Wedding/Reception?
September 26th, 2009davidsbride asked:
We are having a simple wedding with a fingerfood reception, however, I want it to be an elegant reception. I was wondering if anyone knew of any cute fingerfood that would be cheap to make or buy. Also, I am completely new to a wedding – I have looked on websites but nothing is really telling me anything. Can someone please tell me play by play so to speak about the ceremony – or a traditional ceremony to be more specific, and also about the reception. This is my first wedding and my parents and my fiances parents havent planned a wedding (they just had a simple one) so I am needing like a LOT of help with this. If you have great ideas and templates for programs and invitations etc etc I would LOVE for you to email me. I am so lost on this stuff. All I know is a few simple things. Only nice and respectful answers please!!! Thanks so much.
May 26th 2007 is the date
Baby Sleep Tonight
We are having a simple wedding with a fingerfood reception, however, I want it to be an elegant reception. I was wondering if anyone knew of any cute fingerfood that would be cheap to make or buy. Also, I am completely new to a wedding – I have looked on websites but nothing is really telling me anything. Can someone please tell me play by play so to speak about the ceremony – or a traditional ceremony to be more specific, and also about the reception. This is my first wedding and my parents and my fiances parents havent planned a wedding (they just had a simple one) so I am needing like a LOT of help with this. If you have great ideas and templates for programs and invitations etc etc I would LOVE for you to email me. I am so lost on this stuff. All I know is a few simple things. Only nice and respectful answers please!!! Thanks so much.
May 26th 2007 is the date
Baby Sleep Tonight
September 29th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Let’s e-mail directly, k? When you get a minute. I’d be glad to help!
October 1st, 2009 at 3:05 pm
stuffed mushrooms are great
try some sesame glazed chicken on a stick! yum
also, mini eclairs for desert! mmmmmmm
also, you said its your first wedding, well hopefully its your last!!!
October 4th, 2009 at 8:04 am
all I can say is if you really dont want it to be simple then dont let it be! Since this is your first wedding, you will have to look back at this, so if it’s not absolutly impossible,spend on it.
there are a crap load of magazine and books out there, but most fancy weddings have a planner.
I wish you would state the date, so I can judge how much time you have.
October 4th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Check out like vegetable trays, fruit bowls, chicken fingers, mozzerella sticks and stuff like that. You could also do like brocolli and cheese wraps and stuff like that. Check out magazines at your local grocery stores for more ideas. They have some fantastic ideas to make something that is finger food look like it is fit for a queen! You can decorate to make it more elegant.
Try for more information about the ceremony and everything else for that matter. I found the site extremely helpful!
Good luck!
October 4th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Working as a wedding photographer for the last 20 years I have seen it all. If you need some insights please email me and I’ll try to assist you.
October 5th, 2009 at 2:18 am
Finger Food: Go to Sam’s club ad buy them in bulk. You can have mini-crab cakes, lobster rolls, cocktail sausages with a sween and sour dip, sliced pepperonni and cheeses cubes with crackers, popcorn-shrimp, cold meat and cheese tray, fruit tray.
Deserts: You can use one of those chocolate fouintains. It’s really elegant and not expensive! The machine is about 40 dollars. You can also have chocolate dipped strawberries, ice-cread filled claires, mini-cheese cakes…..
Invitations; Buy the sofware at Staples and buy the paper there as well. YOu will need a goood printer and plenty of ink.
Congratulations and good luck
October 6th, 2009 at 7:55 am
Elegant with finger food??? I don’t understand, you not serving a real meal?? Sorry, but sounds Tacky.
Call a cater.
October 9th, 2009 at 7:47 am
You could try a mix of more traditional finger foods with some more exotic choices like Satay (Chicken or Beef) to make it more elegant. Try a mix of Satay, mushroom caps, mini bruschetta, chicken bites, cheese balls, veggies and dip, spanikopita, and other stuff like that. You could also try a signature drink for the evening or maybe two (one with alcohol and one without).
As for planning a wedding, check out The Knot (http://www.theknot.com) because they have tons of advice and ideas as well as a pretty decent listing of local vendors which is divided by state and then major cities within that state. If you want any more advice, check out my website below and e-mail me from there.
October 11th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
There are so many wedding magazines being published today that a quick stop at a supermarket, library or local bookseller to pick up some publications would be the best way for you to plan your big day.
October 15th, 2009 at 1:46 am
i have never done a wedding, however, i have planned a lot of events and have had “elegant” finger foods at.
here are some examples:
water chestnuts wrapped with bacon and broiled (so good!)
mini quiches (you can get these at sam’s, frozen)
mini pieces of cheesecake (you can get these at sam’s, frozen)
a chocolate fountain with all the fixings:
*cookies, fruit, marshmellows, etc
mini spinach pies
i think i am having a brain fart, and can’t think of anything else…
tip: go to sam’s and see what you can find in the frozen foods. you can find a lot of appetizers
October 16th, 2009 at 2:11 am
Calla Lily sanndwiches – Mix 8 oz cream cheese with 1/2 cup apricot jam or orange marmalade. Use a biscuit cutter to cut rounds of white bread, gently flatten the round with a rolling pin (just barely, don’t smash them). Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the rounds, then pin together at the bottom (ok so there’s no bottom to a circle, just pick a spot on the circle and pinch together with your thumb and forefinger. Carefully brown slivered almonds just til golden and add one sliver to each ‘sandwich’ laying them onto the cream cheese pointing from the pinched bottom to the flat top of the bread. They’re really pretty, really cheap, and taste nice too!
BBQ meatballs (ok, so these need a fork)
1 large bag frozen armour meatballs (I usually use traditional but have used the italian ones too)
1 jar of bbq sauce (I use whichever one is on sale for about $1)
1/4 cup brown sugar
Dump the meatballs into a large pot and pour bbq sauce over. Stir to coat. Cook over low heat until defrosted and hot through. Sprinkle brown sugar over meatballs and stir. Let cook just long enough for the sugar to melt and stir gently before serving.
Baked Brie
1 round of Brie cheese
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3 TB raspberry jam
3 sheets phyllo dough
melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet (cookie pan) with parchment paper. Place one sheet of phyllo on the parchment and brush with butter. Top with second sheet of phyllo and brush with butter. Top with third sheet of phyllo and brush with butter. Place round of brie in center of phyllo and top with raspberry jam and nuts. Gently wrap phyllo up and around the brie to make a little bundle (it will crack some – that’s ok) and brush the whole package with butter. Bake for about 20 minutes – until the phyllo is golden brown. Serve on a large, pretty platter surrounded by nice water crackers. If the platter is large enough, you can garnish it with some grapes. Buy a nice (can get ‘em cheap at TJ Maxx) cheese spreader.
Sandwich Roll-ups
Flour tortillas
cream cheese – 8 oz
butter or margarine
turkey or ham, deli sliced thin
provolone or monterrey jack cheese, deli sliced thin
Soften butter and cream cheese, then cream them together either with mixer or by hand. Spread about 1 TB evenly across each flour tortilla. Layer on a thin slice of turkey or ham, provolone or mj cheese – leaving the top third of the tortilla free of fillings except for the cream cheese mixture. Beginning at the side with the meat/cheese filling, roll up toward to cream cheese only end and secure with a toothpick. Refrigerate for a couple of hours and then remove tooth pick and slice into rounds using a very sharp knife. Discard the end pieces (I eat them for lunch!) and layer the rounds onto a pretty platter. You can also add small amounts of finely chopped vegetables, but that makes them a little messier. For added flavor, use a cream cheese with veggies already in it. You can make stacks on the platter if you use a piece of wax paper betwen each layer of rounds. To make your wax paper pretty, fold a piece that is big enough to cover your platter in half, then in half again, then in half again. Use your kitchen shears to cut the large end of the resultiing triangle into a half circle shape – being careful that each layer is cut to the same length. When you unfold the paper it will be a nice circle with a scalloped edge.
Happy Wedding!
October 17th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
I’ll be honest, but try to remain nice & respectful. : )
I don’t think that frozen mozzarella sticks, frozen mini quiches, popcorn shrimp, wrap or roll-up sandwiches, chicken fingers and frozen egg rolls are going to be elegant. I also don’t think that costco/sam’s club veggie trays would be elegant, either. To me elegant would be:
Assorted Artisan cheese plate (Brie, Irish Cheddar, Stilton, Camembert, etc) with water crackers, sliced baguettes, and possibly a fig jam/spread.
A grilled Asparagus dish with all Asparagus tips up and aligned. Drizzle this with lemon and olive oil.
Onion tart/puff pastries. This could be done simply by caramelizing some white onions, shredding some grueyer or similar cheese, adding some parsley to the mix, spooning it into puff pastry, covering it with puff pastry, cutting it to desired size, and bake.
Fresh Mozzarella Balls/Sun Dried Tomatoes/Asst. Veggie skewers. Can be served room temperature for easy transport.
If you want a veggie plate, stay away from the cheezy celery/broccoli/carrot plates that you find for $4.99 at every grocery store. Instead, go for something more exotic. Roast some bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus, white onions, tomatoes, garlic, etc. and serve on a platter with a few nice dressings – ranch and bleu cheese. The roasting is easy – cover each with Olive Oil and put in your oven at broiling temp until kind of black. You can also serve with some cubed feta.
You could even do a pita bread section with several types of Hummus. Cut the pita bread into quarters, buy some flavoured from costco or trader joes, put the different hummus types in different bowls with a little sign telling what kind they are (wedding seating cards would be perfect).
And for drinks, have juice, soda, and champagne available at no charge. You could add red & white wines, but I think that champagne would pair nicely with most of the things I mentioned so far.
Another good idea would be to go to different 4 and 5 star restaurant websites and try to copy what they have for appetizers. You may not get it exactly, but it can give you a place to start.
I don’t know that finger foods are elegant to begin with, but the presentation and the gourmet factor can at least get you a little closer.
Good luck with the planning! : )
October 18th, 2009 at 3:54 am
I recommend you get cheap secondhand copies of these two book before you do anything else:
Miss Manners on Weddings
The Everything Wedding Planning Book
don’t trust internet advice (and there is plenty of it)– plenty of people are giving out a great deal of bad advice. Remember, when it comes to proper wedding etiquette, any mistakes you make will be remembered by lots of people, for a long, long time.
So get to reading before you make any other plans.
(and never refer to this as your “first” wedding! hopefully it’s going to be your ONLY wedding!)
October 19th, 2009 at 5:24 am
The answers are all good ones. You do need to take the time to look through at least four or five websites and click on all the links and look buy four or five wedding magazines.
You can not just do this without knowledge if you want to do it right and enjoy it. SInce you do not have a wedding planner, Watch the movie! The Wedding Planner” You may get a few hints there or you will see that a planner might be a very good idea.
In any case, the deli section of your local market can also suggest some food items that would be good. You can send for info from some of the local caterers and get an idea of what might be served. Do the work and you can not go wrong.
First time planning does not mean impossible, just more research. Get busy! Good luck.
October 21st, 2009 at 6:48 am
I’m familiar with quite a few ceremony and reception structures. A lot of it depends on what you want to include (unity candle, parent’s candles, sand ceremony, vows, readings, speeches, etc.) and how formal/religious you want your ceremony and what denomination. I’d be more than happy to help you work through this and come up with some suggestions that are catered to you. Just contact me directly!
I wrote my own invitations and used Wilton invitation kits from Walmart. I also made my own bookmark favors that say a little thanks to the guests for coming. And, I made my own programs. I can email you all of these.
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:35 pm
I’m sorry, but I DO think you can have an elegant finger food reception with items purchased in bulk at Sam’s club. Here are a few ideas:
31-40 shrimp cooked $13.88
30 bacon wrapped scallops for $13.78
60 round finger sandwiches for $10.24
The important thing to remember is “presentation is everything”. Borrow glass cake stands to add elevation to the buffet, have vases of flowers mixed in with the food. You can make it lovely!
I did my own wedding programs (and have done for a few other people as well). If you want to send me personal emails I’ll be happy to design some stuff, email back for corrections and then send you final proof so you can print. (no charge)
I love this stuff! Have fun – this will be the most fabulous day of your life – enjoy the preparation! Congratulations!
October 26th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
My wedding was wonderful and now I help others. Check out my site for some ideas and contact me anytime. I am happy to help.