To ask if you’d expect more food at this wedding?

[Avelora]

We’re getting married next month and starting to have a panic that we aren’t providing enough food. Ceremony is at 2.30, so everyone will be arriving at the reception between 3.30-4 ish. We’re having a bbq starting at around 5pm

Bbq foods are as follows, and each person can have one of every item if they want to
Burgers
Hot dogs
Chicken skewers
Prawn skewers
Veggie/vegan options
Chips
Salad, coleslaw, potato salad etc

We've also got a cheese table with various choices, crackers, pork pies etc and a dessert table with cakes, brownies and donuts which are both coming out at about 8.30pm

Would you then expect another substantial food option with the cheese and snacks table, such as hot food or a buffet or something!? We're expecting the bbq to be done with by around 6.30, but they can keep going as long as we want them to, and the venue closes at 12pm.

*Edited by MNHQ for clarity.

I think it's enough food

@Namechanger965 so would you do the desserts in between? That is what DP wants, but I can’t get my head around this as I can’t eat sweet food and then savoury. If I had the cakes then I wouldn’t eat anything else savoury for the rest of the night. But I don’t know if that’s just me being weird

@KosherDill I would be happy for it to be over by 7pm as I hate late nights so if we could finish it earlier I would, but DP and his friends will likely be there until the very end as will most of my friends

You sound like a lovely person who cares a lot about making sure everyone is happy.

FWIW, as you aren't having canapés on arrival, I would possibly consider bringing the BBQ forward slightly to 4.30-4.45ish. You will likely be having photos etc., but for the rest of
the guests, the time between arriving at the reception and waiting for food is key and is what they will remember if they are waiting ages.

The cheese buffet/dessert thing all sounds fine and lovely too.

I hope you have a great day .

I think it sounds great. I did a bbq for my wedding.
However, we did an afternoon tea immediately after the ceremony, then a bbq in the evening, then cheese Tower and cake later on. I was worried about needing some food later (like bacon baps or mini fish and chips - it was a beach wedding) but we were so stuffed!!

@Avelora Yeah I would. Food at 5 desserts once a good amount of people seem done with the bbq (so probably 6ish). Then snacks at 8:30ish. Most people would want the dessert after main (are you just leaving them out so people can carry on picking at it?). Snacks at 8:30/9 because people will have had a fair bit to drink by then and it’ll soak up some of the booze. Most people will be happy to eat savoury again when they’re pissed, like getting a takeaway on the way home from a night out when your pissed and peckish.

@WiddlinDiddlin no vegans are even attending 🤦‍♀️

OP what will you do if the first guest asks for 120 burgers???

I went to a wedding with a hog roast and baked potatoes. I'm vegetarian and still ended up stuffed. There were a very generous number of sides on offer. Cake and cheese came out late (9.30ish) but the guests barely made a dent.

Food described in the OP is plenty. Really like the idea of cheese and biscuits/desserts a couple of hours after the BBQ.

The only changes I would consider are canapés on arrival (especially welcome for people who missed lunch due to travel) and maybe mini desserts or ice cream for children served straight after the BBQ.

I think it sounds like plenty!

Not sure if this has been said already, but I’d make sure to send all vegetarians up first so that they definitely get the vegetarian food (I’m not veggie).

If you've over catered, could the bbq staff maybe cook a second time a little later in the evening? Not sure if you need to pay for what they don't cook. Maybe a smaller cook at around 9/10pm so people could eat if hungry. Like many above, I'm struggling to fathom that, but apparently people might be hungry going from the comments.

@Avelora If you have anyone who needs gluten free food please don’t forget them and like the veggie options keep the food aside. I was at a wedding yesterday where sandwiches/canapés were served with the pre wedding breakfast drinks and very belatedly some gluten free options appeared and were finished off by the other guests before I could have much. The g/f options for the wedding breakfast were not substantial either.

When the evening buffet appeared it was burgers or bacon in rolls and the g/f option was cold scrambled egg in a roll with no butter or sauce (I really couldn’t face eating that) as the bacon rolls had been eaten by everyone else when they didn’t replenish the buffet quickly enough ☹️ and they had run out of g/f rolls to make anymore. I had a tiny gluten free fairy cake that a friend had grabbed for me, as the whole gluten free wedding cake layer was eaten before I got up the queue.

It was a lovely wedding and I was so glad to be there to share their celebration, but I felt quite hungry and left out seeing everyone else enjoying lovely food.

“Food at 5 desserts once a good amount of people seem done with the bbq (so probably 6ish). Then snacks at 8:30ish. Most people would want the dessert after main (are you just leaving them out so people can carry on picking at it?). Snacks at 8:30/9 because people will have had a fair bit to drink by then and it’ll soak up some of the booze.”

^This

I think that's loads, plenty
The women and kids won't eat one of each

Honestly? I wouldn’t even think twice about it.

I have never, ever attend a wedding and then proceeded to complain about the food. It’s an honour to be invited to a wedding, and it’s a privilege to be fed free of charge.

It is masses of food! Very generous. Sounds lovely.

Maybe do BBQ half an hour earlier and chees half an hour later. But sounds great to me.

I absolutely would not need a McDonalds on the way home.🙄

Your food sounds lovely!

I think with this sort of food, quality is just as important as (if not more than) quantity. If all the bbq stuff is basic supermarket range quality, cheap sausages and dry ceiling tile type rolls then yes it will be a bit shite. If it's a bit more gourmet with lovely juicy burgers and fresh salads, sides etc then fantastic.

I don’t think it’s enough food. It’s also quite fatty ‘fast food’ type. People will probably only have had a quick sandwich for lunch. If people don’t want chips/ burger/ hotdog will they only get a skewer of chicken and prawns and salad? Could you have bread/ jacket potato/ soup in addition? It depends on your demographic but many older people don’t really eat burger/ hot dog/ chips. I think you need more skewers than one each too.

@Avelora it seems like you’ve completely forgotten the vegan gluten free nut allergy family of 5! What on earth are you going to feed them?! 😉

Food sounds epic by the way, can I come?

You’ve not got any extras?!

You need food brought out around 9ish, it’s an all day wedding people will be hungry!!

This thread gets more bonkers, we’ve now got “women won’t eat more than one hot dog” vying with “old people won’t eat chips” for most WTF comment. Quite apart from those who’ve not RTFT.

Yup this.sweet something or other finish a meal. If you then have your pick a mix out all the time.
Then the snack cheese etc later.
Plates of buttered toast.mmmmm.
Then hard of spread everywhere.surely you can have a toaster.

And halal!🤐