I will never forget the first wedding I attended that had a Viennese hour. It was a lavish winter wedding with sparkling crystals seen everywhere from the bride’s jewelry to the centerpieces. A wonderful dinner followed an incredible cocktail hour, and then there was a great live band. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, they opened the doors to another room filled with table after table of delectable desserts: the Viennese hour. As a sweets lover, it certainly made an impression on me, and you can bet that a fabulous Viennese hour (also called a Venetian hour) will also make an impression on the guests at your wedding as well. Find out how to plan an unforgettable wedding Viennese hour.
Bite sized petite tartlets and miniature eclairs are perfect for a Viennese hour as they allow guests to sample many different sweets. Credit: The Park Savoy.
Generally a Viennese hour has a large variety of small desserts, along with a couple of more splashy displays. You should plan to have a wide variety of sweets, such as: cookie, Italian pastries (cannoli!), French pastries (eclairs, etc.), chocolate dipped strawberries, petit fours, fruit tarts, cheesecake, slices of cake, biscotti, and whatever else strikes your fancy. For the bigger stations, you could have things like a build-your-own ice cream sundae bar, a bananas Foster station, a chocolate fountain, and a cotton candy machine. It is also a good idea to include a dessert drinks station, usually things like espresso, cappuccino, and perhaps some boozy drinks like Irish coffee. If all of this sounds excessive, well, that is exactly the point! Your guests should be overwhelmed by the spread during the Viennese hour.
A chic modern wedding dessert display. Credit: Jay’s Catering via A Perfect Setting.
Give some thought to how you would like your dessert bar to look. Oftentimes the selection of sweets at a Viennese hour is more impressive than the presentation. While it is laid out as a buffet, you do not want your dessert spread to look like the dessert line at a cafeteria. The example above shows an elegant approach to the dessert table.
Seasonal desserts like mini pumpkin cheesecakes for a fall wedding make a nice addition to the Viennese hour. Image via My Recipes.
It would also be fun to include some seasonal treats in your Viennese hour. Think tiny apple pies and pumpkin spice cheesecake bites for a fall wedding. Or serve up Key lime tartlets and peach cobbler for a summer celebration. A pastel dessert spread would be delightful for a spring reception or how about a serving a beautiful yule log as part of a winter wedding Viennese hour?
A charming pie dessert table is just right for an outdoor wedding. Credit: Martha Stewart Weddings.
A chocolate lover’s dream come true! Credit: Martha Stewart Weddings
Not every wedding Viennese hour needs to have a little bit of every kind of dessert. It can also be wonderful to offer a dessert buffet that features sweets within a theme. A selection of tiny pies, for instance, is just right for a country wedding. Or treat your guests to a lavish display of rich chocolate desserts. It looks very elegant, and is sure to be very popular with your guests!
