How many hors d'oeuvres will you have during cocktail hour?

We had 3 hot choices and a fruit/veggie display and a cheese & cracker display. For 130 people it was perfect.

WOW... That doesn't seem like allot to me.

We're having about 100 and my guest are offered about 20 different passed hors d'oeuvres in addition to 7 cold displays and 3 hot captain stations

If your area generally doesn't have large coctail hours then I would say its fine as it is

@Kerry - I did see the Mac & Cheese station. After watching a few of those shows, I said that's it, we need signature drinks, and like 10 different stations. My Dh said that is why those brides have $50,000 - $60,00 budgets and we only have a $13,000. I think what we went with worked out well.

We are offering 4 passed hors d'oeuvres and 2 displays (fruit and cheese and veggie tray). We are ordering enough for each person to get 4 pieces. Our caterer recommended 3 we went up one just to be able to have a little more variety.

It depends on your budget, unless that's not an issue..i say typically 3-4.

@Vanilla_Nut - can I come to your cocktail hour?

@Candice - FH has banned me from Four Weddings (lol). I get a little carried away after watching. We definitely do not have a $60,000 budget (ours is half of that), so I need to remind myself not to get ridiculous.

Ladies, thanks for your input! I will talk to the coordinator to find out if we can have cheese/crackers/fruits on a table, in addition to the passed hors d'oeuvres. Great suggestions!

I've got 11 different choices for each of our 80 guests.

Passed HDs

- Schezuan chicken satay with sweet and sour sauce

- Coconut shrimp with Caribbean dip

- Crab cakes with spicy remoulade

- Coconut crusted lobster tail on a skewer

- Truffled macaroni and cheese with parmesan crisp

- Roasted tomato soup espresso with grilled cheese triangle

Display Station

- Sangria (Red & White)

- Sautéed jumbo shrimp with sangria relish

- Beef empanadas with roasted garlic chili crème fraiche

- Stuffed Fig

- Bake brie with sundried tomato relish

@Andrene - YUMMY!

Just curious, what area of the country are you getting married in?

Thanks. I am getting married in the Boston area (specifically Cambridge). Things tend to be expensive and a bit over the top here

I know that the least I've ever seen was 4 and all three times, it did leave something to be desired. I, however, am a vegetarian, so that doesn't help. I think it also depends on what sort of stationary items you have. If you have a single stationary display, you may want to up the choices to at least 6 if you can afford it. If there are multiple displays/stations in addition, then it's not as big of a deal.

If you do leave it at 3, at least make sure that they're things most people will eat.

It may also be a regional thing. In the NE cocktail hours are big. We're having 10 passed choices and 1-3 stationary displays (still working on that with the coordinator).

I'm up in New England and we haven't settled on a specific number yet, but since my preference was for a cocktail reception and I got vetoed by popular opinion, I'm thinking I'm going to have a lot!

We are having 4 passed and a cheese tray and a veggie tray. There are 60 people at the wedding. We did the 4 only because I negotiated to throw in the 4th (it came with 3) for free. Let's just say I also got a free chocolate fountain and sweets table for deserts and chair covers and upgraded linens for no additional cost. I love negotiations!

We are serving 4 different hors d'oeuvres but im not sure how many of each per guest

We are having 3 stationery: Veggie Crudite, Cheese and Fruit Display and AntiPasta Station.

At my first wedding, our cocktail hour was typical of Vanilla Nuts. It must be a northeast thing.

If you really like 3 choices, it should be enough. We have a little more variety. Covers vegetarians, red meat fanatics, chicken, seafood, stuff kids like. That can definitely be done in 3, but...this is just me...I preferred to go much heavier on the hors d'oeuvres and lighter on the stations (or entrees, if you're doing plated). At every wedding I've gone to, I've gone nuts over the hors d'oeuvres and meh over the main course. (Shh...don't tell anyone whose wedding I went to...)

Granted our event is heavy hors d'oeuvres and stations - no plated meals -but it's a LOT of food. 10 passed hors d'oeuvres, 3 (huge) stations, 1 (additional) carving station...okay, now I'm impressed. We got a good rate!

We have 4; we have invited 170 people. We have a fruit/ domestic and imported cheese tray, passed mini chicken cordob bleu, passed ginger chicken skewers, and spicy crab dip(real crab meat).

I think 3-4 is a good option number, especially if it has a nice selection of options with some uniqueness. We are planning on having veggies and fruit with different dips, some bruschetta and salmon cucumber bites. Debating on another option, but for the most part that is what we are doing since dinner will be served not too long afterwards.