Can I do finger foods with this ceremony time?

Question

If I have the ceremony around 5 and the reception starting around 7, would it be ok to serve only finger foods?

Answer 1

You can do whatever you want to do, it is your wedding.  But if you have children coming, or people from out of town who may not know the area, they will get pretty hungry and you may want something more substantial.

Answer 2

I think traditionally at evening weddings you're *supposed* to serve a full dinner. However it's your wedding and if you want to break the rules of tradition, I say go for it!!

Answer 3

Yes but just let everyone know on the invite so they don't come starving and expecting a full meal.

Answer 4

Finger foods?  Or like a small buffet, like cheese, crackers, deli meats, rolls, etc...

It's your choice.

the wife & I did a buffet vs a sit down meal & it encouraged people to get up & mingle.  Everyone had a great time at our reception.

Answer 5

No, you host your guests to a nice meal. A buffet isn't that expensive.

Answer 6

Yes but there ceremony needs to end by 5:30.   you need to inform guests on the invite that it is an "appetizer reception".   You should also consider what they are gonna do for 2 hours.   If the reception site is more than 45 minutes from anybody's home you are putting them in a very bad spot.

Also consider your plans as a whole.  If you send the guests to the local Mcdonald's for their meal then waltz around the orchid covered dining room at the swankiest hotel in town filled to the rafters with 300 guests in your Vera Wang they are gonna be pretty ticked at your lack of consideration for them.

Answer 7

Yes it is ur wedding besides the reception is to show ur appreciation to ur guest however u are not obligated to fill them up.  I am planning a wedding and i will be doing finger foods as well.

Answer 8

You can have finger foods at any time. However, you need more appetizers for an evening event than you would for an earlier event because people will be hungrier if they didn't stop to get something to eat.  Figure 8-14 appetizers for an appetizer reception in the evening.   The advantage of an appetizer reception is that it is a fairly limited time period (2-3 hours vs. 4-6).

A boatload of appetizers is nearly always more frugal than a sit down meal. It also allows your guests to mingle better, IMHO.

Answer 9

thats EXACTLY the time I'm doing, but my reception  is at 6 and I'm only doing finger foods  & lots of them (by that I mean enough for people to get full on!) It's our wedding and we don't have the money to serve people dinner!

Answer 10

Have a 7:00 ceremony and an 8:00 reception.

Let people know there will only be light foods.

I assume your guests are liscenced adults who can drivea car and read a map, so they can find a nice dinner before the whole event.

You are not required to feed people.  This is imposed by greedy brides that feel guilty because ALL they want are gifts.

I go to weddings to celebrate - not eat.  I can go to a nice dinner ANYTIME - no occasion neccesary!

I do LOVE to dance at weddings, though.  I'd rather be dancing than eating!

Answer 11

I backed my reception up to start at 8pm to be on the "safe side" of serving finger foods only. I think 7 is the absolute earliest you could pull this off.  Could you back it up a half hour to 730? Just be sure that your invitations state that it is an hors d'oeurves reception only and you should be ok.

Answer 12

it's your wedding serve what you want to.

Answer 13

No, 5 is dinner time!  People have to get ready and get there before 5 so they wont have time to eat unless very early.  You need to serve dinner at that time.

Answer 14

If the ceremony was at 1, and the reception started around 2, 2:30, finger foods would be fine.  Be sure to put "appetizer reception" somewhere on your invites, so people don't expect a full meal

People do expect however, a sit down dinner if the reception is at 7.

Either serve a light meal, or keep it finger foods only and move everything to earlier in the day.

Answer 15

Hi.  As others have said....it's your reception so you can do what you want.....but since you asked....here are my thoughts.

If the ceremony is at 5 (dinner time for some), and the reception not starting until

7 p.m. (still dinner time), I would serve dinner!!

I am assuming that the ceremony will end around 5:30 p.m., so what are the guests going to do in that hour and a half?  By the time the reception rolls around (7 p.m.), they will be really starving.  And, because of that, you may go through LOTS more finger foods than normal because of it being dinner time.

No, for finger foods I think it's best to have it during the afternoon 2-5 (before dinner), or very late (an evening wedding at 7:30) and then reception following.

Answer 16

Are you talking about finger foods for the reception????  I wouldn't, no way.  At that time of day, people are expecting dinner.  I had my ceremony at 6:30pm, cocktails at 7pm (where appetizers were served) and the reception starting at 8pm, where we had a buffet dinner.

Answer 17

Traditionally, no, finger foods would be seen as too casual, or too light for the dinner hour. But I say go with what you want! You might let people know it's only finger foods, and not to expect a full meal, though. You don't want your guests getting hungry and leaving early. Congrats! and have fun. :)

Answer 18

for that time I would serve a dinner still unless you have a ton of finger food. We played around with that idea with our wedding at 7 and reception at 8 but we are doing appetizers with a carving station of ham and a salad so that if people did not eat, there would be a meal still there.

Answer 19

Unless your wedding is very very casual, this is not appropriate.  

You "can" do whatever you want.  Wedding police will not come arrest you.

But, the reception is not thrown for you - it's for your guests.  I can't imagine throwing a higher end party at that time and not serving dinner.  

No matter how many people tell you "it's ok, it's what I'm doing", it's simply not proper or correct.  

If it's a $$$ issue, then you should invite less people.  

GL! : )

Answer 20

since my fiances parents own a restaurant we are having them do the catering, kind of as our gift.  Our reception is going to be at the same time as yours and we are not serving a full meal, sit down with a choice of beef or chicken.  That is way too expensive. As long as you have enough finger food to make your guests feel full your fine, I was reading a bridal mag that was suggesting inexpensive wedding food ideas and BBQ sounded like a country hick wedding but in the mag they made it look very elegant and pretty and its inexpensive for hot dogs and hamburgers. Of course I think this only works if your having a summer wedding.

Answer 21

If your reception starts around the dinner hour, then it is best to serve dinner.  Your guests will expect it and will be hungry.  If you want to stick to finger foods, then I would move the ceremony to an earlier time.  We are getting married at 3 in the afternoon so we can get away with serving heavy hors devoures and cake.  It just wasn't in our budget to have a big seated dinner.  Hope this helps!