by Akua Hinds

Created on: March 31, 2010

Most guests who attend your wedding will be observing everything you do closely, including the choices you make for your wedding reception.  Let’s face it, the wedding ceremony is for you and your groom to celebrate and signify your love for each other in front of the people you love, and the wedding reception is your gift to them for attending your blessed event.  Many brides and grooms spend more money on the wedding reception than they do on the actual ceremony, so if you are looking to cut corners on your wedding budget, a great idea is to make the reception an all finger foods affair.  This article will provide some tasty food ideas for your wedding reception at low cost prices.

Some people who attend your wedding may have special dietary restrictions due to health reasons or personal choices.  If you decide to serve finger foods instead of main courses at the reception, the menu for the guests should consist of food from the four food groups of dairy, grains, meat and fruits and vegetables.  Sliced fruit and vegetable platters with various selections like fresh strawberries, celery and carrots, cucumbers, and green peppers with dipping sauce would be good choices to serve to all guests because everyone needs fruit and vegetables in their diets.  Cheddar cheese on top of crackers is a great idea and popular food choice to serve at weddings.  Small cheese sandwiches or cucumber sandwiches with cream cheese spreading are also tasty treats to serve at your wedding reception and vegetarians and non-vegetarians will appreciate them.  Some vegetarians eat fish, so small tuna sandwiches or salmon sandwiches would be appropriate meat alternatives to accommodate those guests.  Other vegetarians eat foods of animal origin but no foods composed of the animal’s actual flesh.  For these types of vegetarians labeled lacto-ovo vegetarians, serving deviled eggs would be appreciated.  Other foods that lacto-ovo vegetarians would probably like are cheese puffs and egg sandwiches. 

Good finger food choices for meat eaters are roast beef or chicken sandwiches served in small pita breads or sandwiches.  Meatballs served with toothpicks for easy handling are a popular snack and plum dipping sauce for the meatballs will add a flavorful zing your guests will be sure to remember!  Offer your guests individual wedding cupcakes instead of wedding cake slices.  The cupcakes will be cheaper to make and will definitely be more memorable to your guests.  As a tribute to them, use icing to create each guest’s initials and the date of your wedding on the cupcake.  Keep the beverages flowing with tea, coffee, water and fruit punch on hand.  If you are unsure about serving finger foods at your reception, consider this; by making your reception a finger foods only event your guests will have more chances to mingle with other guests without having to concentrate on completing full-course meals.  Your guests may appreciate you providing them with an open eating atmosphere and the opportunity to connect with people they may not have seen in years.  After all, good weddings are supposed to bring people together.

Learn more about this author, Akua Hinds.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.