Running Out Of Food

Marilyn Chapman gives us a bird's eye view of a Cocktail Wedding Reception (a hybrid of a wedding reception and a cocktail party) in her recent post. She focuses on guest perceptions and reality. Since a wedding reception often includes many traditional activities, guests expect a cocktail hour to be a logical start.

Beyond the cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, most weddings include either a buffet or a complete meal served by wait staff. Many guests will expect to snack on appetizers before the main meal. Managing these expectations can be a challenge.

Marilyn addresses the lower cost expectation:

There is also a common but false perception that Hors D' Oeuvres should be less expensive than a full meal. I routinely have to explain that the Hors D' Oeuvres are made from expensive ingredients and are labor intensive. We explain all this in advance as we have learned that the absolute worst thing that can happen at a wedding is to run out of food.

She brings up a common fear of many wedding hosts - running out of food.

Is it OK to tell your guests the hors d'oeuvres are the main course? If you communicate, your guests may feel comfortable with the concept. You will need to address the expectations of a champagne toast and wedding cake. People do enjoy these traditions.

You may want to add other activities which capture the attention of all the guests. Try to focus on the traditional activities while adding a few contemporary ideas. The flow of the event can help create a logical stop point for hors d'oeuvres service.

I agree with Marilyn regarding the relatively high cost of hors d'oeuvres. Often, these items use seafood and tender cuts of meat. Making a full meal using these offerings is an expensive option. If you were planning to have a cocktail hour anyway, the marginal cost is much less than the cost of a traditional wedding reception. Stretching the cocktail hour (a time period 3 to 4 times longer) will increase the consumption of these expensive alternates.