21 Cocktail Hour Food Ideas Your Guests Will Love

By Sarah Schreiber
August 31, 2018
Clay Austin Photography

Kick off the wedding festivities with creative snacks.

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Clay Austin Photography

Your cocktail hour is one of the first moments to introduce your guests to your wedding's cuisine. This is a pretty major first impression, especially if you two consider yourselves to be foodies. And if traditional offerings like pigs-in-a-blanket and veggie platters don't live up to your idea of impressive cocktail hour fare, you're likely on the hunt for creative snack ideas that look as fresh as they taste. That's where we come in. We rounded up the coolest cocktail hour bites from real weddings. Trust us—there's definitely a way to infuse this post-ceremony, pre-reception interlude with plenty of flavor.

We're not, however, telling you to knock the classics. Kebabs, French fries, charcuterie boards, and more are staples for a reason—chances are, your guests will expect them. But there are ways to make these go-to dishes feel tailored to your particular event, most of which has to do with presentation. Throwing a modern fête where a rustic meat-and-cheese plate might feel off-beat? Serve up these savory snacks on trendy acrylic trays (not wooden cutting boards!) that feel infinitely more contemporary. If tacos are a must-have, consider a taco wall instead of a make-your-own station. (These types of food installations aren't just a way to serve delicious bites—they ultimately contribute to your big day décor.) Or go majorly-mini with one-bite tacos, served in lime wedges alongside margarita shots. Yum.

We're all about the more inventive snack options out there, too. From gazpacho in a mug and full pizza pies with every topping under the sun, to crunchy maple-glazed bacon bourbon shots and a bread station (yep!), there are so many ways to make your cocktail hour a wedding highlight. Click through to discover which of these tasty appetizers would work best at your celebration.

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Oysters

Nancy Ray Photography
Delicious Food Bars for Your Wedding

Getting hitched by the sea? Pass around an oceanic delicacy, like oysters. Bonus points if you also lay out a cocktail sauce, vinegar, and citrus bar for toppings.

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Fresh Bread

Lisa Blume Photography

Bread lovers, this one's for you. Present croissants, ciabatta rolls, sourdough, and nut breads in wooden crates for that authentic, fresh-from-the-bakery aesthetic.

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Updated Charcuterie Board

Whiskers & Willow Photography
Unexpected Wedding Food Ideas Your Guests Will Love

Not all meat, cheese, and fruit plates are served on rustic cutting boards. Make like Smoke and Brine Co. and give the traditional appetizer a modern update with clear and smoke-gray acrylic trays. Polish off the station with a just-as-contemporary escort display (this one was created by Luna Wild Design Co. and Chasing Linen), so guests can snack on mozzarella and prosciutto as they search for their table information.

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Donuts

Amy Pinder
23 Delicious Ways to Serve Donuts at Your Wedding

Don't let anyone convince you to save those artisanal donuts for dessert—especially if they're your favorite. For a fun presentation idea, try piling donuts into a dainty jewelry display case so guests can grab them quickly as they mingle.

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Taco Wall

Roxanne McClure Photography

The only thing that could ever make tacos taste better is pretty presentation. This flower-filled wall (Rooted & Wild Floral Design Co. provided the bright pink bougainvillea!), complete with stocked shelves and limes for squeezing, would bring an epic element to just about any cocktail hour.

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Popcorn

Lisa Ziesing for Abby Jiu Photography
Edible Wedding Favors

Bags of kettle corn (both salted and caramel!) work just as well as a pre-ceremony snack as they do as cocktail hour cuisine.

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Bacon and Bourbon

Austin Gros

Enhance your wedding bourbon's flavor with salty-sweet maple-glazed bacon. Extra crispy, of course.

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Soups by the Mug

Heather Waraksa

If you're creating a cocktail hour menu around light, easy-to-eat foods, put this handy idea on your radar. Serve up your favorite soup (a warm tomato works in the fall, while a chilled gazpacho is best for summer fêtes!) in a mug, to eliminate the need for spoons. Guests will be able to sip, while keep their other hand free to hold your signature wedding cocktail (what else?).

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Kebabs

Kendra Elise Photography
How to Serve Carnival Food at Your Weddings

Think beyond the go-to chicken kebab and brainstorm a few fresher combinations. Charred peaches, basil, and mozzarella make for a solid trio, as do grilled grapefruit, mint, and avocado.

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Pizza Bites

Koman Photography
10 Delicious Wedding Ideas for Couples Crazy About Pizza

This is your compromise if your fiancé wanted to pass around post-ceremony pizza bagels.

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Full Pizza Pies

onelove photography

If bites aren't going to cut it, full-blown pizza pies—complete with all the fixings!—will surely satisfy.

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Fries to Go

Joel Serrato
7 Types of Foods to Never Serve at Your Reception

Pro tip: Squeeze ketchup into the base of paper cones before adding in piping-hot French fries.

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Cheese Rounds

Mara Guenzi Photography

Full rounds of cheese look sophisticated before you cut into them (pile them on top of each other and they could pass as a cake!)—but that won't stop you and your guests from indulging.

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Little Hot Dogs

KT Merry

If the pig-in-a-blanket app isn't your style, but you stil want to serve up hot dogs, go for a classic presentation. Half-sized dogs, topped with ketchup and mustard, are your best bet, so grazers don't get too full before dinner.

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Chicken and Waffles

Erin Wilson
Cocktail Hour Ideas from Real Weddings

Bring on the southern comfort with a fried chicken and waffle bites station.

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Salad Cones

Jose Villa

Make a light salad snack easy to nosh on by adding arugula, onion, tomatoes, and mozzarella balls to paper cones. A breadstick is the perfect finishing touch.

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King Crab Legs

Michael and Anna Costa
Do You Have to Have a Cocktail Hour at Your Wedding?

Your waiters will have a hard time keeping their king crab leg trays full—they're a crowd-pleaser, every time.

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Grilled Veggies

Rebecca Yale Photography

Fire up the grill and roast plenty of in-season veggies ahead of your cocktail hour. Asparagus, zucchini, carrots, peppers, and eggplant are all solid ideas.

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Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Rachel Solomon

These grilled cheese wedges and tomato soup shots will take you all the way back to your childhood.

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Shrimp Salsa

CJK Visuals
What to Know About Pre-Ceremony Cocktail Hours

Pair healthy shrimp wraps with a spicy summer salsa (choose a recipe that's grilled corn and tomato forward!) for a low-calorie bite that's seriously flavorful.

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