Weddings / August 23, 2016

Hot Weather Wedding Appetizers

When it comes to summer appetizers, we in wine country like our flavors fresh and inspiring. Although we enjoy hot days, during that most important cocktail hour, we still worry about food safety and the delight of our guests. Even hotter late afternoons require a special look at vegetarian snacks. For the cooler evenings, we like to get complicated, serving spiced foods, perfect for fussy wedding snacks (in our humble opinion, the best kind).

Our FDA shares common sense tips for keeping food safe during the hottest hours of the day. We’ve paraphrased the most important ones here:

  • Keep cold food cold. Your caterer will be responsible for this, but if you’re serving food on your own, you’ll want to store your food at 40°F or below to keep it safe.
  • If you’re serving your own food, keep coolers closed.
  • Don’t cross-contaminate. Keep meats, poultry, and seafood wrapped so they don’t contaminate raw veggies and fruits.

For a hot-weather 4:00-6:00pm happy hour:Salmon Tartare Wonton Cup - HGTV

Salmon Tartare in a Baked Wonton Cup
Easy to eat with one hand, luxurious and delicious, this hot-weather appetizer is the perfect party pleaser for both Aunties and Uncles.

Martha Stewart's Artichoke Bruschetta

Artichoke Bruschetta
Martha’s artichoke bruschetta recipe combines delicious flavors with a make-ahead toast topping.

Watermelon Feta Blackberry Skewers from a Healthy Life for Me

Watermelon Feta Blackberry Skewers
Enjoy summer flavors on a stick with these skewers – they’re easy to eat, healthy and unbelievably tasty.

Rainbow Spring Rolls with a Peanut Dipping Sauce from the Kitchn

Rainbow Vegetable Spring Rolls
One of the freshest, most rainbowlicious appetizers on the block, these brightly colored veggie spring rolls mesh with nearly any wedding décor.

For a later, 6-8:00pm cocktail receptionCauliflower Zucchini Feta Skewers from Delish

Zucchini and Cauliflower Skewers with Feta
Served warm, this vegetarian treat on a stick is refined, surprising and hot-weather ready.

Mini Grits and Greens from Jennifer Davick

Mini Grits and Greens
Honor your Southern roots with this mini grits and greens recipe served in individual porcelain spoons.

Poppers - Credit to Southern Living Photographer Hector Sanchez; Food Stylist Torie Cox; Prop Stylist Caroline Cunningham

Party Poppers
A true crowd pleaser, your big brother will never forget this two-bite appie  filled with meat and wrapped in bacon.

Spiced Shrimp and Avocado Toasts from Fine Cooking

Spiced Shrimp and Avocado Toasts
These spiced shrimp and avocado toasts do the double duty of being hearty and filling while appealing to your nieces refined sensibilities.

It goes without saying that a great match for these appetizers is a bright white like Girl and Dragon Pinot Grigio. That said, for the meal after? The drink pairing is definitely Monogamy Cabernet Sauvignon.

Whether you’re making the snacks yourself, or working with a caterer, let our guide to hot weather appetizers point you in a crowd-pleasing direction. Can’t wait to hear what you served at your hot-weather reception.

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