Choose your event type and number of appetizer varieties to see how many pieces per person and in total to plan.
How many appetizer pieces you need per guest depends heavily on whether a full meal follows. Standard catering guidance is about 4 to 6 pieces per person for a reception under an hour before a meal, 6 to 8 pieces for a longer 1.5–2 hour reception before a meal, and 12 to 15 pieces per person when appetizers are the entire event (a cocktail party with no separate dinner).
Source: Based on standard event-catering guidance (commonly published by professional caterers) of 4–6 pieces per person before a meal, 6–8 pieces for a longer pre-meal reception, and 12–15 pieces when appetizers are the entire meal.
About 4 to 6 pieces per person for a shorter reception under an hour, or 6 to 8 pieces for a longer 1.5–2 hour reception before the meal.
When appetizers are the entire meal (a cocktail-style party), plan for about 12 to 15 pieces per person.
Divide your total piece count evenly across however many varieties you're serving — this calculator does that division for you, though you can weight it toward more popular items if you like.
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