Finger Foods for Weddings

Finger foods, almost always, happen to find a place on the banquet menu of a wedding reception, or for that matter, any party. They typically play the role of appetizers, i.e., something which serves the purpose of warming up the appetite of a guest. However, there are a few instances wherein the wedding reception food menu entirely consists of finger foods, and finger foods alone. Sounds strange? Well, yes, at first it does seem kind of odd.

Imagine this. The wedding ceremony gets done with, all the guests move to the reception venue, and everyone's expecting a lavish spread, only to find that all there is to eat, is nothing but fruit punch, wedding cake, and a couple of varieties of shrimp, diced chicken and cottage cheese. Well, to be honest, such 'finger food receptions' (as they are referred to) are not exactly a rarity or a wedding planning blunder on part of the planner. There are certain reasons why to-be-wed couples do go ahead with this sort of reception menu. Firstly, it could be a case of a limited spending limit as far as the wedding expenses are concerned (which is a perfectly realistic scenario). Secondly, if the wedding reception is scheduled for an odd hour of the day, which neither coincides with lunch, nor with dinner, nor with any other proper meal time, then a finger food menu becomes the best bet in such situations. Now what exactly could be included on a list of finger foods? Well, let us find out.

Easy-to-make Finger Foods
Rather than categorizing them into various categories or groups, I think I will simply list out what could be possible inclusions as far as easy finger foods for weddings is concerned. So, in a random order of preference as well as popularity, here are some options:

• Sweet and sour meatballs
• Finger sandwiches (filling options could be cucumber, diced chicken, tuna, roast beef, egg salad, etc.)
• Garlic mushrooms with thousand island dressing
• Garlic fried shrimp with thousand island dressing
• Fish fingers with tartar sauce
• Stuffed tacos with tomato salsa
• Cheesy tortilla chips served with a dip or tomato salsa
• Sushi rolls
• Deviled eggs
• Buffalo wings
• Drums of heaven (also known as chicken lollipop in certain places)
• Pigs in a blanket
• Chicken wings
• Chicken satay
• Mini versions of cheeseburgers, hotdogs, etc.
• Cheese and crackers
• Vegetable quiche cups
• Fried macaroni balls
• Vegetable or meat platter
• Assorted fruit trays
• Grilled meat kebabs
• Crab cakes
• Teriyaki meat balls
• Popcorn chicken (popcorn shrimp will also do)
• Sautéed mushrooms
• Stuffed celery
• Blue cheese bites

Desserts
Oops! I almost forgot about desserts! Here are a few dessert options that you can take account of:

• Cream puffs
• Fruit tarts
• Lemon bars
• Mini eclairs
• Chocolate rum balls
• Petit fours
• Chocolate-dipped strawberries

Remember, if you decide upon a 'finger food reception' or a 'champagne and cake' sort of reception, it is always advisable that you convey it well in advance to all your guests. Mentioning it subtly in your wedding invitation would be the best way to go about it. What it will ensure, is that guests are informed well in advance about whether the reception will be a formal four-course dinner, or an informal finger food affair. It will therefore eliminate the chances of guests being taken by surprise, remaining hungry, and then leaving with disappointment or with a sour taste in the mouth.