Do I need Canapés at my wedding?
Canapés are a great crowd pleaser but are they really worth it and could you be better off spending your money elsewhere ?
We’ve tried to answer this as honestly as we can to help you make an informed decision.
Canapés are usually priced from around £7 per guest upwards, per guest, for around 3 to 4 pieces per guest. Average is probably £9 to £12 for 4 pieces per guest for a mixture of hot and cold canapés.
Things to consider are your timings, your wedding breakfast, and your guests.
Reasons to say Yes to canapés… If your timings mean that guests are unlikely to get lunch before the ceremony, then canapés are usually snapped up. If you have a long time (more that an hour) between the ceremony and the wedding breakfast, canapés will keep guests going and stop then getting too tipsy. If your guests are foodies they will enjoy the excitement that canapés bring. Finally if you know it is a big wedding breakfast ahead, such as sharing or grazing styles, canapés might be an over indulgence - ask your caterer for their honest opinion on what they have seen at previous weddings.
Reasons you may not need canapés. If your ceremony is later in the afternoon so guests will definitely have had lunch, or if you have a shorter time between ceremony and wedding breakfast then canapés may be an over indulgence. Many guests will anticipate the wedding breakfast ahead and want to ‘save themselves’ for that, so even if you do have canapés most guests will have a limit as to how many they will eat. You may know that some of your guests consider themselves professional canapé consumers who will position themselves in an optimal position at the reception so that they get access to the most canapés and that could be a reason to avoid them in the first place.
Remember, weddings are emotional and are often long, with an early start and a lot of standing so guests tend to eat and drink a lot more than they would usually, and canapés can be a delightful way to keep guests energy levels and excitement high.
