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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I'm not starving my wedding guests.

450 replies

MBlaze · 24/01/2018 20:04

Helpful Mumsnetters, please let me know if this is enough food for a wedding. I think it's more than enough, but DP thinks we need to add more food!

Timings are approximate...

2pm - Ceremony
3pm-5pm - Crepe or ice cream van, canapes (3 each) and drinks
6pm - 3 Course dinner (Vegan and Gluten-free options so nobody should go hungry.)
7ish? - Cake after dinner
9pm - Cheese board with bread, crackers, grapes, figs etc

Surely that's enough food considering the ceremony is at 2 and people can have breakfast beforehand?

DP thinks we should provide more than a cheeseboard after dinner and should hire a fish and chip/burrito van or ask the caterers for something more substantial. We aren't having any evening only guests, so I really don't think people will need another meal 3 hours after a 3 course meal.

What do you think?

OP posts:
LaurieMarlow · 25/01/2018 12:37

It might be a better idea to get married at 3, have the drinks reception 3.30ish-5ish, dinner at 5.30, evening snacks at 9pm?

That sounds good to me. Have you time to get photos/anything else you need done between 3.30 and 5 and still get to some of the reception? If so, then I think that's a good solution.

KurriKurri · 25/01/2018 12:39

God - don;t start panicking and changing all your arrangements - it is all fine, this is MN, a crazy place - most people don't eat their own weight in food at weddings. You are providing a 3 course meal and more - that's plenty.

ifigoup · 25/01/2018 12:57

Another vote for your original plan! It sounds lovely and plentiful!

pudcat · 25/01/2018 13:20

I think your original plan sounds lovely. Surely the photograph session will take up the 3 - 5 slot, so the crepes and canapes will keep people going. Also folk will have a bite to eat before they go to the wedding. My son got married at 12.30 and we ate at 3.30. No one complained.

WitchesHatRim · 25/01/2018 13:25

As I said the only thing you need to do is say when people will be eating.

People don't usually expect a 3 hour gap between ceremony finishing (if it takes an hour anyway. Most non church ceremonies are a lot shorter than that) and sitting down to eat.

I went to a few weddings over the summer and the most time there was inbetween was about 1.5 hours.

MargaretCavendish · 25/01/2018 13:36

Have a staffed crèche if you have lots of guests with children. This will be a huge treat to find lovely qualified nannies ready to play parachute games or supervise a bouncy castle, kids can then leave the meal midway having been served a simplified kids meal and parents can relax.

That comment really made me laugh. It's a wedding, not 'mummy's day off' - this is a completely mad thing to suggest as a normal, standard wedding thing.

okeydokeygirl · 25/01/2018 13:37

Cheese board is no good for vegans. Not brill for gluten free unless you have plenty gluten free crackers. Some people love cheese. I know loads of people that would need to go hungry if this were the only option as they either can't or don't eat cheese.

RatRolyPoly · 25/01/2018 13:43

When I looked at that I thought "too much food!!", and my bugbear is being hungry at weddings Confused

It's the crepes and ice-cream mid-afternoon that tip it into (perfectly reasonable) excess in my eyes. I'd still think it was ample if you only had canapes before dinner.

AnathemaPulsifer · 25/01/2018 13:46

How many guests are you having? I think there may b3 serious queues at the crepe van so by the time people have got some food it could be an hour to go until the main event.

I’d make it so guests obviously need to eat beforehand (let them know when dinner will be), then ceremony, canapés, meal and make sure there are non-cheese options in the evening (mushroom pate? Ordinary pate?)

Original poster
MBlaze · 25/01/2018 13:52

Kurri - Thanks Smile I thought it would be enough food too, but this thread has made me doubt everything Grin.

If we have the cheeseboard there would be vegan alternatives. Everything at the wedding is going to be gluten free anyway.

I will make sure guests know what time we're eating, so if they haven't eaten before the ceremony, that's on them.

OP posts:
KurriKurri · 25/01/2018 13:56

It all sounds lovely - have a great day - crepe vans are brilliant (and there was no problems with queueing at the wedding I went to - they had several people serving) Smile

Johnnycomelately1 · 25/01/2018 13:58

It is absolutely enough food. I cannot imagine standing up from a 3 course meal at 8pm and wanting to eat anything before 11:30pm (although I'd probably eat the cheese just because I like it and it was there). Cheeseboard plus cake is more than enough for that stretch of time.

2kidsnopets · 25/01/2018 14:24

I think the original plan sounds but I
Would some info about food to invites so
People know to eat lunch.

I would also serve wedding cake with cheeseboard personally.
The last wedding I went to had a
Full meal at 5pm then a full hot and cold buffet at 8.30, which was left virtually untouched as we were all still stuffed from the 3 courses.

2kidsnopets · 25/01/2018 14:24

Grr, stupid phone.
Original plan sounds GOOD

2kidsnopets · 25/01/2018 14:25

Don't get vegan cheese. It's rubber repackaged.

WaxOnFeckOff · 25/01/2018 14:34

Most recent wedding I went to had similar timeings but we had an hour and a half drive so had brunch rather than breakfast and lunch before going.

We had a generous amount of filling canapés, think little quiches and pate things and chicken sticks and then strawberry or lemon tarts/mini scones with jam.

We had a full meal but maybe a little earlier than yours - 5ish?

Then in the evening there was soup, bacon or sausage rolls. savoury pasties, stovies (Scotland) and they served the cake then too.

sparklefarts · 25/01/2018 14:53

I think it sounds fine until the cheeseboard. Cheese is revolting and I'd be a bit miffed if the only option was cheese

MargaretCavendish · 25/01/2018 15:08

I think it sounds fine until the cheeseboard. Cheese is revolting and I'd be a bit miffed if the only option was cheese

Surely you know you're very much in the minority, though? There's a reason cheese boards are a thing and it's that most people like them.

Personally I don't like chips but I wouldn't be 'miffed' if they were served at a wedding because I know I'm not the only guest and therefore that it isn't designed entirely around me.

Birdsgottafly · 25/01/2018 15:24

I would have preferred the meal at 5pm and then the crepes swapped for the mini fish and chip cones, followed by cake, for supper.

A Wedding is a long day. Even if you aren't travelling far, there hairdresser appointments by 9am etc.

As long as people are warned, then they can have food before they arrive.

KurriKurri · 25/01/2018 15:26

Cheese is revolting

No it isn't.

Do you suggest OP has a special table for 'people who find cheese revolting'. And another one for people who don't like crackers, and another one for people who aren't keen on cake ?

It's a wedding not 'The Faddyfolk Inn'.

WitchesHatRim · 25/01/2018 15:29

Do you suggest OP has a special table for 'people who find cheese revolting'

No but due to allergies I know s few people that wouldn't be able to eat cheese.

KurriKurri · 25/01/2018 15:38

No but due to allergies I know s few people that wouldn't be able to eat cheese

Yes - my DD is one of them, but if she'd been given plenty to eat already, and had a vegan three course meal, she wouldn't be so rude as to moan about there being a cheese board. No one is going to be starving here even if they cannot eat every single item on offer.

Shedmicehugh · 25/01/2018 15:44

Your original plan sounds lush, stick to it!

Ihatepompoussoccermums · 25/01/2018 16:59

At the end of the day it’s your special day, you choose what you want, if people don’t like it they don’t need to go. I think you’ve done great with the plan you have. At the end of the day they are there to spend your special day with you.

HurtyAtThirty · 25/01/2018 17:29

We had sausage butties at our evening reception, you could get meat free and gluten free options so could work?

We also had a sweetie table so people could gorge on haribo if they got too hungry lol