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?

oh i should add, it will be ok if you let your guests know your timings then they could have a big breakfast or lunch, for a 2pm ceremony id probably have something about 11 before i was getting ready if i knew

if i didnt know id assume getting fed abuot 3ish

Good God is everyone obese? How can you possibly need that much food?

Adults can perfectly well survive from 2pm to 6pm without food, but canapés are excellent choice. Crepes and ice cream are far too filling and no-one will have room for supper which at 6pm, is very early. A crepe is a meal. Personally I would have many more canapés and cut the crepes/ice cream.

A three course meal followed by cake is masses. If you want a cheese course I’d add it as part of the meal.

Ordinarily crepes and ice creams are things I'd eat while walking about, but ordinarily I'm not trying to walk about on a the lawn of a stately home in dressy shoes, a fitted dress, some kind of pashmina affair and a big hat, while also clutching a handbag, wedding present and glass of champagne.

My kids wouldn't ordinarily eat crepes and ice cream whilst also wearing a white bridesmaid dress which needs to stay clean for the photos.

5plus Surely anyone who goes to a wedding, understands there is a bit of standing around etc and entertains themselves by either mingling with family and friends or just enjoying the day! It’s a wedding, not an entertainment centre!

Is it possible to have a later ceremony? I know people don't tend to in Britain, but it makes for a quicker run to the main meal and reduces the need for 'tiding over' guests with nibbles and snacks, and they wouldn't have to pretend to enjoy croquet.

if i didnt know id assume getting fed abuot 3ish really? Why? Every wedding I've ever been to has had a bit of a gap between the ceremony and meal.

Sounds fabulous - I would serve the cake with the cheese then there is choice of sweet or savoury x

Photos are the problem. They take forever and the B+G disappear into the ether and guests are left with three canapes to wait it out!

Not just your wedding OP, but EVERY wedding I have ever been at. It is a pain for guests, but so necessary for the newlyweds who must never feel hungry at all, but maybe they are on adrenaline and happy and kissy etc. I get that.

The hiatus is the bogey here. Where have they gone? What do we do?

I think 3 hours waiting around between ceremony and supper, everyone will get bored. So I agree with those who suggest bring the meal forward. Then you won’t need all the crepe business.

Can you move dinner to 5pm?

I wonder how you are going to control the three canapes per person quota? If you have servers walking around offering them, some people will take more than three surely (my DH would scoff around six of them and would never assume there was a quota).

Though this thread just shows you can't please everyone!
Seriously, you have a savoury (say cheese and ham crepe at 3pm. Plus some canapés. You can't possibly wait until 6pm for a three course meal without starving? Then you'll be so starving at 9pm (after a 3 course meal) a cheese board won't suffice? You'll need fish and chips?!!

This thread just reminds me of how much I hate weddings.
I always find an excuse if I can.

Hope you have a lovely day OP. And you will. Best wishes.

ETA Presuming some people will be getting ready/sorting issues with kids and childminders/leaving early,/going to the hairdressers, they will not have eaten lunch. I can't think of a time when I had time to eat lunch before going to a wedding ceremony.

I was at a wedding with a cheese board type buffet served with the cake & it wasn't great. They had provided lots of lovely cheese, chutney & jams but the queue was huge with people cutting cheese, taking spoonfuls of chutney & everyone was hungry. You can't really pile your plate with crackers & after booze most people want something more substantial.

Worse wedding buffet I've had really.

I would have eaten my own arm out of boredom never mind hunger long before 6pm. Far too long a wait. IMO.

2 family weddings i’ve been to did this and it was fine, we were so full from dinner still that cheese and crackers were great. If you partner is concerned why not add some artisan breads too?

It would only be 2 hours of drinks reception. I wrongly assumed it would take ages to serve the dinner but someone up thread said it would take around 15 mins.

Ceremony at 2 and 2 hours of drinks reception were the recommendations of the venue but I suppose I could shift it a bit if necessary.

Will go for something less messy for the drinks reception. Although many people have mentioned fish and chips which I thought would be equally messy and greasy.

I don't think people will mind waiting around a bit. Most guests will be 25ish and we're of the first of our friends to be married, so there won't be high expectations and I know our friends will have fun standing around getting pissed . I will make sure there's enough food that they don't get TOO pissed!

I think you’ve already said you’re dropping canapés - I think that’s a good idea as I find that the people standing near where the canapés come out of the kitchen tend to eat more than the ‘per head’ number so others don’t get any. The only real solution to this is to have lots, which is expensive.

Crepes are a pain as people generally have to queue for them to be made, so some people end up waiting ages.

Please dont do bacon butties or anything like that. I was at a wedding recently that did hot dogs/burgers As a vegetarian the smell of so much meat in one place made me sick and I had to leave :(

Delaton exactly you can’t please everyone!

If I were your friend or family OP I would just be pleased you had invited me, realise it’s YOUR and your DP’s special day and enjoy you shared it with me.....even with curled up sandwiches!!

Why would you eat your own arm? You'd have had a crepe and canapés? She said the crepes were unlimited so fill your boots. You'd most likely have eaten lunch before? Then you'll eat dinner earlier than normal?

Julie8008 you can't seriously be suggesting that nobody serve meat at a wedding in case there's a vegetarian with an overactive gag reflex

I would eat before the ceremony. If I had to leave home at, say, 11, then I'd eat when I got there before the ceremony and leave my house a little earlier to allow time - even if all I had was a big Mac it would be enough with everything else you're offering.

I would be too hungry at 9 after a 3 courser, but I'd be greedy with the cheese board! Very nice idea.

Just make sure people know what's happen8ng when food-wise, and they can make their own arrangements, can't they?

I think if as you've said people will be seated by 5 then that's a lot more acceptable than when people thought they'd be waiting until 6