Wedding receptions do not always occur right at dinner time. Since you obviously wouldn't not serve the same food for a morning reception as you would for one in the afternoon, there are a variety of different options to choose from. So, how you do know what type of food to serve? Below you will find wedding reception food ideas for any time of day.
Morning Receptions
At morning receptions, your guests are likely not in the mood to be eating pork roast or filet mignon. So what wedding reception food can you serve in the morning to satisfy your guests? Opt for a brunch so that guests who prefer more traditional breakfast food, and guests who like a bit of meat in the morning will both be satisfied. A wide array of different pastries, casseroles, and breakfast meats would cater to the various needs of your guests, while keeping your budget relatively low. For drinks consider serving mimosas or some light champagne.
Afternoon Receptions
If you are on a budget, you can really save some money with afternoon wedding reception food ideas. Since your guests likely had breakfast and will soon have dinner, you can make due with heavy appetizers. Choose a variety of different foods to please each of your guests, but keep them in small bite sized portions. For instance, opt for mini quiches, wontons, or crab cakes. These types of appetizers are filling yet less expensive than a formal sit down luncheon. A nice aged wine, champagne, or even light cocktails would serve well for drinks.
Evening Receptions
For the most part, evening receptions are where the money is spent on food. When you ask your guests to come to your reception around a time that is usually reserved for dinner, they expect to receive a meal. So, you can choose to splurge on your guests with a meal of several courses, or have the tables served family style, with larger bowls or plates of food shared around the table as a feast.
Chinese style dishes, and country favorites work well as family style meals, and fancier dishes such as leg of lamb work well for meals served as courses. Whichever you choose, be prepared to spend more feeding your guests at an evening reception.
Buffet Style Receptions
One option that is universally available no matter what time of the day your reception occurs is a buffet style service. This is an ideal solution for those who just can't decide on what to serve, or who know that they have a wide array of guests with varying tastes.
A buffet can be set with foods for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and you save money by not having to have servers who wait on each individual person. This also ensures that your wedding guests are all served at roughly the same time. Food that would work well on buffets includes pasta dishes, chicken entrees, and pork, as they all preserve well. Steak for example would not work as well on a buffet, as it loses its juiciness and flavor as it sits.
Regardless of what time of day you are having your reception, there are different kinds of food that can fit your needs. The wedding reception food ideas above can help to give you some insight into what you might want to serve your guests at various times of the day.
