Food

Are you having a cocktail hour where hor D'Oueveres will be served if not then I think you should add more food alcohol and sugar doesn't go well I would suggest you add more food

View Quoted Comment My reception will start at 7 and we will be eating “dinner” around 745-8. Reception will be over at 12. You thinks something should be served around 10ish?

I would do passed appetizers starting at 7 and then serve dinner at 8.

I’d probably serve something simple at 10 or so.

The general rule is that you don’t want people drinking on empty stomachs, so given your timeline, I agree with Melinda that the apps are likely needed more before dinner than they are after. If you serve dinner at 8, people will finish around 9, leaving only 3 hours before the end of the night, and I think the average time for the stomach to “empty” is considered to be between 2-4 hours.

I agree with Mattie - I would include some apps before dinner. I went to a wedding where, I don't know if the caterer didn't arrive on time, or if it was always planned that way but drink service started long before canapes - at least an hour, hour and a half? And they pushed drinks hard. Then, when food finally came out, it was a big grazing table and all the older people stood around the table and didn't move, so the younger people who were too polite to shove their way in didn't get any food then either. People were very loose by the time dinner was served, and by then it was a bit late for the food to really have that soaking effect. I'd want to get some food into people as quickly as possible after the ceremony so you don't end up with your guests stumbling around - when your glasses are being topped up by a waiter it can be hard to tell how much you've had until it's too late.