Meal Decision

Noooo don’t do that 😂

View Quoted Comment Thank you. What a constructive response.

I agree with the others that this could work great if the reception were moved up earlier in the afternoon. I also think if you opt for this, including this information with the invite or on your website would be a good idea so people know what to expect.


Being that a lot of your guests are 50+, I think that a lot of people in that age group look forward to the meal at a wedding. Not to generalize, but I know many people in that age group who don’t drink and don’t dance, so they really look forward to being treated to a nice dinner and good conversation at a wedding, so if you keep it in the evening, I would lean more towards doing a full meal.

View Quoted Comment Thank you! I think I agree with moving the time.

You really have to be careful here because no matter how much fun your guests are having, they will leave early if there isn't anything for them to really eat. For example, lets say your reception is going to be from 6 pm all the way till 10 pm, that means for those four hours the only food they're going to eat are cheese, crackers, and some fruit, I'll be honest, its not the ideal option, and I've been to several parties and weddings where I literally only stayed for about an hour at a party because I literally had nothing to eat and was starving. I think it's okay to serve hor d'oeuvres only, but my fiancee who used to work as a caterer always used to tell me that when it comes to hor d'oeurves, it's always best to serve a combination of fruit, cheese, and meat, so at the very least I would also include a meat option.

I have been to weddings like this and they are easy fun! One was in a very casual setting and one was in a very high end Boston black tie setting. Both were great.

Push the time to 7-10pm and call it a cocktail wedding and people will love it.

I would make sure there is plenty of foods and desserts because you are so generously providing alcohol. And then relax and enjoy your day!

View Quoted Comment Yes.
Again I'm sorry I forgot to put it in the post. It won't let me edit it. there will be meats and small finger foods. I'm not trying to serve cheese and crackers.

View Quoted Comment I forgot to mention that to save money and stress, you can hire lunchladies who are experienced with breaking down fruits and vegetables quickly, and (at least in my state) are food certified along with being used to 300 ppl. This allows you to buy whole fruit for less than a dollar and save waste, rather than precut fruit and vegetables that are 20x the price.

Sry I understand that you are set on finger foods but with an open bar and your wedding being around dinner as a guest I would be disappointed to be eating cheese and crackers. I would probably either not drink or have to leave early to get food. I'm assuming that some people might be coming from work, or all day errands and will be hungry.

Maybe you can do both your way plus a few heavier options:

BBQ pulled chicken and pork with a nacho bar.- assorted chips, sauces, dips

Hot dog bar- assorted toppings

Grilled cheese bar

Mashed/Baked potato bar with all fixings and maybe pulled pork or chicken.

salad bar with fixings and BBQ chicken, meat, shrimp

One thing you can consider is hiring lunchladies to prep it all as they are experienced in food safety, food preparation and used to the crowd size. Also government pays nothing so most do side gigs to get by. One trip to costco and you save hundreds!

This is the only kind of wedding I went to growing up!! I’ve still been to a few like this as an adult. And this is what I’m planning myself. My wedding is at 2pm, only 30 minutes ish long and I only have the reception hall for 4 hours, so not enough time to get to dinner-time. I mean I did this on purpose because I didn’t want to serve a meal. I wanted to get back to my roots with having certain family/friends provide some heavy finger foods.


I still haven’t come up with my food options list yet, but this was typically what I saw growing up: fruit & veggies trays, tea sandwiches (typically pimento cheese and chicken salad options), nuts, mints, bbq meatballs, lil smokies, cheese & crackers.
If you want finger food/snacks , then tell your mom that. But do make sure to plan appropriately so that guests aren’t expecting a full meal or going hungry.
I think having a ceremony mid afternoon is the best timing option, late enough that guests should’ve had lunch (make sure you plan lunch for your bridal party), but early enough to where they’re not expecting dinner.

I also just thought of this. If you have enough options of heavier snacks (meatballs, buffalo chicken dip, etc) then I actually think you could get by with having your wedding later. This is often the way my family plans things like New Year’s Eve and ladies’ paint night and consider that our dinner.