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

25-30

I love this kind of meal in theory as little bites and tastes often tend to be intense flavors, which I adore. In practice, it can be hard to execute and very expensive.

Does everyone have these barbarians at their events?

I didn't mean barbarian-type grabbing

More that if the waiting staff always circulate the same way, then those at the start get more and more choice, and those seated can get overlooked completely.

That is a comment on the need for supervision of how canapes are handed round. Because your guests will prefer to be guests, not staff supervisors (unless you specifically co-opt someone in the role, and they are happy to do that for yoy)

Are you confused? She’s saying canapes As the main meal. She’s not saying canapés then the meal. But you’re right, she is better to say eat before you come as no food, then a few canapés each is a pleasant surprise.

Loads! Is there any such thing as jumbo canapés?

I went to a wedding where there were just canapés and not very many of them and got completely pissed. You can’t really not feed your guests properly if you are inviting them for the evening.

Yes!
That buffet food I think.

@SheWoreYellow maybe a normal sized Yorkshire puddingwith beef and horseradish, or a cream cracker with a few prawns!

If they are charging you about 50p each mouthful, wouldn't it be better to ask them to provide something more filling instead?

Maybe I shouldn’t have called them canapés… they aren’t little tiny mouthfuls.

it’s mini burgers, cones of fish and chips, croquettes etc

And laid out like a Buffett not served by staff…

this is how we’re doing if as the ceremony is late and we don’t want a sit down meal. So it’s a buffet info individual mini foods like fish and chip cones, burgers, croquettes, Yorkshire pudding and beef , fritters

Loads! And not messy big ones, went to a wedding on Friday that served massive chicken skewers dripping in bbq sauce, it was so hard to eat and very messy.

Oh god no. And they don't even go together. Who wants a burger with a Yorkshire pudding and beef.

Get them to do you a massive pan of chilli/curry or a hot pot instead

That sounds delicious.

do you have a caterer, because they really should be able to help guide this. The thing with a buffet like this is that many people are going to want to sample everything. You may find that people’s eyes are bigger than their stomachs.

...they aren’t little tiny mouthfuls. it’s mini burgers......,

Mini burgers are a tiny little mouthful.

Sorry OP, but your guests are going to be ravenous. You need to rethink this.

So it's a buffet then? That's fine, just don't be stingy. Nothing worse than not feeling able to take more than a couple of things because you don't want to clear the table!

I'm amazed at someone could eat 50 canapés... seriously??? I've got a good appetite but that's just gluttony

Those mini burgers, fish and chip cones are quite substantial, I've run events where we had these. I would expect about 5 per person. But judging by this thread that would be way under!

Loads! It would nt fill me up.

Do you mean this kind of thing OP?
I'd be imagining 8 ish? Having said that, over a few hours I could easily get through a dozen...
Hope everything goes well for you.

I had those as canapés at a recent wedding. A couple of hours later we had the sit down meal. Think I had 3 or 4 canapés and ate all the meal.

Really depends on the size but I would say at least 10 per person and you absolutely have to note to people in advance you are not providing an actual meal, just a buffet

You risk people being drunk quickly and very hungry!

Same here. At my wedding people had about 4 of those followed by a 3 course meal and there wasn’t a huge amount of time between the two.

thanks all. Yes, We’ve made it clear there is a wedding at 7 and then a party with light finger food. So no one is expecting a sit down meal and everyone knows to have a big lunch . But equally we want to provide enough food for everyone hence the post. I think what we will do is book fo go and try them all on an empty stomach and see how many it takes to feel full because they look hefty to me but until you eat them I guess you don’t know

My sister went to a wedding with canapés only. Her DH is a very burly 6ft7 man and was worried. He said it was the best wedding meal ever. The canapés just kept coming out. I'd do it by volume and aim for what would fill a dinner plate and a half, maybe 2 because people grazing will absentmindedly eat more than usual without realising.

Why are you not providing a proper meal though? A wedding at 7 means people have to arrive by 6.45pm at the latest, and could have been travelling for some time before that to get there. Assume the wedding is finished by 7.30pm, there's the whole of the rest of the evening to get through. I'd be expecting a lot more than 'light finger food'