Wedding catering: Cocktail hour food

Go to any dinner party and you can expect a fairly prescriptive turn of events: a drink or cocktail to greet you shortly after you arrive, followed by genial conversation and some nibbles: cheese, crackers, perhaps olives or nuts, and then dinner.

Special events and wedding receptions are big - very big - dinner parties, and they follow a similar script. The cocktail hour, which may or may not involve cocktails, and may or may not be an hour long, is a period of time used to transition guests from the ceremony to the reception. An advantage is that it occupies hungry guests with food and drink while the bride, groom and bridal party can take post-nuptial photos.

Food-wise, a traditional cocktail hour calls for merely an elegant spread of cheeses, crackers, crudites, breads, and fresh or dried fruits to complement the bar offerings - after all, it is only meant to tide the guests over until dinner.

(A clever cheese presentation by Jessica Spengler)

However, the trend in wedding catering has been to expand the cocktail hour menu, with ample portions of such a large variety of foods that it could almost replace the dinner. In fact, a recent BizBash poll forecasting 2011 trends found 58% of event pros expect to use "passed small plates instead of a seated dinner" this year.

Caterers like cocktail hour menus not only because they are lucrative, but because they create both a challenge and an opportunity to do something inventive, small, and powerful. Whereas a plated dinner is a plated dinner, cocktail hour hors d'oeuvre can be fun, fantastic, or high-falutin.

(Jewel-like hors d'oeuvre by Taste Catering)

(A waiter fills savory mini cones with salmon mousse)Cocktail hour food is generally served in one of two ways. "Passed" hors d'oeuvre or appetizers means that the food will be presented in individual servings on trays carried by servers around the party. Types of passed hors d'oeuvre vary dramatically, from tiny amuse-bouches (one-bite pieces) to skewers of meat, mini lobster rolls, or savory dumplings. Passed service is an elegant presentation and it works best at events where there is a large amount of square footage per guest. This allows servers to reach as many guests as possible and expediently refill in the kitchen.

(Artisanal chips by Taste Caterers)In addition to the space, there are two important factors to consider with passed hors d'oeuvre: the number of pieces per person (which is part of the price structure) and the server-to-guest ratio. The longer the cocktail hour, the more food is necessary. Guests, anticipating food, are usually ravenous by the time cocktail hour rolls around and a bad situation develops if the servers can barely make it out of the kitchen before their trays are emptied. Entire swaths of the party may not receive their food.

Buffet service is another option for cocktail hour, a presentation that allows for quite abundant quantities of food. Manned or un-manned - meaning, attended by a server or not - buffets use less man-power and allow guests to decide the portion size. Caterers can be inventive with buffet presentations, even beyond decorating the table. Themed stations, such as the choose-your-own-toppings macaroni & cheese station, are very popular and create a unique guest dining experience.

(DIY macaroni & cheese station by Quinn Dombrowski)

A drawback of buffet service for cocktail hour is the potential waste of extraneous food; another is that guests may be stuffed before even taking a seat at dinner (which in turn leads to more waste). But large amounts of food at cocktail hour are good for a wow! factor, and also if the couple anticipates a heavy drinking crowd.

Like the appetizer before a good meal, cocktail hour is a treat for guests to mingle, drink, and eat after the ceremony and before the main meal. Thanks to the creativity (and business savvy) of caterers, it is also a chance for guests to enjoy an abundant cornucopia of foods and flavors that may soon replace the full reception dinner. After all, who needs an entree when you can nosh on mini lobster salad sandwiches all night?

Would you like to work with caterers to create the perfect wedding menu? The Sheffield Wedding & Event Planning course teaches everything you need to know to orchestrate a memorable event, from creating a guest list, to hiring vendors, to creating a beautiful wedding design.

Comments

[Andrea]

Nice presentation,they are all look good and yummy :D

[Ivan]

Mmmm the second picture is my dream :)

[Florinda]

I like the cheese. I don't mind attending affairs like this...so much food and drinks!

[holiday party venue in toronto]

i love the cheese presentation. a lot of wedding reception has cocktail food now adays to keep the guests entertained with food.

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[eswareagle]

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