To think I'm not starving my wedding guests.

[MBlaze]

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?

Raindrops - we haven't fully decided on the dinner menu yet, but it will likely be something like (reading this from my caterers sample menu):

Starter:
Baked salmon and crayfish roulade with beetroot puree, mizuna and cucumber salad
Vg: Slow roasted tomato soup with basil pesto

Main:
Pan roasted chicken breast with tarragon and parmesan gnocchi, chestnut mushroom puree and roasted butternut squash
Vg: Pan fried pillows of ricotta and baby spinach gnocci with butter roasted portobello mushroom, aubergine and basil salsa

Dessert:
Warm chocolate brownie, amaretti crunch and baileys cream

There will be a vegan option for all the above, and all will be gluten free

Not sure if that's what we will have though. DP isn't too keen on the veggie options

Loads of food OP. Sounds lovely.

3 canapes and crepes at 3pm is enough to stop you being hungry but not ruin your dinner.

I always expect and hour for ceremony, an hour minimum for photos/mingling then speeches before dinner so I would have lunch or a big breakfast before I left. If it helps you to relax about it I would mention the time of the main meal on invite but really no need.

I love crepes, but what's happening from 3pm to 5pm? Is it just people standing around chatting whilst some people get photos taken? Because crepes aren't finger food. You want to be sat down with a proper plate and cutlery to enjoy them.

I would dispense with the crepes in favour of more canapés - no one is going to just eat three. A bunch of greedy people are going to eat nine, with the majority starving because there are none left.

I think the cake at 7pm and cheese board at 9pm sound perfect. Cheese is suitable for vegetarians - fish isn't. The only question is how many vegans are you expecting?

Ultimately, it doesn't matter if you think you're a nightmare couple when it comes to food. It's your wedding, and you should all love the food you've both chosen. Don't comprise to the point where you no longer enjoy the options.

Wedding guest rule: ALWAYS have a sandwich beforehand, no matter what time the wedding is, because you just don't know when you'll get something else to eat.

OP, that sounds fine to me, with maybe some small nibbles available with the cheeseboard - nuts, crisps, whatever.

People often don't eat a substantial meal before a wedding, even if they intend to, because they are running late, busy getting ready, travelling and options en route not satisfying, focusing on the journey to an unfamiliar place.

And then after the ceremony they want to eat more than usual because they are drinking alcohol and maybe feeling a bit bored/ at a loose end.

Saying it's their own fault if they're hungry is a bit counterproductive as you surely want guests to enjoy your wedding, after spending a fortune on flowers and entertainment it's a shame if guests only remember how hungry they were.

I'd also say that attending weddings, whilst lovely, can be quite a hassle and expense for guests, and having to eat at an inconvenient time en route just adds to that. I've noticed a trend in weddings lately that they can be timed for the maximum number of hours present with only one meal provided, in honesty I find that frustrating as a guest and would rather the day was shorter if the couple don't want to pay for more food. Not talking about you here op, just an overall trend.

You want to be sat down with a proper plate and cutlery to enjoy

Tell hundreds of stall holders on Christmas markets all over the world that! Don't think I've ever sat down eating a crepe come to think of it!

Enid but crepes and ice cream are a pain to eat when you're standing around. And my point about the canapes is that 3 each isn't worth the bother of everyone asking for more/ running out before some people have had any - either have enough, or have something else. And for the money you'd pay, I'd go for something a bit more substantial but simpler.

It's perfectly plausible that some people won't have had lunch , especially anyone needed at the ceremony venue to set anything up before the ceremony, or bridesmaids etc who might be given a schedule for hair/make up etc, or anyone helping out with things like lifts to the ceremony.

Afternoon Tea with plenty of sarnies as well as scones, cake etc.

3 course meal

fish and chip cones

Fantastic!!! hope you have a lovely time.

Our running order was:
1pm ceremony
2pm canapés
3.30pm 3 course meal including dessert table
9pm hog roast with potato wedges

The dessert table was left out until it was cleared and we didn't serve our cake at all

Maybe something like the fish and chip cones would be a bit more substantial to soak up the alcohol?

I think if you bring out enough canapes for three each, lots of people will end up with none.

2 pm is a tricky start time for eating before hand. Probably too early for lunch for mauone coming from a couple of hours away or more. Those people might not have had the chance for anything substantial to eat since 11 am. The 3-5 bit will really drag for them, crepes or no crepes. 3 canspes seems pointless. Either do at least twice as many, or none.
Could you do the main meal at 3ish?

2- 2.45 pm - Ceremony
2.45 - 3.30- Drinks and nibbles/photos
3.30 - main meal

Is this an alternate universe? Icecreams and crepes are things you eat walking aboit ordinarily no?!

Mail - we are expecting 2 vegans

expat - there will be vegan (so lactose free) options for every meal except the cheeseboard

Thank you all for commenting . I will up the food in the afternoon (and potentially make it less messy!) and not worry too much about the evening snacks. I will also send everyone timings of when we are going to eat!

Only one of our friends has got married so far and had the above timings - in fact they married at 11am, we had about a 4 hr gap with no food and then sat down to eat at 5, so I assumed what we were proposing was fine

Ooh eggsonheads falafel pita with houmous etc van sounds lovely!

I thought your plan sounded ok for food until eggsonheads idea though mblaze

Sounds good and enough!

It’s a wedding going to be a long day and night, doesn’t start until 2, anyone who gets VERY hungry has time to have breakfast and lunch before arriving! And you are having 3 courses in evening, plus cheese etc later.

It’s plenty!

It sounds fab, OP

If I were you, I would get rid of the crepe/ice cream van and double the canapés per person.

I would keep the cheese board but turn it into more of a ploughmans style, adding charcuterie, salads and fancy pork pies.

Serve the cake at the same time as the cheeseboard. No need for dessert and cake so close together.

I would second the main meal for 3.30. Some guests will not want to stay at a wedding for 7 or 8 hours. They may have to travel back, have children etc.
Going for an early meal- which will last until 5.30pm anyway means a natural transition into the evening.
Those with kids who are tired can go, those who have simply had enough or really not into the inevitable boozing and disco that will follow can leave,

Food aside, people will be bored witless by the 3 hour gap.wtf are 'lawn games ?' croquet? for 3 hours? What if it is pouring down?

Food sounds fine but please don't assume it won't rain! It's the UK it will be 50:50! I've been to so many weddings in July/August in the UK where the couple assumed it wouldn't rain and you could see how disappointed they were!
It's why I got married on October! (And it was glorious!)

Our ceremony was at 1pm. We had canapes (5 each) between 1.30pm and 3.30pm where we served a 3 course meal.

We then had a huge buffet at 9lm where the wedding cake was served.

All food was eaten.

I think there might be a bit too long between ceremony and main meal.

one of the least popular weddings i was at had similar timiings and was a bit of a disaster cos every one was wrecked by the time the meal was served
if it were me, id shift the meal up a few hours then bring out hot roll/buffet later on

I'd be starving, sorry.

For a 2pm ceremony I would arrive for 130 & add in travel time so I'd have a mid morning snack, not a full lunch.

2 hours in the middle of the day with just sweet things wouldn't be enough for me, especially if it's 2 hours just mingling and drinking.

Meal at 6pm is quite late given that many guests will have missed lunch.

I'm with your fiance, I think you need some food later and more savoury options.

With the invitations include some local places people can grab lunch. It’s not unreasonable to think that people might arrive in time to grab lunch before a 2pm ceremony

I agree that crepes aren’t easy finger food. Could you do big cheese boards at this stage instead? Have a few dotted around the place with loads of bread

Evening food could be something like a nice burger/kebab/street food van from 9-10pm

Please just make sure the vegan/dairy free options are properly set aside. Far too many tales on here from vegans/veggies/etc whose food was snaffled by other guests because it 'looked lovely' so the vegan/veggie was left with nothing to eat.