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Original poster

Do you expect to eat at a wedding evening do?

20 replies

VenetiaLanyon · 12/05/2011 14:46

We're wondering whether we can invite some people for just the evening do, at about 8 - 8.30pm. The wedding breakfast will only be finishing at that time, so day guests won't need to eat then, and we'll lay some chips on at around 10.45pm.

Does this sound ok? Would you already have eaten if you were invited as an evening guest? Was alternatively wondering about serving cake as people arrive?

OP posts:

Acanthus · 12/05/2011 14:48

Doesn't matter what you do as long as you spell it out to people. Anything goes, people will only be annoyed if they mistakenly thought you were feeding them and so they are starving.

ExitPursuedByALamb · 12/05/2011 14:50

I think they will expect something - can't you do 'something' and chips instead of just chips?

Also, make clear on the invite - supper will be served at 10.45. so that they eat before they come - you don't want a load of people staggering about drunk because of drinking on an empty stomach

dickcheeseandthecrackers · 12/05/2011 14:52

My friend did some platters of sandwiches for the evening crowd. They went down a treat.

headfairy · 12/05/2011 14:53

sounds fine to me... we spent a fortune on an evening buffet at our wedding which wasn't touched. such a shame. Make sure people know though so they can have something to eat before they come. I personally wouldn't mind that at all.

Paschaelina · 12/05/2011 14:53

I imagine most people will probably have eaten by then anyway so chips at 10.45pm sounds great.

mushroomsandolives · 12/05/2011 14:58

If I was arriving at 8, I wouldn't expect anything substantial. Chips at 11 ish sounds great, it'll go down a treat. How about serving your cake at the same time? Chips and cake are probably my ideal meal!

CMOTdibbler · 12/05/2011 14:59

If you are inviting people to join you at 8, they won't expect to be fed, but it might be nice to wait to cut the cake until 8.30 and then serve that

weblette · 12/05/2011 15:01

We did bacon butties at 9.30. The greedy buggers guests ate them all before I got anywhere near...

LoveBeingAbleToNamechange · 12/05/2011 15:06

If I were invited to one at 8-8:30 I would eat first.

gramercy · 12/05/2011 15:06

I think chips + something small, with time indicated on invitation is fine.

I must say worst evening wedding reception ever was one which dh and I travelled miles to get to, and then found all the day guests still sitting at their tables. We hovered about for ages. There was a pay bar, no extra food, and no music and apart from one other couple, no extra guests!

When the penny finally dropped, we all walked out - taking our presents with us!

This was an old school friend of dh's - and dh never spoke to him again.

Laquitar · 12/05/2011 15:14

Are your evening guests going to travel? If you have to travel even just an hour or two that means you will have to eat at 5 (to allow time to glamour up). Sorry, but i would expect to eat something. Can you do something cheap? (Iceland? )

oohlaalaa · 12/05/2011 16:02

I think a platter of sandwiches would be a good idea.

Original poster

VenetiaLanyon · 12/05/2011 16:21

All evening guests would be fairly local - sounds like if we say "join us for cocktails, cake and dancing" then that it's fairly explicit, and people will know to eat first. And chips would be a surprise bonus later.

Difficult to do something separately for the evening guests, as there won't be very many of them, and would look odd (especially if daytime guests started tucking in)

OP posts:

Hulababy · 12/05/2011 16:23

I think if you make sure people know the plans then they are fine.

I have made the mistake of turning up to an evening do with DH and DD only to find there was no food. We were hungry and ended up in accy Ds at midnight!

QueentessentialExcel · 12/05/2011 16:23

Can I just jump in and ask a question, because I really dont know.

What IS wedding breakfast? What does it consist of?

Original poster

VenetiaLanyon · 12/05/2011 16:26

Different for eveyone, QueenessentialExcel, but in our case will be sit down 3 course meal. Meal after the ceremony is traditionally called a breakfast, but actually a lunch or dinner, depending on when you have it. Surely for some valid historical reason now lost in the mists of time...

OP posts:

QueentessentialExcel · 12/05/2011 16:29

oh, it is very romantic. The first meal at the dawn of married life. It just has to be breakfast.

mum2twoloudbabies · 12/05/2011 16:35

my sister had this situation and put supper on the invites and served bacon butties and sausage butties and wedding cake at 10.30pm just when the drunken munchies were setting in it was fab. Just make it explicit I think it's becoming more common.

MumblingRagDoll · 12/05/2011 16:37

Oh yes...put Supper on the invitations and have sandwiches and chips with a bit of salad! sounds perfect.

Mollymax · 12/05/2011 16:41

Cocktails, cake and dancing sounds a great way of wording it.
I would love chips later, ideal food.
Enjoy your day.

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