Snazzy Finger Foods for the Cocktail Hour

Treat your guests to appetizers that go great with the rest of your wedding

By Michelle Bolyn

Photo by iStockphoto.com

The cocktail hour at wedding receptions gives guests the chance to mingle, get to know each other, have a drink or two and feast on delicious appetizers. Make sure that your finger foods and appetizers match the theme of your wedding and don't overlap with the food that is being served for the main course.

Casual Reception

If you're having a casual reception, serve pigs-in-a-blanket, mini meatballs, or buffalo wings. One trend in appetizers is mini cheeseburgers, served with with cones of french fries.

Formal Affair

You can serve casual food at a formal wedding reception for a fun and nostalgic feel. However, if you are looking for appetizers that match your formal event, consider bacon-wrapped shrimp, stuffed dates, or tuna tar tar. Remember that anything can look more formal, depending on how it is presented.

Mini Foods

Serving mini foods is one of the biggest trends in wedding receptions. You can serve almost any type of food in a mini form, such as shot glasses filled with macaroni and cheese and mini ice cream cups.

Food Platters

Most couples incorporate veggie-and-fruit platters into the cocktail hour. These are especially practical if some of your guests are vegetarian. Food platters, like all appetizers, can be made formal in their presentation.

Soup

Serve different types of soup in shot glasses. In the fall or winter, serve tomato soup with a mini grilled cheese sandwich. In the spring and summer, serve chilled soups in various colors.