Am I overthinking about how much to feed people?

[LemonReader]

So I’m planning for my August 2025 wedding. Registry office with 4 witnesses and then a big party reception. The big part of the day is the reception and that’s where I think(?) I’m overthinking. Was timing for 5pm til (venue is licensed til 2am). Food wise we have food trucks; fish and chips and a hog roast and an ice cream van for pudding (hiring time 6pm-9pm) so everyone would have eaten around that time.
Should I then be putting out more food (small buffet style) around 9:30-10pm ish?
If people are drinking will I need more food around that time? Not eating from 6pm - 12am is a long time in my opinion (we are a family of eaters) would you put out more food around that time or make do with just the food trucks?

I don’t want people to look back and remember my wedding as the wedding they were starving at 😭

I would put out more food. 6pm - 12am is too long especially with alcohol. Most people will want something around 10pm. Maybe some chips, pizza or sandwiches and crisps.

Thank you for confirming what I thought! Was thinking sandwiches, meats, cheese and crackers and that type of cold buffet food.
or would you do a hot buffet?

I would definitely put out more food but probably cold/buffet 'picky bits' as I call it.
Maybe a cheeseboard? Pickles, veg sticks & dip, sauage rolls, quiche etc.... plenty of crusty bread to soak up the booze!

I do wedding catering and if I've done a bbq/hog roast in the day, we often do pasties, sausage rolls and cheese with crackers around 9.30pm.

We've done full buffets too but that can work out to be quite ah expense.

Cold buffet is great, but keep it simple and stick to things easy to eat whilst standing around and in between dancing. Cheese and crackers, sandwiches and sausage rolls would be fine.

I love a wedding where you get bacon sandwiches towards the end of the evening.

That's what we did.
Was a complete hit

Yes more food. Bacon sandwiches or fish and chips or some burgers and a hog roast or something like that

I think you're right you need to feed again. The wee crisp sandwich individual boxes have been very successful at recent weddings I've attended?

Or bacon sandwiches. Ot he fish and chip cones?

We had a sit down meal at 4pm and then cold buffet went out around 8pm - pork pie, sausage rolls, cheese, fruit, crackers, slice of wedding cake etc. Everyone just picked until the wedding ended. If its August, the weather will hopefully be good so you might not need two hot options. Plus with a buffet, you can take home the leftovers for the next day when you wont feel like cooking!

Why not a witness/uoi dinner at around 5 and feed the guests for a party around 7:30?

Not sure I’d want to go to a wedding at 5 having not seen the wedding. I’d happily go to the evening party though.

I’m going to go against the grain and suggest that you don’t necessarily need that much extra food and if your party was ending at midnight I probably wouldn’t bother at all. I have been to so many weddings with evening buffets that barely get touched because the majority of the guests ate a large meal not 2 hours earlier.

If it’s running until 2am I agree you probably need something though. Maybe wedding cake and some sausage rolls? I definitely wouldn’t bother with a full buffet.