12 make ahead canapés for a crowd

I love nothing better then cooking, especially for a crowd. I catered my sister's engagement party and my Mum and Dad's 25th wedding anniversary. I've had many dinner parties over the years for as many as 12 and as little as 2 with 4 and sometimes 6 courses. I did have the hair-brained idea to cater my own wedding and it could quite possibly be done but knowing how much I want everything to be perfect, I decided against it and am having the main course catered and I will do canapés. I'd like to prepare them in advance and have them ready for serving just after the ceremony.

According to this website, the idea number of canapés to serve for an hour before a full meal is 3 to 4 bites per person and for 35 to 60 guests (I'm having 50), 7 to 9 different kinds of canapés is ideal therefore the number of bites desired per person times the number of guests divided by the number of different canapés being served.

3 bites x 50 (number of guests) ÷ 7 = 21 of each canapé

Here are a few ideas I've got in mind.

Italian Style Slow Cooked Meatballs

Sweet & Spicy Slow Cooked Pineapple Meatballs

Mini Cheese Ball Bites

Easy Antipasto Skewers

Watermelon & Feta Skewers

Crudités Platter

Mini Caprese Skewers

Prawn Cocktails

Oyster Shots

Devilled Eggs

Melon & Proscuitto Skewers

Pinwheels with various fillings

Remember, to keep the cost of ingredients down by buying cheaper cuts of meats, plain cream cheese and flavouring with chutneys or herbs, off cuts of salmon (or canned salmon mixed with cream cheese to make mousse), and seasonal fruit and vegetables. Also, remember the season. If the weather is warm, serve plenty of cold canapes. If it's cooler, serve something warm that can be popped into the slow cooker in the morning or reheated at the last minute. Small cups of soup are perfect. There are plenty more ideas on my Canapés Pinterest board.