Please help me figure out drink and food amounts

[bjjgirl]

So our wedding will be a Sunday one, in November.
Ceremony will take place at a local
registry office
Then meal for 18-20 of us about 4pm
Then night do where there will be an extra 30 people

So I'm having the reception and part at a restaurant and giving 3 options

Starters I have not decided was thinking sharing meze board

Margarita pizza
Steak
Hanging chicken kebab

Dessert
2 options

Then evening guests arrive at 6pm

What time for their Buffett?
It is a cold Buffett and I am going to order pizzas too
How many?
Will people be full after tea at 4?

Also I want to provide a bit of booze for the day guests
Was thinking arrival drinks and get wine and beer for the table, how much?

Wedding cake is brownies and I'll have a platter of cakes on the Buffett too

Included in the day guests are my 2 daughters who will be teenagers and my parents who won't really drink

If I was invited to a party starting at 6 its unlikely i'd be having tea at 4 as i'd assume there would be food as its over dinner time. So i'd say for the evening guests provide enough that is is a substantial meal. Alcohol something to toast with on arrival, champagne, cheaper fizz, bucksfizz, orange juice in a flute glass for the children and non drinkers so they can join the toasts. Then cater for 1/2 a bottle of wine each with the meal, although with such small numbers you will know if wine or beer will go down best.

If you're having pizza as part of the evening buffet food, don't have it as a choice for the 4pm meal.

If you are eating at 4 pm make sure you really do sit down to eat at 4pm as you are not leaving much time between eating and evening guest arriving at 6pm. You don't want to all still be sitting eating pudding when they arrive.

If i go to a party starting at 6pm I'll have a bowl of pasta or something so i'm not arriving with an empty stomach, but others may not, so have something to nibble on. Then buffet food out at 7/8pm. I expect the afternoon guest wont be very hungry but they may be. Is there anyway of bringing forward the 4pm meal to 3pm?

Regarding the drinks, order an amount and you can always add to it easy enough if you look like you will exceed it.