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.

Echo that you should assume all none veggies will want meat

And the multiple options demands coming from a lifestyle choice that… intentionally restricts options.

It sounds fine maybe just put a few bowls of nuts and crisps out later.

We went to a wedding.... I think the ceremony was 11am... Hubby didn't eat breakfast, they didn't even supply lunch and there was no food to buy either at the venue or locally... Food didn't come until about 8pm. We were so pissed off! Will always remember that wedding for being starving.

I'd definitely offer something later on at about 8? Especially if people have been drinking and if you've got evening guests arriving.
I've been to a lot of weddings in recent years and in spite of the full three course dinner, when those snacks come out at 8/9pm, it's an absolute lifesaver

5pm is early for a main meal if the event doesn't finish until midnight.

I think the point people are making about the one each thing OP is that if you are only having 120
burgers so everyone can in theory have one each, what if the first 40 people go and have 3 burgers each, then there’s no more. I know that’s not going to happen but the burgers could all be gone in the first 100 people and then the last 20 don’t get the choice.

I am going to repeat myself one last time, and then not respond to anyone who mentions this again

There is not only one sausage or only one burger per person. There is enough that every person can have AT LEAST one of all food options if they want to. Or they can have 4 burgers 6 hot dogs and nothing else if that’s what they’d prefer. Nobody will be going without, nobody will get up to the bbq and be told there are no burgers left

I think it sounds lovely! And do people really eat two or three burgers when they go to a BBQ?
Id maybe put out the cheese slightly later so people have something to nibble on but it sounds super.
have a lovely day

How can one person have 3 burgers if you've 120 burgers and 120'people?

Sounds like loads to me. Someone needs to be serving people though rather than helping themselves, to control amounts. And let any veggies come up for the veggie options first or put it aside for them so that they have something to eat! Otherwise non-veggies pile in and polish it off first.

I would just have the cheese table and pork pies etc at around 9pm that way it soaks up a bit of booze.

We found having cheese, crackers and dips around this time worked well and didn't then require a separate meal (no evening guests)

I think there should be nibbles in the evening but no need for a full on buffet.

Something like crisps, peanuts, olives.

So if half the people have 4 burgers and 6 hotdogs, does that mean that the other half can also have 4 burgers and 6 hotdogs, or is there a risk that at least some of the second half could end up with no hotdogs or burgers?

I understand that you think you have overcatered, and personally I think it sounds like more than enough food, but I don't see how there is zero risk of anyone missing out. Or perhaps my maths is just shite 😆

@redbigbananafeet Because the 120 burgers for 120 people was (a) an example when clarifying early on that someone could have burger AND hot dog AND prawns AND chicken, not just one of the four, and (b) it’s 120 burgers minimum but OP has said they’re catering many many more burgers than that. Enough for the mad wolves on this thread to have seven each as is apparently standard.

OP is offering cheese biscuits etc and cake later! That’s loads of food I think!

@redbigbananafeet there is extra. What I meant is that there is that amount minimum to make sure nobody gets told they can’t have one. We haven’t under catered on numbers. Some people advised us to go for around under as they said a lot of people won’t turn up and then we’ll have too much food. Glad we didn’t go for that option!

You have more than enough food

Have the cheese and dessert tables come out about 8ish and then maybe about 10pm have some bacon rolls or cheese toasties?

@stuntbubbles I’m glad you get what I mean

So if the first 40 people all have three burgers that’s all the burgers gone. Or If the first forty people have two chicken skewers and two prawn skewers each then there are barely any left for the other 80 people.

I would ditch the hot dogs and add more of the other items.

That sounds lovely! No I wouldn’t expect more food.

@viques please at least read my posts if you are going to quote other peoples. I have said many times now that those numbers were an example to show the minimum amount we have ordered to make sure nobody will be told they can’t have something

I dont think you're understanding. People aren't saying that you're only giving them 1 thing. People are asking what happens if the first 40 people take 3 skewers each. Then all those skewers are gone (because you have 120 skewers).

You keep saying that no one will be told that there are no burgers left or no hot dogs left. No one will be told that they have to choose something else. But they will though, if a bunch of people take 3/4 of one item.

That's what happens at a buffet, even a staffed buffet. The staff cant magic up more food. You've ordered 120 of each thing. People will have food, they won't go hungry. But they might not all have a choice if something is very popular and the first half of guests take mulptlie of that one item.

No one will go hungry but dont guarantee your guests that they'll be able to have everything.

Good grief in practise it doesn't work that way

I practise you would need less than one of each item for 80 people