How many canapes per person should we have at our wedding? | Cambridge Wedding Caterer

How many canapes per person is one of the questions we get asked the most by couples starting to look at how to structure both their day and wedding menu. We would normally recommend 4 canapes per person for an hour and half drinks reception if being followed by a three-course meal. Any more than this and you risk guests getting too full by the time dessert comes around, and any less and you risk guests being hungry or substituting it for more drinks during the drinks reception!

So, what about how many canapes per person if you are looking to have a longer drinks reception or swapping out the starter? If you are having a 2-hour drinks reception it’s important to stagger the canapes throughout, for this we would suggest 6 canapes per person. If you love canapes and would prefer to swap out the starter then 8-10 canapes per person is usually recommended, sometimes this can be less, but it all depends on your ceremony timing and whether or not guests have had a chance to eat lunch or not.

Image by Olivia & Dan Photography

Something else we hear time and time again during consultations is that couples have been to other weddings or events before and noticed lots of people not getting any canapes due to the team going to the same groups over and over again. This is something we are very aware of and have put a system in place to prevent. Our team of planners, event managers and front of house staff work really hard to ensure all guests are visited on multiple occasions. We will use alternative doors, to find different routes to these guests, and also a polite but firm reminder to some that we need to get to everyone.

If you have any questions about canapes or our catering process, please do get in touch with us by clicking here.

To view our current menu pack filled with lots of delicious canapes click here.