Favourite Tea Sandwiches?

Are you getting this catered? What does your caterer offer?

I'm partial to cucumber sandwiches, personally.

I love this! I'm just partial to scones. No sandwiches for me.

You aren't catering this yourself are you? (I'm partial to apple and brie sandwiches though. Food Network has this amazing high tea sandwich list: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/50-tea-sandwiches )

Is this a daytime cake and punch reception?

I love high tea. I threw one for my friend....as her bridal shower (even got champagne with the tea). I don't think it would be filling enough food for an actual reception though unless there were like 6 more courses.

Well, I would say obviously it's not a cake and punch reception, since I mentioned sandwiches

It's a champagne high tea. Reception will run from 3:30-6:30pm on a Sunday. There is going to be plenty of food. We want there to be a good variety of both sandwiches, scones, and desserts. We are budgeted to have lots of leftovers so we don't worry about running out of anything.

Dinner and dancing doesn't appeal to us. We aren't interested in doing things the way everyone seems to be doing them. This suited us much better and I think having lots of bite sized things is going to be more interesting and appealing. We are planning to do gourmet stuff with artisan breads and mini brioche and croissants and whatnot, but wanted some more feedback and suggestions on the sandwich fillers people enjoy at a tea. If we can come up with it, they can make it.

Cucumber sandwiches!! *Drool*

You need to have enough food to substitute a full meal since you're running into meal time. I'm not sure if tea sandwiches and scones are enough to be dinner. You can have them, but if you're running into dinner time, you need to also serve something substantial enough to be dinner.

@fallinthegarden, I don't really agree with that. First of all, people here normally eat later, so this is still finishing well before the dinner hour. Secondly, it's going to be food out the entire time rather than a structured meal. We have different types of events planned during our reception rather than the usual. So think of basically the whole event rather like a cocktail hour where people will snack throughout. I seriously doubt they will want to eat a meal afterwards or eat anything more substantial.

I mean, four tea sandwiches generally equals one regular sandwich. On a good day, someone might eat two sandwiches for a meal plus sweets. We're planning on enough for the equivalent of four sandwiches per person so they can try them all.

I agree with O&S. I'd be thrilled by such a cute idea, my fiancé might feel starved. I guess as long as there's tons of available finger foods, it should work out.

I love High teas. My mom and I go to at least two a year. If done right your guests will leave stuffed. Cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad, smoked salmon, ham and biscuit.

My advice is to go to an afternoon tea and get a sense of the types of sandwiches you like there.

I love a good tea! Can't go wrong with a classic cucumber sandwich. I'm also a big fan of smoked salmon and cream cheese.

As a former caterer I can tell you that you need at way more than four sandwiches pp, even with scones and sweets. You have to figure on at least 12-15 bites per person without cake taken into account. Four tea sandwiches equals a small dainty sandwich.

3:30-6:30 is starvation time. If you have your ceremony first, people probably started to get ready at 1:00 to be there on time and by the time the ceremony is over, they will be famished, heading right into dinner time. And a wedding is not the same as a shower.

Our most popular fillings were;

Cucumber/radish with sweet butter

Russian Shrimp Salad

Brie with sliced balsamic marinated strawberries

Chicken and dried cranberry salad (in the cream puffs)

Deviled egg salad

Smoked Salmon with caper cream cheese and dill

Roast beef with horseradish cream

Prosciutto and Asparagus with lemon mayonnaise

I would have a very detailed conversation with your caterer because these things are a bitch to make, they take forever, they are very labor intensive and you don't want to be surprised by costs.

@Celia I thought I was clear, but apparently not. The average tea sandwich is approximately 1/4 of a "real" sandwich. I was told the average person would eat two "real" sandwiches. We are budgeting four "real" sandwiches per person or 16 pieces pp plus sweets.

Of course, not all of them will be quartered sliced bread- we have fancy mini brioche and croissants and other mini buns as well. But that's the plan.

Oh, and the ceremony is at 2:30pm and most guests are 90-120min away from the venue. I would assume they will all have had lunch prior to the wedding.

So you are having "tea time" during "dinner time"?

Contact a caterer. Seriously, they'll give you a good idea of how to provide dinner for your guests. They are going to be starving if they are at a wedding from 2:30-6:30PM.

I mean, that or they'll leave in search of real food. No amount of scones and tea sandwiches can equate a dinner...

@MrsBdeG have you ever been to a high tea? Somehow I doubt it or you would know they are usually held around 3:30 or 4pm

Yes, Susan, I have attended high tea.

I just know that that four tiny sandwiches and a scone will not suffice for filling your guests up, especially if they have a long drive ahead of them...

Can you add salad and a cold pasta maybe? That will cater more to the folks that aren't used to a high tea setting. Four hours plus 1-2 hours of travel is a long time to ask people to devote to your day without feeding them a real meal. I know you think it "equates" to a real meal, but in reality it doesn't.

OMG...baked beans...steak and kidney pie...noooooo so much no!