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I’m going to turn to the only people that could possible have any fathom of an answer for me. We are having 82 guests, and an hour between the ceremony and the dinner (all at the same location). Right now our hors d’oeuvres menu looks like this, which includes fancy ones and platters, but I’m wondering if it’s overkill. I have no concept of what 82 people could eat in an hour, and afterward we are having a buffet dinner…
And yes, the prices are expensive because we are forced to use the most expensive caterer in the city due to its exclusivity contract with the venue.
Just how many hors d’oeuvres do we need? What would you do?
That seems like a lot of food considering you are ahving dinner afterward.
I think the 5 passed platters would be plenty.
Caould you do those and then maybe a fruit and cheese spread which is light?
I would worry that everyone would get too full before dinner started. They will probably be drinking too which can fill you up.
I’m no expert but that seems like a ton of food for the hour right before dinner. Are you planning on keeping the platters out all night so people can snack on them later?
If it’s just for cocktail hour, I would think that four of five pieces each would be enough to tide them over to the actual meal.
That does sound like a lot of food. I wouldn’t get rid of all of the platters though. As a guest at several weddings recently where the passed platters were few and far between and/or the dinner was much later than the last meal we had before the wedding, I think it’s better to err on the side of platters than to just do passed. Do you have to do one of each of the five listed platters or could you just do two each of the first two listed and pick two or three of the passed kind?
overkill… tasty but overkill. You only need 4 appetizer options, whether buffet or passed. Maybe 2 each? If that seems sparse, get another buffet one that is cheaper but gives you another “decor” piece for the room
I would definately go on the lighter side. I had the same dilemma. I planned to have way too much food for the cocktail hour and you’d be surprised at just how fast that hour goes by. I would cut way back on the hors’d'oeuvres if I were you. You’re having a buffet, so you don’t need to pay all that extra money to fill your guests up BEFORE they get to the buffet! I would pick two, three of the selections at the most. You just want them to gnosh a bit while they’re drinking and mingling because again, that hour is going to go by fast!
I went to a wedding recently like this. There was so much good food during the cocktail hour that were stuffed by the time the (seated) dinner came around. Seriously, people were getting drowsy at the dinner table- eeps! Maybe have two platters out and then 2-3 passed hors d’oeuvres, or one platter and 3-4 passed? That would still be plenty!
Okay, I didn’t read all of the options and misunderstood…but that’s still A LOT of appetizers..Before I said two or three, but two or three of the set out platters and two of the passed should be plenty.
Seems like too much to me too. I’d do 4 or 5 passed items plus two of the platters.
go light! we also had a buffet for 150 people and ended up getting 3 x 100 piece platters of chicken satay and one other item (i forget what). that averages 2 pieces per guest. our guests ended up lingering around the ceremony area for a bit before heading to the cocktail area so our cocktail “hour” ended up only being about 30-40 minutes.
I’d pick 2, maybe 3 of the stationary trays and 3 passed hors d’oeurves.
Although, I don’t think any guest has ever complained that there was too much food during the cocktail hour…. Depending on the time of your wedding, most people have missed a meal by the time they get to the cocktail hour.
I would say that is a TON of food. I might pick only 2 stationary trays (focusing on fruits and cheeses and meats and veggies) and have more passed snacks. There is something very elegant about having things passed around in a butlered service, plus it keeps people from having to hover near the stations. I would say 4-5 passed (and you probably don’t have to order enough for each person to have 1, but you could) and 2 stationary.
Yeah that is a ton of food. I thought that was the entire dinner menu and then some!
my opinion seems a lot different than everyone else, but I think that 1 platter and 2 passed items (or 2 platters and 1 passed item) is plenty! if you have lots of food during the cocktail hour your guests may think that dinner will be light, and will stock up on hors d’oeurves! plus, your wedding guests and mine may differ, but i’m expecting most of the them to be more concerned about the cocktail part of the cocktail hour and not the food! 
wow that is a lot of tasty goodness! if all the guests ate the expected portions, i’d be surprised if any had room left for dinner, let alone dessert! you can probably safely cut back to 2 platters and 3 passed items. seriously. pick what you like the best (either passed or plated), then make sure it’s balanced among cold/hot, meat, veg, heavy/light. when dinner is being served following a cocktail hour, hors d’oeuvres should whet the appetite/tide people over not stuff them sily. as a guest, i’d have a hard time holding back from all that delicious temptation!
I’m not an expert, but Martha Stewart seems to be and she says that you should have 6-7 appetizers per person for an hour of cocktails. I think it probably also depends on the time of day and the size of the appetizers. Will your guests likely be starving because you’re having a twilight wedding with a bunch of first dances and toasts before dinner? If so, or if the appetizers are one bite a piece, then maybe it’s not too extreme. I’d only cut a platter or two.
Way overkill. Sorry, you asked 
That is what we are having for dinner!!!
I would cut it back to maybe one or two and forgo the passed all together.
Waaay too much! An hour flies by and a lot of the time is spent talking to other guests and sipping cocktails. Plus people know theres dinner coming up so they will not go nuts at cocktail hour.
I would just go with 3-4 different passed items. Enough for each person to have around 4-5 nibbles.
I have to diagree with most of the above comments. It is a ton of food but the cocktail hour is the best part!! I believe that the cocktail hour is where you make your first impression of the reception. Also, when I go to a wedding I usually don’t eat most of the day before I attend the wedding. So by the time cocktail hour rolls around I am starving. Remember also that diner usually isn’t served right away, there is time between cocktail hour and diner (intos., special dances). I think if anything keep the passed hor Ds and only eliminate 1-2 platters. Just my opinion!
Wait, you’re having all of that AND a buffet dinner?
Way too much food. If I saw those platters lying out on the table, I’d think that WAS the buffet, and would probably feel ill when faced with the concept of eating again within the hour (I know it’s only one platter per menu, but each one sounds like a lot).
The point of the cocktail hour is to chat to friends, have a glass or two of champagne/wine, and a couple of nibbles. I really don’t think anyone’s going to go hungry … it could only be a few minutes between when they have their last hors d-ouevre and when the dinner starts.
I think it really depends on where you are located. In the NY/NJ area this type of cocktail is the norm and is honestly standard/expected. Yes it’s technically overkill and a lot of food but everyone’s favorite part of the wedding is always the food at the cocktail hour! Think about what is that standard in your area. My cocktail hour menu is pages long…
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Mrs. Milkshake, Seattle/Vancouver, BC Age and Occupation: 23, Pharmacist Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Pharmacist Engagement Date: May 2007 Wedding Date: August 2008 Blogging Since: December 6, 2007 Venue: Victorian Mansion About Me: Despite the fact that I’ve invested many long years of my life studying the sciences in college, I’m glad to be out of there and I would never do it again! I’m super artsy at heart - I run an indie craft site, I grew up shooting and developing my own film, doing jazz and ballet, and the whole gamut of art classes. I’ve been called a Jane of all Trades… but I was also told many years ago not to make my passion my career because it’d suck the fun out of it. Hence my choice of day job. We live in Seattle but are having our wedding in Canada to be fair to all our family and friends.
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