How many canapés?

[Namechangedfeb22]

If it’s a canapé buffet instead of a meal at a wedding then how many canapés would you want? Wedding is at 7pm

thank you

What time are you asking people to arrive?

Are you planning on feeding them properly after the ceremony? It's late by UK standards, but eating at 8;30 or latter isn't unusual for some

You'll need to give people some idea of the running order for the event, so they can work out if they'll want to eat beforehand.

If you really want canapes only, then I think 30 is the minimum, and you need to make sure that the waiting staff circulate well, so they don't all get grabbed by the people nearest the kitchen doors and others have to wait hungry.

You can't just have canapés as a meal. It'll cost a fortune to have enough. You also have the problem that people standing nearer the kitchen / service will have more and those on the other side of the room won't have enough. We had six per person at our drinks reception, followed by a proper meal.

If you're planning on a canape reception, then I'd move the wedding to somewhere around 4-4;30, then tell your guests it's champagne and canapes until 7pm, and then they'll know they'll be free to go on to dinner after that.

I cater weddings. We would usually serve 5 canapés per person while they are having a glass of champagne on arrival before they have the main meal or buffet

No one does Canapés as a meal . They are bite size appetisers, it would be hugely expensive to do it as a meal as you’d need at least twenty a head.

if you don’t intend to feed them just canapés then tell folks and make it early so they can eat elsewhere

For a drinks reception only, a rule of thumb is 4 per person for the first hour, plus 3 per person per hour thereafter. So, 10 per person for a 3 hour party. But if you're having them as a meal, then you'd need LOADS more than that

You could do this, but I think it would be very expensive. If the goal is to save costs, there are better ways to do it

What everyone else has said. Canapés are a starter not a whole meal.

If you are going to stick to just canapés, you’ll have to make it clear in the invite eg, “Wedding at 7 pm, drinks and canapés from x pm” on the invitation itself.

And maybe if you’ve got any sort of insert with directions to the venue and that sort of thing add “please note this is an evening party only with canapés being served rather than a sit down meal”. Or words to that effect. Otherwise people will assume they’re getting dinner!

If you really want canapes only, then I think 30 is the minimum, and you need to make sure that the waiting staff circulate well, so they don't all get grabbed by the people nearest the kitchen doors and others have to wait hungry.

Also this! There never seems to be any instruction to waiting staff to try to reach everyone. And to make sure that women get their fair share rather than the grabbier men.

Every party I’ve ever been to that just served canapés and not actual food has been carnage. Absolute, rip roaring, people not making it home, carnage.

There is much cheaper ways to feed folks, burgers, fish and chips etc, even s normal beige Buffet, but no one wants a canapé meal, there is no such thing. Not unless you’re daddy warbucks.

Canapés are not a meal.

Erm, has anybody said this isn't going to work?

Seriously, OP, if this is an attempt at saving money then it's not the right way to go. If people haven't eaten, then they'll want an absolute minimum of about 10 canapes each, even that won't be quite enough and canapes are ££££. DH was a chef for may years, they're not expensive because of the size, they're expensive because they take ages to make.

And you have to make sure that people who are sitting down don't get overlooked.

You need to co-opt someone to keep an eye on this (you won't want to be doing it yourself) which probably means as extra waiter as supervisor

I'm going to give you a different take OP!

Yes Canapes can work as a meal, but they need to be in the main more substantial - so sausage rolls, mini quiche/tartlets, beef in mini Yorkshires, mini burgers, mini fish and chips as well as some more delicate things.

You will need at least 15 per person plus 3-5 dessert canapes.

Just don't do what a friend of mine did, all raw fish sushi canapes... Her step brother hates fish and literally had nothing to eat (she "forgot"), and probably about 20% of guests were not eating it.

*20 if more substantial 30 if less substantial.

Canapés are expensive so usually only instead of a starter. I would consider a fork buffet in addition (we had whole poached salmon, shellfish, quiche, salads and bread

You need to make it very clear before the day that there will only be canapes or you're going to have a lot of pissed off guests heading over to McDonald's.

I wonder if the OP means that there will be a buffet, where everyone goes up and loads a plate, but the dishes are all canapé like items, mini Yorkshire's with rare roast beef, crostini with blue cheese and grape, king prawn and mango on those little bamboo canapé skewers etc. If this is the case I think they could get away with it, but it would be in no way a cheap option as the quantity required would be so high. Good canapés are expensive as they intend to be quite labour intensive and many require last minute prep - no one wants soggy pastry or crackers on their wedding day.

Do you mean substantial mini things? I've done events where we have little bowls so not just a smoked salmon canapé. I would eat about 3-4 of those more substantial ones

Wot no dinner?

Canapes are fine if people are warned; a 7pm wedding means the reception will be around 8pm.

People can reasonably be expected to have had their evening meal before the wedding.

Is this to be a brief reception, say 8-10pm, with cocktails and mingling? If so I'd say a cheese board and canapes are fine. If it's going to be a later disco then you'll need something more substantial to soak up the alcohol.

Some are suggesting 30 canapes per person!?

Every event I've ever been involved with, caterers suggest 5-6 per person for a cocktail reception.

Yes. Because op is talking about having a canapé buffet as a meal. Not a few nibbles with drinks.

Does everyone have these barbarians at their events? No one in my family or friends circle would be grabbing at and gobbling passed canapes, and indeed most people would automatically look out to help those who are seated, frail or otherwise need assistance.

Honestly, a way to cut costs is to eliminate from the guest list those who see a wedding reception as primarily about consuming "free food!"

Cocktails and canapes are fine. Presumably anyone who needs something more filling can eat their meal before attending the wedding.

Adult male children and DH probably about 50 each I'd probably eat 30, people won't eat beforehand as they'll expect to be fed