me and my fiance are getting married. Money is very tight for us so i was thinking of either having the full on wedding with dinner or having the wedding with appetizers and an open bar?
we can only have either one?
so dinner or appetizers and drinks?
2007-12-20 08:54:34 · 37 answers · asked by Anonymous in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
the only that concerns me is that most ppl are always expecting food from wedding .
I am mexican and i know ppl in my culture are always expecting dinner no matter what. they leave the house on an empty stomach to fill up at the wedding.
i am having the ceremony and reception at the same place wouldnt that clash since they are having appetizers while me and my husband then be taking photographs.
and then what ?
any ideas?
2007-12-20 09:06:54 · update #1
Okay, Im going to give you extra options! :-)
If you have an evening reception, expect that people are going to want to eat! Either plan a sit down dinner or a buffet style meal. Buffets are alot cheaper and you still get the sit down dinner. If your reception is over 2 hours you should have a sit down meal.
If your ceremony is under 2 hours or very informal, you can have appetizers and an open bar...however this also depends on the amount of people you have attending. An open bar is very expensive and appetizers for over a hundred people with no other food is going to really eat up your budget.
You could also do something more unconventional. For example, you could plan your ceremony and reception for earlier in the day and have either a breakfast or brunch reception...this saves a bunch of cash!!!!! Eggs and bacon are so much cheaper than Filet Mignon or Lobster!!!!
You also could have a fancy dessert reception with exotic coffee. You could offer cake (obviously) ice cream (ive seen couples use neopolitan ice cream when their colors where pink and brown) espresso brownies, truffles, pies, etc. The drink menu could consist of water, soda, brandy, cognac, sweet dessert wines, espresso, and coffee from all over the world. I had a friend use this and it was amazing!!!!! This eliminates the open bar because you have the drink menu already planned. And its incredibly cheap!
Email me if you need any more help...Im finishing up my course in Wedding Planning and would be more than happy to give you all the advice you need! kiki81503@hotmail.com
2007-12-20 17:15:50 · answer #1 · answered by kiki81503 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you want to have the ceremony then have the reception at a time when you don't have to serve much food and can get away with just appetizers or a tea. The open bar is expensive and really not necessary. My fiance and I are going to the courthouse and then going out to dinner with friends and family. We are getting a private room for up to 80 people (although there will really only be about 40 of us) and a buffet for $1500. If you want to cut back on expenses see if you can have the ceremony at the same place as the reception and shop around for things you need like rings, a dress, etc, so you can get something decent at a good price. Consider something like having the ceremony outside at a pavilion and having a picnic reception. You can rent tents to keep the rain off if that's an issue. It's much less expensive than going somewhere fancy but it can still be intimate and a lot of fun.
2007-12-20 09:26:52 · answer #2 · answered by Rockit 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here is the thing. It depends when the reception starts. If your wedding is at 5 or 6, and the reception starts at 6, 7, or 8pm, a full dinner is appropriate. Alcohol is not necessary to have a good time.
If the wedding is in the afternoon, say 3pm, you can away with just appetizers and drinks. But you still need plenty of appetizers so people arent drinking on empty stomachs.
I just think its cheap to invite people to an evening wedding and then not feed them. Lots of people are having alcohol-free weddings these days.
2007-12-20 15:02:27 · answer #3 · answered by fizzy stuff 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you do a later wedding most people would not expect a dinner. if you do it in the afternoon, i would do dinner. if you have alot of people travelling i really do not think it would be fair to have them try to hunt down some where to eat between the ceremony and the reception.
With appetizers you could also do a little differently. Have them served all night long, you can have family help. Just serve warmer appetizers near the middle of the night.
I personally think that the appetizer/drink option always goes well.
2007-12-20 13:39:53 · answer #4 · answered by live4logan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi and congratulations!
What TIME is your wedding? I think that will make the decision for you.
If you are having a late afternoon/early evening wedding....then feed your guests DINNER. You cannot substitute drinks and appetizers for dinner. If you try to, it will end up costing you MORE as people will eat more appetizers to try to fill up.
If you are having a later evening wedding....7:30/8 p.m. or so (after the normal dinner time), then you can get away with the appetizers and drinks.
I would choose the dinner. I think in the long run the appetizers and drinks will cost you LOTS more!!
2007-12-20 11:49:20 · answer #5 · answered by iloveweddings 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If I was you I would go with Dinner. If food is important they are going to want food. Possibly if they see it is just appetizers and drinks they are going to go fast cause they know this is all it is and then leave early cause they are hungry. You can serve dinner but have something where they can buy drinks while you two are taking your pictures so they are not just standing around. They get the best of both worlds. Just remember to tell your guest they have to pay for drinks. lol
If you need help with anything else email me at mooshu2006@yahoo.com
wish you the best
2007-12-20 15:03:03 · answer #6 · answered by Marsha D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just so you know a dinner cost about the same cost as appetizers. You can do a very nice 1 meat, poatoe, veggie, salad and rolls coffee, tea and punch for the cost of appetizers alone. Check the costs before you totally deside.
Also Open Bar is very expensive. Around $20.00 a person per hr. So check into that too.
2007-12-20 12:42:44 · answer #7 · answered by jamz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you choose appetizers and drinks then do the wedding earlier in the day (in other words, between meals) so people are satisfied.
If you choose dinner then there's always a cash bar option - where people pay for their drinks. I used to think it was tacky but I've been to so many weddings where they do it.
Another option is to have family prepare the food rather than have it catered or made for you. I'm sure your friends and family would gladly help make food for your wedding- that way it's cheaper.
Honestly, I'd rather have a full dinner because I think it sounds nicer but it's really up to you.
2007-12-20 11:38:17 · answer #8 · answered by Due March 9th, 2010 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We only did appetizers and no drinks. If you hold the wedding around 2, people have already eaten lunch and it's too early for dinner. They are only there for the cake anyway. Drinks are a huge expense too. We only served punch and used sparkling peach cider for the toast. I didn't have any complaints. In fact, I had lots of compliments on both the punch and the cider. We had appetizers left over for days!!! Most people just ate cake.
2007-12-20 09:45:47 · answer #9 · answered by PhantomRN 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Drinks and appetizers- just make sure you don't schedule it during the dinner hour. If the ceremony is at 5 and the reception starts at six, people are going to be very hungry. Have it in the afternoon or evening.
2007-12-20 09:05:59 · answer #10 · answered by sarah jane 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋