All About Pre-dinner Cocktails

[sevenstars]

sparklingjewel, I think Cellos is a great idea -- I looove their donuts and still miss them! They're classy donuts naman so I think not kiddie party-ish. hehe

Are you already doing an antipasto spread? If not I think a breadstick/crostini display with a mix of tapenades (you could add cheese and/or olives and/or cured meats but I don't think that's necessary, even) might go over well and shouldn't be too pricey to set up. My mom used to just buy crostini and dips in Rustan's for family parties... the brand was Bravo or something like that? And it's pretty good quality, the crostini isn't makunat. You could also do savoury pastries like the ones they sell at Dulcinea, or mini quiches from Simply Pie? Quiche might be a good idea because it still tastes nice when it's not hot

[sparklingjewel]

^sevenstars Thanks so much i love your suggestions! I'll have a pica pica table parin so i can setup the crostinis and dips there. Will also check out Dulcinea and Simply Pie. Pano yung ganito, we buy it ourselves then turnover sa caterer for setup? Hassle pala on the day before/ two days before the wedding I guess this is the advantage of food carts, sisipot nalang sila!

[LingMVL]

^Ooooh French Baker is a great idea!! Croissants and muffins! I tried looking for Country Style but can't locate their Facebook page. I liked it as a kid, i don't see it around so much nalang ngayon. On second thought, parang mas pang kiddie party ang KK / Cellos / Country Style pala kesa wedding hehe baka di umapprove si fiance. But i will try to convince him, so expensive to double the qty of K's appetizers!

For Country Style, you can try looking them up in munchpunch.com. I think you can even order from that site.

You can also try soft bread stick. There are gourmet bread sticks that are available in many supermarkets. There's also sliced french bread from Le Coeur d France with herbed butter

If you want something a bit different, try buying biscotti, although the texture might not be as enjoyable as doughnuts or soft breadsticks

Pano yung ganito, we buy it ourselves then turnover sa caterer for setup?

Ask your caterer if they can set up the extra food for you. It's not an unusual request and with all the caterers I've met, they've always said yes to that free of charge.

[sparklingjewel]

^K by Cunanan will charge additional 600 pesos for an extra waiter to setup and refills. Not a big deal.
Ang more of hassle pala is yung ako pa bibili a few days before or day before the wedding tas turnover kay K. Iv contacted French Baker and even Eric Kayser, will see if they can offer anything

[reese17]

Wow, this thread is making me hungry.

sparklingjewel, I know the part-owner of Cello's. Can ask for you! I love the idea of croissants and crostini spreads too. I think it's a good idea to veer away from anything too sweet during cocktail hour because you still want guests to enjoy dinner although my fiance thinks the opposite, okay daw na busog na sila para we don't need to worry about feeding them at the buffet! He's so crazy. (He was kidding, of course.)

We also want to cut down on our order of appetizers from Enderun because it is Php 450/head for 3 assorted bites. Planning to add mixed nuts (cashews, pecans, walnuts -- stuff I love!) and light chips. I'd love to have a coffee bar but yun nga, baka mabusog na sila and we're only limiting cocktails to 1.5 hours max na.

[sparklingjewel]

^reese17 i love you! Please do! Hahaha thank youuu!
Ako im just seeking additional things to add to my cocktails--- so we can serve dinner a bit later and not right away when the reception program starts at 5pm. Aga kasi haha we wanna serve dinner at 6:30 pa para medyo dinnertime na naman for them. Ayaw ko din sana sweets pero i think if i just add nuts to the appetizers kulang naman. So looking for something heavier like breads Crostinis are perfect too!

I experienced once a cocktail na puro nuts and junkfood lang, Makati Shang wedding pa yun ah, medyo sama ng feeling to have eaten a lot kasi gutom ka na and then later on when the steak comes di ka na makakain maayos haha. I guess they splurged on the dinner and scrimped on cocktails. But that doesn't work either.

[reese17]

^ Haha you're welcome! I'll let you know by this week. I love Cello's cheese doughnuts kasi. Argh, panira ng diet.

I might steal the croissants idea also.

[sevenstars]

sparklingjewel, the crostini and dips you can pick up a week or two in advance, but honestly I'd hand the responsibility of picking up any other goodies off to your bridal party or family members (maybe even your coordinator?). Don't do it yourself na, too hassle and I'm sure you'll be busy with other things!

If you're buying a large enough quantity I'm sure most businesses will deliver; maybe have it delivered to a member of your bridal party and they can drive it up to Tagaytay for you. Or you might even be able to arrange to have it delivered to your caterer na. K by C will drive up from Manila anyway, right?

I went to a wedding at Makati Shang a few years ago, they also only had junk food for cocktail hour (they didn't even have nuts). This was after a ceremony that started an hour late, so I was seriously starving -- and they didn't even have seats in the cocktail area so I was hungry and standing in my heels for two hours. Meanwhile the bride had not one but two designer gowns. lol.

[sparklingjewel]

^reese17 Where will you be sourcing the croissants? Sino ba ok? Le Coeur? French Baker? Eric Kayser?

^sevenstars I have a very small family, part of which is based abroad so bridal party = me = i will likely be doing the picking up of stuff hehe. Which is okay since i have a car naman-- i saw the crostinis and dips na earlier sa supermarket! Thanks for the tip.

Haha we both experienced junkfood cocktails in Makati Shang! How odd. You book probably the most expensive place in Manila, only to serve just junkfood.. hehe although mine had nuts naman but still! Haba din ng gap pero chips lang and mostly standing room only. How can they not have thought of the guests' experience while are thinking of all of these details!

[reese17]

Haha I am now rethinking the croissants kasi my mom said they are messy to eat! Good croissants are flaky and the poor guests daw will have flakes all over their clothes. But to your question, Delifrance has mini croissants which are ok naman. I love Eric Kayser pero mahal! Haven't tried French Baker yet. S&R has some but I wasn't too impressed.

[sparklingjewel]

Haha i wasnt worried about the flakes, more of that they would go flat pag di na fresh! I will scout in the next few months what pastries we really want and where to get them! Waaahh lots more work hehe.

[lippiequeen]

Sis sparklingjewel you can check baked by anita, they have small empanada like thingies called bocaditos, super sarap the truffle ones, they come in so many flavors. Plus classy sya iserve IMO.

[reese17]

^^ hehe, yes that too. If the croissants aren't baked on the day itself and get squished while getting transported to the place sayang din. Perhaps the empanadas might be better or spanish bread? Can KbyC warm the pastries for you? If so, Pan de Manila also offers these yummy bread "sticks" (they're shaped like giant Breadstix but they're soft and fluffy). They come in diff flavors too like cheese, pesto, etc.

[sevenstars]

This thread is making me hungry. I love empanadas and spanish bread! Sorry for the useless comment, gutom lang talaga

[sparklingjewel]

Well too bad seenzoned lang ako kay Eric Kayser, French Baker and Cellos. Looks like it wont happen with them haha. I shall ask Baked by Anita, Delifrance, Dulcinea and Simply Pie next!

[tan.denise54]

I agree with sis lippiequeen! The products of baked by Anita are really good!

Sis sparklingjewel you can check baked by anita, they have small empanada like thingies called bocaditos, super sarap the truffle ones, they come in so many flavors. Plus classy sya iserve IMO.

[maukris]

^^sis sparklingjewel, can't we assign this to our otd? Pano if dedeliver naman sa place nila, tapos sila na lang din magdadala sa reception right?

Kasi ganyan din plan ko to buy bread naman to match the soup para pwede na din open earlier after the chips while waiting sa program.

Ito pala yung mga details na medyo mahirap ang execution.

[sparklingjewel]

^Sis i think this will depend on your OTD. May mga coordinator kasi who refuse to become personal assistants of their clients, they will just tell you what you need to accomplish but not do menial work themselves dahil hindi mo ginawa. Depends i guess. I might buy it myself in advance then see nalang who brings it to the reception. But i will pay for an extra waiter to arrange it on the pica pica table and be in charge of refills.

[corpse_bride]

Happy to have found this thread! I want that guest book too.. Kaso baka may magsulat ng off :/ What else pa kaya to keep the guests entertained & busy? Medyo matagal cocktails/waiting time namin eh. A good number won't have the option of going home. I like the photo wall idea (won't be having a photobooth as well) & strings playing na. Anything else? Our crowd is medyo older than & aren't the mingling type except amongst their own circles (ex. His friends, my friends) TIA!