely not a social butterfly too). Finger food is a lot more party-like to me than sitting down and having a full meal. I never feel like dancing when I've eaten a 3 course dinner. Just make sure you have lots of yummy food. Having a cocktail reception lets you have a lot more variety in the menu too. Don't like arancini? Wait 5 minutes and something else comes out. It's good because you get to eat as much as you like. Hungry people can fill up, and less hungry people can nibble between dances or drinks

[wannaBamumma]

Dh and I had a cocktail style wedding. We didn't want the big sit down dinner thing so we had 'fancy' finger food. That was 5 years ago and people still comment about it being the best wedding they've been to! I think it just eliminates the 'formal' vibe and makes it more of a friendly atmosphere.

[eggs]

Dh and I had a cocktail style wedding. We didn't want the big sit down dinner thing so we had 'fancy' finger food. That was 5 years ago and people still comment about it being the best wedding they've been to! I think it just eliminates the 'formal' vibe and makes it more of a friendly atmosphere.

Totally agree, so much more friendly and less stressful, but as everyone else has said, just need plenty of food. Been to a few with hardly any food and it was awful, had to leave early as was just too hungry.

Plus food that fills you up a bit.

[Buttoneska]

hey there , congrats on your upcoming wedding - i love weddings!

DH and I sound very much like you guys - we are not formal and had a very informal wedding that was more like a party then a traditional wedding.

we toyed with the idea of a cocktail party, but we are both chefs and just couldn't justify it. in my experiences catering and attending cocktail events, guest never really feel like they have had enough food. There is a sense of chasing down the waiters and ppl inevitably miss out while others eat heaps but probably still don't feel like they have had much to eat.

the other down side is that cocktail food is REALLY expensive. Teh cost to produce cocktail food is much higher then plated/buffet meals because of the time involved to prepare, cook and serve it.

In the end we opted for a buffet meal and once everyone had eaten removed some tables so ppl weren't sitting around not mingling.

Ther are a few optinos you could consider
-cocktail like you want, but will the more substancial food items served in little sidhes - liek paella etc.
-platters served at tables
-buffett
-roving/cocktail desserts i think work really well.

do you have a venue picked out?

[Berrie]

^ Those are good ideas!
I have a list for when DP and I get married, and I have a few ideas like that on there (stealing paella though!). I really like the idea of more substantial things that aren't quite meals in little noodle boxes or bowls (so they can still be eaten while standing), like paella, noodles, risotto, etc.

I also have a list cold food that can be made earlier and stored at the venue. Like sandwiches for early on, antipasti, bruschetta/crostini, pesto stuffed tomato, ham and asparagus roll ups, dips (guacamole, hummus, beetroot, tatziki, baba gannoush) cheeses, fruit and sweet dip, olives, etc. Getting people to make that kind of stuff for you can really cut down on costs, so long as you come to an agreement with the catering company.
I'm leaning towards buying all the food myself (buying the hot food in bulk from a good party place I've used before, having family make the cold food) and hiring a couple of waiters (instead of caterers) to heat it up in the pie warmer/oven and to serve it all. All they'd have to do is rock up, put the hot food in the oven, get the cold food out of the fridge, and go round serving it all. Oh, and clean up of course!

[SpecialPatrolGroup]

Dh and I had a cocktail style wedding. We didn't want the big sit down dinner thing so we had 'fancy' finger food. That was 5 years ago and people still comment about it being the best wedding they've been to! I think it just eliminates the 'formal' vibe and makes it more of a friendly atmosphere.

This. Infact WannaBamumma, are you me?

Just make sure you have plenty of food and some simple foods for people with simple tastes. I don't mean party pies, but things like nice chicken wings, simple bruschettas, maybe some individual asparagus and panchetta tarts (aka quiche) as well as some very elegant finger foods.

[Auntyamber]

Every cocktail wedding we've been too we have ended up having to leave early to go get some "real" food. I think you'd be better off having a buffet and little plates but still cocktail style so people can go back and forward as they like