To serve sandwiches at a wedding

[CheesecakeAddict]

So opinions please...
We have an afternoon wedding. Everyone is invited for the whole thing (No one just for the evening). Everyone barring 5 guests are coming from far away. In many cases from abroad, so I don't want to come across as a terrible host.

We are having an informal meal. It will start after the ceremony at 4pm with canapes, a bbq with sides buffet, then dessert and coffee. The caterers have told us they cater for 3 items from the bbq for each guest. 12 of the guests are under the age of 5 so I expect there to be extras as I can't see a 3 year old eating 3 burgers/hot dogs. The venue have told us they expect the meal to finish by 7ish and we have to be off the premises by 11.30pm. I was thinking of putting a spread on at about 9pm but my DM thinks most will still be full from the breakfast. Especially as the cake (not a fruit cake) will feed 130 and we have around 80 guests, so plenty to go around. Wibu to just put on sandwiches rather than a full buffet or do you think people will be upset? All this will be around £200 per head as we have to use their caterers and whilst I am happy to increase that for my guests who have travelled at least 200 miles just for us, I don't want to throw more money if it's all just going to go to waste.

£16k for a ceremony starting at 4 and you need to be gone by 11:30??
Hope its a good bbq!

£200ph???? I used to do catering. A wedding BBQ (hotdog, burger and piece of chicken per person plus lovely salads) was £7.95 per person! A really special one with steaks and chicken kebabs was never more than £12 per head.

I don't even have £200 to feed my family for the month, let alone each guest at a wedding 😂

our wedding was £50 a head 3 course meal and drinks

£200 per head

Our central London wedding in a historic building was less than that for canapés, a 4 course sit down meal, hog roast and bbq in the evening and ALL the booze including champagne
And my friends can drink a lot

If 3 burgers/hot dogs is £200 per person, what are they planning on charging you for these proposed sandwiches?

£200 per head? I had a sit down silver service with three courses which was less than £50 per head...

However, the actual question:

My wedding was the same time as yours so dinner around 5.30/6.00. No one needed a full buffet (similarly no evening guests) - we had a big cheese board and a selection of fruit and bread plus 10 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts and wedding cake.

We had loads left over.

Is Gordon Ramsey personally doing the catering?!

Surely it's £20?

I think finish at 7 you don't need more food! Maybe a few nibbles in the tables

£200 a head for a bbq and sandwiches?

How much booze are you giving them that it adds up to £200 per person.

£200!? If it's not a typo then I think that's very expensive. There must be something cheaper around? How much are the sandwiches?

Sorry I wasn't clear. £200 is a disgrace. Because we can't use the venue without using them for catering and around here the venues were all the same in that you had to use them for catering. The £200 includes the bbq plus the proposed sandwiches and open bar until dessert.

still a ridiculous ammount of money. Would expect a 7 course sit down meal with drinks for that.

Wait...so is it still £16,000?

I’m a bit dense but your update didn’t really answer the question...

At that price I'd want unicorn, dragon and dodo on the BBQ menu.

Are you paying a venue hire fee on top of that?

£200 per person???? I'd want a lot more than a burger and to dog for that! Way more!

Wow make sure everyone knows to order triple gins or cocktails, a dozen each. Seriously Op, it's a while sinc I got married but that's a lot of money. Does it include venue, ceremony etc? Even then, add in clothes and rings and flowers and it's an expensive day...

I am shocked at the price. I'll bet if you'd not mentioned the 'W' word it'd be cheaper
We got married at 4 and had a buffet tea. Leftovers were eaten throughout the evening = less to clear away (we self-catered, I cooked it all the week before and froze or chilled it in a collection of secondhand fridges, and I hired 6 students @£50/head to serve it all, We had over 200 guests and even at todays prices came in significantly below £10/head including drink (we had borrowed the church urns to do tea and coffee which was very popular!)

But even including the venue hire, that is eye-watering, but given you're only getting a bbq and some sarnies?
It's an absolute rip off

A typical 120 guest wedding would be £24k before you've even bought a dress or any flowers.
And they are doing a bbq and sandwiches

That's mind-boggling

Wtf!

So is the venue hire, seat covers, ceremony, etc extra on top of is that all included in the 16k?

Sorry for being nosy I am just gobsmacked at that price.

If you’ve been quoted £200 per head for a bbq you’ve been had unless the chef has lots of Michelin stars. I’d say £20 per head would be what I’d be prepared to pay for a hog roast type affair

I expect you fell off your chair when they told you that price.

What the actual fuck.

I’m sorry but 80 x 6 (a very generous everyone getting a drink every 30 mins between 4 and 7) x £5 (average drink price is £2,400. Even if drinks are higher quality at £10 you’re looking at £4,800.

That’s £12k on the food. Minimum.