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.

What a piss take. I'd be telling them where to stuff their £200 rip off. I don't understand why you've paid a deposit before signing a contract. Sorry, OP, they saw you coming. Please, please cancel it. Find somewhere else with sensible prices.

The last wedding I went to was a three course meal, with half bottle of wine each, fizz for toasts, coffee and mints. The couple put £500 behind the bar - it lasted for hours and supplied the cake. I know for a fact it cost a lot less than £100 a head. And we were sent a menu with the invitation so everyone chose their own food.

Bun dat

You are being ripped off OP. £200 per head is extortionate whatever food is being offered. You need to be looking in the region of £20 per head at the most for a buffet. Even that I think is too expensive! 🤔

You need to get a different venue then. That is ridiculous money!! We paid £109 ph which was welcome drinks, canapés, three course meal, coffee, wine, champagne for toasting, evening meal which was hot meats and salads for 120. And then free bar up to 10 o’clock. And I thought that was expensive

I'd be happy, if there were lots! 😂😋

Op the good thing is that plenty of people here will help you find a cracking venue thats better value for money

You need to stop listening to your whinging guests. They sound awful!

Is this even what you want?

A close friend got married at a beautiful (I mean seriously stunning) country estate in Gloucestershire.

We had a glass of champagne after the ceremony, 5 canapés each, champagne to toast, a delicious 3 course meal, tea and coffee, lots of prosecco and wine on the table, and a hog roast plus many sides for the evening.

This was for 80 people and she paid under £7000 for the food and alcohol. She paid £6000 for exclusive hire of the venue and 42 of us were able to stay in the beautiful bedrooms and had a cooked breakfast the morning after, which was included in the price.

Please look elsewhere, further afield if need be and hire a coach to transport your guests with the money you save, £16000 for a 3 item pp bbq is ludicrous.

I think you need to look on here and just choose one of these venues given because that is waaaaaay over.
my cousin does venue barn type conversion with outer fields for camping,hog roast.canapes buffet.open bar for meal time.and option barn to stay for under that.and its top spec award winner.where do you live where this is the pricing

It's been done to death but... £200pp for a BBQ? Eh? What? Fuck that for a lark.

We really don’t need any more posts questioning the cost. It’s not what the thread was even about. All these ‘Well I had solid gold potatoes and diamonds for dessert at the Ritz for my wedding and it only cost two bob and a toffee apple’ posts look like (not particularly good) attempts to circumvent the troll hunting rule.

cough when somebody begins a thread about their wedding catering and casually drops in that it's going to cost £16,000 for a 3 item pp BBQ and a sandwich, people are going to question it.

CoughLaughFart if the OP is being taken for a ride by an unscrupulous wedding venue then people should say so. I was researching wedding venues in the home counties a year ago and while some of them were very pricey I never saw anything approaching the level of cheeky fuckery where you charge £200 a head for a BBQ and some drinks.

Do we know where this venue is? Can someone PM me?

OP between us, I can’t believe there’s a wedding venue near you that an MNer hasn’t been to and can give recommendations.

You are absolutely being ripped off. Unless you’re cobtractually tied to this venue stop the bus now.

I never thought a simple opinion question would end up this way 😵 but for the good.

Update:
So I did what any wimp with a blunt Yorkshire dad would do and got him involved. I have no idea what was said as he rang from work but managed to get us a package I'm really happy with. No open bar but unlimited soft drinks are included. So we get welcome drinks, canapes, wine for the table, a 3 course meal (and those that aren't happy will just have to have the veg option), tea and coffee and in the evening some steak, fish and vegetarian option butties for £85 pp ( plus vat -so is that rough 110 pp).

So they must have just seen a young couple, let's see what we can get away with.

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Well fine to you and Dad!

Done not fine!

Great result

Make sure you get it all in writing though so they can’t pull a fast one on you again!

Fantastic! Well done you and your dad!

Well done CheesecakeDad!

Excellent result OP!

Thank goodness for that. Sounds a much better deal. And FGS, don’t take any more crap off your moaning family. Weddings bring out the self entitled in droves.

Hurrah! Good result OP. I hope the wedding day goes swimmingly for you!

Jesus your Dad just saved you over £9k!