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What time do you normally eat dinner vs what time are you serving dinner at your reception?

Are they the same time or are you serving dinner at the reception later than you normally eat? For weddings that you attend as a guest, as long as the couple feeds them appropriate to the time of the reception, does it really matter if it is a full meal or just finger foods? Do people really expect a full meal in the middle of the afternoon or evening when they normally wouldn't eat dinner at that time any other day of the year?

Public Comments

1. Yes, as a guest I expect a full meal. We had a wedding that the reception started at 6:00 and we served appetizers until 7:00. The dinner was served at 8:00. We realized that this might be a time that would have been later than many of our guest typically ate, so that is why we opted for appetizers as well. There is nothing worse than a hungry guest.
2. If you had a wedding around dinner time (6-8) then yes, your guests will be expected to eat a full meal (could be buffet style). If you have a wedding in the afternoon (2-4) then they won't be expecting a meal, just appetizers. I had my wedding at 3:00 and fed my guests appetizers. Congrats!
3. Our wedding is at 1:00. The cocktail hour will be at 3:00. The salad will be served at 4:30 or so and entrées at around 5:00. I usually have dinner anywhere between 6:00 and 9:00 - no real schedule. If your reception is going to be anytime near a meal hour, serve a meal. Or at least serve enough food to constitute a meal. If you just want to do finger food and/or dessert, have the reception be 2:00-5:00 or something like that.
4. I think most sit-down receptions serve dinner right around normal dinner time, which is anywhere between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. As a guest, I don't EXPECT a sit-down meal. There's also the option of a buffet, or a heavy appetizer and dessert reception, and I'm totally fine with either. The only time I would be irritated is if it was implied there was a sit-down meal, and only light appetizers were served because then I would have come hungry and left hungry (and drunk because I would have no food in my stomach!). If the reception was mid-afternoon, I wouldn't expect a full meal, unless it was lighter food like seafood dishes or fancy sandwiches and deli options.
5. Great question! Just this summer I photographed a later evening wedding where the couple had a full-reception but only served finger foods. To be honest, it felt a little awkward and threw the schedule askew a bit. However, if it's an afternoon reception I think you can more appropriately serve a "light lunch" or have an "appetizer reception." Past the dinner hour is when it feels a little odd. Or, you could always opt for a "dessert reception" if you're having the post-ceremony activities past the dinner hour. Just make sure if you're going with a non-traditional route that you think through what serving will look like, how long it will take or if a buffet/non-sit down party would be more appropriate. Best of luck - and have fun!
6. People expect a full meal unless you tell them it will be something else. If you plan to serve finger foods only, then the invitation should say "hors d'oeuvre reception" so guests know they should eat something beforehand. We usually eat dinner between 7:30 and 8:00 in the evening. Our reception dinner was served about that time. Even though some of my friends eat dinner at 5:00 or 6:00, I'm sure they still expected dinner at the reception. You need to tell people what to expect so they are prepared. You surely wouldn't want a room full of guests who expected dinner and got finger foods, leaving them hungry. There's nothing wrong with serving finger foods, guests just need to know what to expect. If you don't specify anything, they will assume dinner. Even if your reception is at 2:00 in the afternoon, kindly let your guests know what to expect in the way of refreshments.
7. My wedding was dinner at a slightly later hour than I normally eat when I get home everyday. Usually I eat about 7pm. When I am a guest at a wedding, I expect dinner or some sort of meal, no matter what the time of day. Finger foods should be for the cocktail hour. Our wedding was at 6:30pm, cocktails from 7-8, and dinner/reception from 8-12. I was at a wedding where the reception started at 3pm or so. We had cocktails from 3-4pm and the dinner/reception was from 4-8pm. If the guests know about the time, they do something similar to what I did. I had a late breakfast that day and didn't eat again until the reception. GOOD LUCK!
8. It's not that guests 'expect' a full meal, but rather that as the hosts, you should be focused on making your guests feel as comfortable as possible. And that includes making sure they are fed! I usually eat around 7pm, however if I was having a ceremony anytime between 4-7pm I would serve a 'full meal' - whether that's a complete dinner, or a hearty buffet, or an appetizer/tapas menu, I would make sure my guests wouldn't be going hungry!!!
9. I eat anywhere from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. My ceremony is at 6:00 p.m. Reception starts at 7:30 with appetizers. It is anticipated we will serve dinner around 8:15 p.m. Personally, I find weddings separate from meal times a little odd, though sometimes it can't be helped. Ideally, I would have liked to serve dinner a little earlier than I am. However, I couldn't have the ceremony any early on a Saturday because church has mass at 4:00 p.m. I don't expect a full meal at a non meal time.
10. If your reception is not at dinnertime (5 until 8pm) then I wouldn't expect a meal. My usual dinnertime is 5:30 - 6:30. My wedding reception is planned to have cocktail hour from 4-5 then dinner starts at 6 so I'm planning for it to be right in my normal dinner timeframe and I am serving a full meal. I would think it odd to only have appetizers, even if they are plentiful, at a dinnertime reception. If you serve appetizers, you can get away with starting dinner later than "normal" because your guests will have gotten something to eat when they arrive and can wait until the meal is served.
11. We would normally eat dinner at about 8.00p.m & our wedding reception dinner started at 7.00p.m Guests have travelled, sat through the ceremony and will have to travel home later, so there is no time of day that they wouldn't be missing a meal unless you have a staggeringly short reception (under two hours).
12. We had cocktails at 5, dinner at 6, which is the usual time most people would normally eat around here. However, we've been to weddings where dinner was at 4:30 or at 8 p.m., too. Still providing a full meal.