Buffet vs. Cocktail

I would add some side dishes to the stations. More apps as well.

I would add maybe one other station and two other pass apps and a side dish like veggies

I would have cocktails like this:

Imported and Domestic Cheese Tray

Assorted Crackers

Seasonal Sliced Fresh Fruit with Sweet Yogurt Sauce

Assorted Deli Meats:

Ham, Turkey & Roast Beef

BBQ Meatballs

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders with Apricot Mustard

Sliced Rolls

Dijon Mustard, Cranberry Mayonnaise & Horseradish Sauce

Chilled Marinated Grilled Vegetables

What time is your reception? I would say the cocktail idea is good but not at a traditional meal time. I would not be happy with heavy snacking if i thought that i was going to receive a full meal.

Ceremony is at 4:30 so the reception should be from 5-10ish. Still working out those details.

Ive talked to three different food trucks that have told me they are available and willing and after we worked out the details I asked them what kind of deposit they required.. and haven't heard from them since.

@Stephanie if your reception is during meal time I would do three stations - two "meals" and something like a mashed potato bar, along with 6-8 passed apps and a side like a veggie.

I had a fajitas buffet at my wedding, so for cocktail hour my wedding planner told me not to pass out hors d'oeuvres. So I didn't

And it wasn't the end of the world.

If you do a heavy apps reception, you're going to need more food than that.

For reference, my venue recommends a minimum of 6-8 pieces per person for cocktail hour when a full dinner is being served afterwards. So you're definitely going to want to more if its just the one station and apps.

Buffets aren't boring if they are filled with delicious food.

At the time of your wedding, guests will be expecting dinner. I Don't really think passed apps will cut it. They take forever to go around sometimes. If you are walking around mingling, getting a drink, you can miss them. I think it would be hard for your guests to eat enough.

So most of what I'm hearing is MORE FOOD! lol. Got it. I'm also trying to find the most cost-effective thing so a buffet might be the way to go. Thanks for the advice!

You're going to need a lot more food then what you're thinking. I would look at caterers to see what fun action stations they have. I've seen fajita stations, pasta stations, pancake stations, etc. There are a lot of really cool different ones out there.

Definitely let people know if you're only doing apps!

My parents went to a wedding last year where they did this (a couple of stationary displays and 3-4 passed apps). The food was served around 5:30. My mom kept reminding my dad not to fill up before dinner. They said most people were only eating a few things because there was no place to sit and the plates were small, so people were only comfortable with grabbing a couple of things at a time.

About an hour later the music started, the apps were cleared away, and no dinner was served. Apparently enough people asked the coordinator when dinner would be served that they actually brought the apps back out for another hour (some of the items weren't available anymore though and a lot of the food was cold because the kitchen had already cleared down).

A big group of people left an hour or so early and went out to dinner at a restaurant down the street.