Buffet or Heavy Hors D' Oeurves

What time is the wedding?

Agree with Richard.

Heavy hors d'oeuvres will not cost less than dinner.

If the reception is during a meal time, I recommend actually doing a meal. Either plated or buffet.

Heavy appetizers are not a meal, no matter how many of them you have. People have to keep getting up to get more and you may run out.

I would do a meal, with lighter apps during cocktail hour.

I'd stay away from heavy hors d'oeuvres if you are planning it to be during meal time. I can't imagine getting full off of apps, no matter how "heavy". And you definitely want people to have a full stomach when they start drinking heavy or that could get messy!

Even with the $5 extra per person, it be cheaper to use an outside caterer.

Heavy apps does not equal less expensive. My catering quote for my heavy app meal is more expensive than the plated option I was considering through my caterer.

We are doing heavy apps and it is definitely not cheaper. It just depends what you want to do. If you're going to pay $5/pp more plus more for food overall, it's probably not worth it.

I would do an actual dinner, you'd most likely spend more on heavy hors d'ouerves than a meal anyways.

If you really hate all 3 caterers, then I would do an outside one. However, if your budget is really tight then I would just go with one of them since you will probably be too busy to really eat anything anyways. Maybe your guests will like the caterer because everyone's tastes are different.