Cocktail Hour Ideas

Tiny bites and delectable morsels! Who doesn’t love hors d’oeuvres? And what a better way to “wow” your guests from the very onset of your reception than by having delicious selections in tempting displays? Nothing will guarantee a better conversation starter and get the festive mood going than happy guests dining on munchies! However, choosing hors d’oeuvres can be quite challenging, considering the vast number of options.

Here are some tips to get you started:

  • “Let your food talk” – that is, use your hors d’oeuvres as a way to communicate your wedding’s theme or to give meaningful hints about your family heritage, for example – is your mother or grandmother famous for making something? Serve a mini version of it! If you’ve had a double ceremony, featuring two religions, serve up nibbles that reflect those two cultures.
  • Create a tasting bar based on the countries you have travelled to. This way, guests get an insight into your romantic journey together and they also get to sample unusual fare.
  • Serve foods that are inspired by your location; for example, if you’re giving a garden wedding, foods with fresh, garden influences, lemons and herbs would be lovely; or if it’s a beach wedding, easy seafood dishes such as: ceviche (raw fish marinated in citrus juices and seasoned), accra, crab cakes, mini shrimp cocktails, served in shot glasses or grilled items would be appropriate.
  • Try miniature versions of your favourite foods – If you enjoy fast foods, you can certainly have sliders (mini burgers), doubles, aloo pies, tiny shark and bakes, “coo coo” squares, meatballs, mini pizzas, or French fries served in beautiful paper cones to match your décor.
  • Have an unusual food station such as sushi or a “baked potato bar,” where guest can choose their own toppings such as: cheddar cheese, bacon, chives, sour cream etc.
  • Ensure your drink selections do not clash with your food selections. For example, if you’re going with more Mexican-inspired foods, choose margaritas or if you’re having an Italian-inspired menu, offer up some limoncello. Garden weddings would do well with lemonade and a selection of iced teas. To close your reception, a nice idea if you’ve had an “all-Trini” menu would be to serve some Trini cocoa tea in take-away mugs, which serve as wedding favours.