re: 10:00 reception

So I'm guessing that you may be thinking in a brunch direction - that's good, eggs are realtively cheap! Maybe start building around a variety of mini-quiches. You should be able to find a ton of quiche recipes by doing a search here on TRL, and pick the fillings that appeal to you and Mr. Right. Most can be used for mini-quiches without having to make changes. You can use standard pastry crust (again, cheap!) or a cream cheese pastry crust in gem pans (mini-muffin pans), or you can purchase pre-made pastry shells, or mix-and-match. Let us know if there are specific recipes you need that you can't find. I've had pretty good luck with making quiches ahead and freezing them.

There's an appetizer, can't think of the name, probably something like Sausage Balls, that is not much more complicated than baked balls of cooked bulk sausage combined with cheese and Bisquick. Easy to do, freezes well, and pretty tasty. There are variations that include bits of apple and other nice things. Again, you can do a search and take your pick.

Then, fruit. You can do trays of fresh fruit with or without dip (tons of recipes to be found here), going with mostly whatever is in season and reasonably priced and then filling in with a little of other kinds as you can afford it. Or a fruit salad, if your friends/family will have time to help prep that the night before.

I'm out of time for right now, but I'm sure our friends here will have more ideas, and I'll try to get back to you later. Just be sure to include some of the foods Mr. Right wants!