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.

You need to order way more than 1 x meat item per person! Some people won't want all the options, some will want 2-3 of some options etc.

I also think you need more food. 6.30pm-midnight is a long time without food, especially if people are going to be drinking.

Sorry I don’t think I’ve explained myself very well here hah. People can have 3 burgers and no hot dogs if they want to for example, but we’ve made sure that there is definitely enough for each person to have at least one of each option so that nobody will be served and told they can’t have a burger as they’ve run out. There’s extra food, the bbq is manned by the catering staff and they will keep cooking for as long as we want them to. But the ones I’ve been to previously that had a bbq or hog roast etc, seemed to be finished within about 2 hours

BBQ at 5
venue closing at midnight

yeah I think I'd have something around 10pm. Maybe split the budget if that's a concern.

We had our meal at around 5/5.30 pm it was a cold buffet, cold meats, quiche, salads etc. We paid extra for food in the evening, but it was basically what wasn’t eaten at the main meal with a few sausage rolls added in, but we had another 20 people in the evening, so felt we should offer something, but a lot of it didn’t get eaten.

@PriamFarrl we have told the caterers how many vegans/veggies are attending and they are keeping their food seperate and serving it to them when they go up and tell them what they’re having

I'd offer the cheese a bit later in the evening.

Agree put cheese and desserts out later. People probably won’t want straight after bbq, so they’ll go to waste, then folk will be hungry later on.

bbq 5ish, cheese and crackers and desserts 8.30ish would be perfect: splits them night up a bit too

Also I should have clarified, the cheese and desert tables are being brought out after the bbq is finished. So we can choose whatever time people have access to that. I just wasn’t sure whether they would need something more substantial as well such as more hot food options

People will be very drunk if you don't have an evening snack. Bacon butties, pizza, crisps etc

I would expect to be fed straight after the ceremony. Sorry. It's the one thing guests remember- being hungry. I always hate weddings that don't provide canapés or some form of food between 3.30pm and being fed.... usually around 5.30/6ish....
guests are too busy getting ready and travelling to venue to have a huge lunch.
Rest of it sounds good

I would probably go for something as people drinking will need more sustenance later - maybe something fairly simple like artisan fresh bread, cheeses, antipasti, olives and fruit?

We went to a wedding served like this and tbh a lot of people were hungry still because it was 1 of each item, some people only liked the 1 item so had 1 burger and nothing else.

We’ve also got a cheese table with various choices, crackers, pork pies etc and a dessert table with cakes, brownies and donuts
I just saw this - maybe hold off and serve this up in the evening?

BBQ at 5pm and cheese and desserts later sounds perfect. You wouldn’t eat your dinner at 5pm and then have another dinner later on. I think the most important thing with weddings is to make it clear when things will be served so if people can’t manage that long, they can sort themselves out.

It doesn’t sound like a great deal for the veggies. Have you got something for them other than meat substitutes, because plenty of veggies would prefer to eat actual veg rather than fake meat.

Honestly, that doesn’t sound like much for a whole afternoon and evening. I’d want something more substantial in the evening than cheese and crackers for dinner.

I would have some canapés for arrival at the reception because some won't have eaten since noon then arrival drinks on an empty stomach

Pizza buffet at 10 would be good or (like a wedding I went to) everyone will be going for maccy’s on their way back to hotels

BBQ at 5pm ish

Cheese board / Crackers / Pork pies / Cakes
About 9ish

Why would they?
If I had lunch at, say 1, before the ceremony, and then dinner at 5.30-6.30 followed by a large dessert and cheese, why would I need another meal at 10pm?

So if you have 120 burgers and 120 chicken skewers and e.g. 80 guests. If the first 60 people ask for 2 burgers and 2 chicken skewers because they don't like the other options, would the other 20 guest still be able to have burgers and chicken skewers?

@ClocksGoingBackwards we have vegetarian and vegan sausages, lentil and bean burgers, halloumi burgers and roasted veg and halloumi skewers. Do we need more options than that? Happy to provide it if we do!

If someone is so greedy that they would eat a burger, hot dog, chicken, prawns, chips, salad, pork pies etc, cheese board, dessert and wedding cake and STILL "need" to go and eat a McDonald's then they can pay for it themselves.

We do have the option of asking the caterer to provide a buffet as well

Agree with others that you need to do something at 10pm ish - otherwise it's a long time from your bbq until midnight, and people will be hungry and drunk.

You also can't rely on the fact that people will have had lunch before the food at 5pm. A 2.30pm ceremony means that if people have travelled any distance they may not have had time to eat since mid morning, and will be ravenous by the time they get to the venue.

It sounds lovely, but definitely do the cheese/desserts later in the evening, 9 ish, maybe supplemented with mini pork pies, sausage/cheese rolls, to soak up alcohol and feed those who ate early at the BBQ.