Are we feeding people enough?

[Yissie]

1pm ceremony (hoping guests will think to have brunch before coming?)
2pm-4pm pancakes, waffles, ice creams, teas and coffee food trucks (2 servings of anything each)
6pm-10pm pizza food truck (1 9inch pizza per guest, lots of various toppings)
We will have a wedding cake in the evening
We can also bring crisps, little cakes and snacks like that and do a snack table?
I'm worried it's not enough but we are on a budget. I personally wouldn't need more than that but I don't want people to be hungry obviously so wanted a wider opinion?

That’s nowhere near enough food. With the timing of your wedding I would expect at least substantial canapés if you weren’t planning a sit-down meal. Why invite people if you can’t afford to feed them? Seems like you spent money on frivolous things like games & tepees & have forgotten the most important part.
I went to a wedding last year that had a pizza truck & despite ordering a pizza at 6.30pm we didn’t get it until 10pm. We were starving & actually ordered McDonalds & ate it in the street outside the wedding venue.
The dessert trucks are a weird choice. Can you go to Aldi & do a cheap cheese board with meats, dips, breads, salad bits etc. Or even buy sandwich platters pre-made from Costco or Sainsbury’s to have in the afternoon?

I’ve been at a catered event before with a pizza van it took hours, lovely pizzas but a total nightmare, 90 sec per pizza does not mean a pizza gets produced every 90 secs whatever they tell you it really doesn’t. How many can they cook at one time is it even 4? The event I was at was a charity fun day and the wait for a family of 4 was a minimum 10-12 mins so your 60 - 70 people would take 2 to 2 1/2 hours at that rate. Kids were in a state because other kids had pizza and they weren’t going to get theirs for ages. Families couldn’t eat together because they had taken food for the babies and the babies needed to eat at a certain time but the rest of the family didn’t have their pizzas. Honestly many families left, I would pretty much have any other food offering at an event before I would have a pizza truck.

I wouldn't be interested in the waffles and ice cream, and a small pizza all day wouldn't be enough food. I'm afraid I would be sneaking out for more food, or I'd be dancing on the tables by tea time. My husband and son would eat the waffles etc, but they would also be looking for more food if there was an evening do, especially if having a few drinks.

90 seconds per pizza is still going to take 1 1/2 hours min , probably more like 2hrs to make pizzas, choose toppings and cook for 70 people.

70 people is a huge number to cater for on a budget

Realistically people will eat at 11am at the latest before they come then you’re asking them to get to 10pm on a small pizza and a dessert, presumably while drinking alcohol. That’s one medium sized, refined carb heavy meal in 11 hours. How long will it take to serve two portions of dessert to everyone? Pancake stalls are not usually fast moving (unless they are microwaving pre-made waffles, which I’ve encountered).

Well if we didn't hire a teepee you could be sat out in the rain all day and with 20 children coming some games to keep them happy is a bit more than frivolous. I've said I will provide homemade food too so I will look into doing more than crisps and doing sandwiches, sausage rolls and all that too. I don't want people to be hungry which is why I'm asking for advice so I can avoid that.

Good idea with chippy van, there is one local I've messaged for a price.. hoping it won't be too insane.

It’s fine as long as you tell people to eat lunch before your wedding.

I’d actually be sick if I ate that much sugar for ‘lunch’ if I hadn’t already eaten.

@Yissie

Yes we're more than happy to bring sandwiches, salads, crisps for a snack table we just cannot stretch to any more paid catering. It's a festival type wedding very outdoors and laid back and there are so many kids there who are looking forward to the mr whippys and pancakes I don't want to take that away and it will be nice on a (hopefully) sunny afternoon for them. Pizzas no food trucks we've contacted do bigger than 9 inch, we need something easy that caters to veggies, 1 vegan and 1 gluten free and pizza could so it seemed the easiest and cheapest option. A 3 course sit down meal just won't fit with the type of wedding really.

Do this, have some tables with sausage rolls, salads, sandwiches and things like this you do yourself. Or get some shop bought trays e.g.

food-to-order.sainsburys.co.uk/product/7948223/co-js-20-classic-sandwich-platter?istCompanyId=bfeb4618-85f7-48de-8189-b6ce8275b847&istFeedId=c9aff9a5-0492-4cbf-b453-49ac6f19625b&istItemId=ipairmxmi&istBid=t&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=11598203005&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9dq62NmL9wIVx-3tCh1PugAUEAQYASABEgIMKPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

www.marksandspencer.com/taste-of-the-british-isles-sandwich-platter-20-pieces-last-day-to-collect-6th-september/p/fdp60178312

You’ve invited more people than you can afford.

If it is very relaxed I would just get people to bring their own

I wouldn’t be able to eat anything (gluten free) so yes, I would be hungry!

I think it’s a bit unusual to say most people eat dinner, but not everyone eats lunch. Most people eat 3 meals a day imo

Are there no savoury options at the afternoon food? Me dh and the kids would go a bit twitchy having only sugary options on empty stomachs.

If people have to get ready and then travel to wedding how will they have time for lunch. The ceremony is right over lunch time. O know you can't change that but really guests will be hungry after ceremony. Better to have pizza first and add extras such as salad, pasta salad, maybe some French bread sliced up. These are all cheap but filling. A 9 inch pizza would be enough for me but not my DH or DS's. They would fill up on salad and pasta salad. I am sure you could ask someone to make a load for you and bring. Desserts later would make more sense but I would put out option for those who don't want more carbs. A bunch of bananas maybe.

If we had the chippy van there the same time as the waffle van and then pizza in the evening would that be enough food then?

The pancakes, waffles and ice creams is the equivalent of lunch surely, just a sweet one. And then the pizza is dinner. Along with wedding cake and other snacks, I’m not sure why people are saying it’s not enough presuming guests would have eaten breakfast and maybe a snack in the morning. And even if you usually eat more, it’s just one day.

@Yissie

If we had the chippy van there the same time as the waffle van and then pizza in the evening would that be enough food then?

I really would still do the DIY buffet table too

I would be starving. I really don't think that's enough. Sorry.

@Yissie

Yes we're more than happy to bring sandwiches, salads, crisps for a snack table we just cannot stretch to any more paid catering. It's a festival type wedding very outdoors and laid back and there are so many kids there who are looking forward to the mr whippys and pancakes I don't want to take that away and it will be nice on a (hopefully) sunny afternoon for them. Pizzas no food trucks we've contacted do bigger than 9 inch, we need something easy that caters to veggies, 1 vegan and 1 gluten free and pizza could so it seemed the easiest and cheapest option. A 3 course sit down meal just won't fit with the type of wedding really.

Im not really sure why you asked! I would be feeling ill on that menu as Im diabetic. I hate weddings where its all cheap carbs, just do a proper meal after the ceremony, even fish and chips or a hog roast, followed by tea, scones etc and then a buffet in the evening.

f we had the chippy van there the same time as the waffle van and then pizza in the evening would that be enough food then?
Yes

I honestly think that most people attending a 1pm wedding would expect a full sit down 2/3 course meal around 4.30/5pm. It just seems the standard thing.

I think people are aware if they feel the need they can have a big breakfast
As the theme is festival it fits
I have been to sit downs with 3 courses where I haven't liked the Food , I coped
I always eat a good breakfast before a wedding as you never Know if you will like food
Your option seems fine to me for the theme of the wedding

It's not really the amount, as in whether it is enough or not, but more what you plan to serve. If you suggest that your guests have a brunch then serve only sweet, carby things until 6pm at which point you serve savoury, carby things, won't that just make your guests feel rough?

Can you serve something less likely to send blood sugar levels haywire at the lunchtime option? Hog roast? BBQ? Curry boxes? Instead of all the sweet stuff.

@Winkydink OP already said both trucks offer GF as her friend is GF and also vegan so they have covered that

@Yissie

If we had the chippy van there the same time as the waffle van and then pizza in the evening would that be enough food then?

Yes

It works by bother me but I’d say the vast majority of guests would think they were not being fed enough or soon enough.