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.

At a normal meal though people would just have, say, burger, chips and salad. A vegan/veggie would just have v/be option, chips, salad. It’s only the mad ravenousness that accompanies a free wedding dinner that makes people think of that as a raw deal: I only had a full meal with protein, carbs and vegetables! Others had a burger, hotdog, pork pie, chicken, prawns, and and and. No one actually needs all four options really.

That is tons of food except for the vegetarians and vegans.

Weddings typically have alcohol, socialising, dancing. Many people get peckish from drinking.

At my own wedding reception which started at 3pm we served food at 3, 6 and 11pm. Not everyone are at all three times but there were quite a few delighted to have some fish and chips after all that alcohol.

Its sounds fine to me, timings are similar to our wedding - we had a sit down meal but bbque sounds lovely and then cheese etc later, no evening only guests either, not much cheese or cake was eaten so I wouldn't do more than that personally as it will be likely wasted.

I think you should offer something else at around 9.30

@sunsetsandsandybeaches so they won’t be going from 5pm to the morning, there is a cheese table with 5kg of cheese, pork pies, scotch eggs, salads, crackers, crisps etc (plus veggie options) as well as a dessert table. This is all being brought out later in the evening. We just weren’t sure whether we need to provide another hot food option with the cheese table

OP - sounds great, some good suggestions from people about spreading out the food. I hope you enjoy the day/evening as much as you want your guests to, you sound very thoughtful!

Thanks :)

I really didn't think it's that odd to be able to eat some food between 5pm and midnight 😂

I'd leave the cheese and crackers and park pie table till later and just have the desserts after the bbq. It will get messy with 5 hours of drinking and nothing to soak it up during!

I think it sounds a bit mean to be handing out one of each . I've just come from a works bbq and can say that the chicken and prawns were not wanted and some of the blokes ate , 2 , 3 and even 4 burgers and sausages .

I still don't get how it's going to work , so if someone says I'll have two burgers because I don't like prawns are you going to say no ?
Ime BBQ are self service and the meats keep on coming not handed out by someone one at a time .
It sounds tight to me and I don't think it's enough food . People may not have had lunch if they've been travelling and getting ready to get to the venue .
I also think hot bacon rolls / kebabs would go down well at 10ish to soak up the alcohol

I think it sounds great and as a cheese-hater, I’d be pleased to see the pork pie/scotch egg/salad options for the later serving as well. I’ve been to too many weddings where “cheese” is the only food option for soaking up booze.

Yeah, I know that :)

I was responding to the PP who was assuming I was overweight because I said I'd want something available to eat before bed if I'd eaten at 5pm.

@hattie43 sorry but have you actually read any of my posts? It’s manned by staff who will be serving up whatever people ask for, someone can have 4 burgers and nothing else if they want to and nobody will be going without as there’s enough to make sure everyone has at least one of each option

As long as there is plenty on the buffet to allow for those that may not like certain items to have a couple of the other alternatives, I’m sure it will be fine especially as there will be no additional guests for the evening
I would consider bringing the cheese out at 9ish.
We were at a wedding that had a 3 course sit down meal after the wedding and brought out the cheese wedding cake for supper with crackers, grapes etc along with mini burgers and similar for supper and the evening guests.
The wedding cake had four tiers and every bit of the cheese was eaten yet much of the other stuff went back to the kitchen. The general view appeared to be that the cheese went well with all the drink that was being downed and it was something that guests could keep going back to.

@MajorCarolDanvers there are 5 vegan/veggie options as well as salad, coleslaw, crisps etc and vegan and veggie cheese

The caterers need to remember that you don't have to vegetarian to want halloumi or other vegetarian food.

I don't eat burgers and would rather not eat sausages so I wouldn't be impressed if I wasn't allowed some halloumi to go with my chicken skewer because the caterers can't think beyond people wanting to eat a pile of rubbish meat.

I'd also do cheese and dessert separate later on and maybe crisps and nuts. Just to keep people going

If I was travelling home at midnight there wouldn't be much by way f food available. Ok I'd eat at home if necessary but if it's an hour's drive or back to a basic hotel / b&b they're might not even be this option. I don't think anyone suggesting 12 burgers followed by three whole pizzas, but that people might be peckish after five hours after their dinner

I think what you’ve planned sounds fine. You could put out any leftovers from the BBQ alongside the cheese table.

We did something similar to you (and canapés after the ceremony while we were doing photos and some speeches) and no one complained of being hungry.

Sounds fine on the main bbq, some people will have 2 prawn skewers, others none but 2 sausages. It'll work out.

I'd wait till maybe 8 or 9pm to bring out the cheese table and that'll be evening snacks if people want it.

Not sure what time the ceremony is, will you maybe need a little canapé with a drink if there is a space between the ceremony and bbq dinner?

@BarbaraofSeville there is also enough of this. They’re putting back enough to make sure anyone veggie doesn’t get left with nothing, but if people want to add halloumi or anything else then they can as there’s spare

Sounds fab. There are always going to be greedy fuckers who overdo it, but for most people this would be more than enough.

i used to have a friend who would come round for a big Sunday roast at say 2pm. They’d leave about 5/6pm and she’d say to her husband as they left “shall we get a dominos on the way home” 🤣😳

Jesus the vegans are making themselves known on this thread, do you guys ever give it a rest? Op hasn't even got any vegans attending but she must have 20 options available just in case 😂

quantity sounds good but I'd pace them. So BBQ at the time you said, then desserts at about 9pm. (With a few set aside for kids to have early if they are leaving early.)