Feeding people!

We had our ceremony at 2 and provided canapes, we also had a 3 course meal, and we put on an evening buffet but so much food was wasted, I think I would still do an evening buffet, luckily for us we didnt have any additional evening guests so we didnt loose money that way, but knowing what I know now I would have sat down with the wedding coordinator and asked to have an evening buffet for half of the guests and got some money knocked off.

We are not having any additional guests either.

I think it's nice to offer food but the two recent weddings that I've been to where I've been a day guest, I didn't even look at the evening buffet!

I hate the thought of waste.

Every wedding I have ever been to I have eaten from the evening buffet - we must have overfed our guests in the day.

I'm probably too busy drinking wine!

If I've had a three course meal at 5pm, I'm rarely hungry for an evening buffet which goes out at, say, 8pm, but I usually find myself starving by about 11pm, by which time, the evening buffet has finished. I've been to a few weddings where they bring out bacon rolls etc a bit later on in the night and they've gone down well. It'd probably be a lot cheaper too.

Or you could just put out plates of cheese and crackers etc. It's just really to have something to nibble on.

I've never eaten from the buffet either.

Usually, if I eat a 3 course meal at 4/5pm, I'm not hungry again for the rest of the day so there's no need to eat from the buffet!

I think, to be safe though, you should cater for some evening guests. e.g. if you've got 100 guests, cater for 50 of them in the evening.

We're having our at 10pm by which time we figure people will be peckish. our venue specifically advised us only to get enough for half the people. think it bugged them to throw out loads of food!

We aren’t sitting down to eat until 4.30 – 5…….

For the evening around 9ish our caterer is doing a cheese course…..lots of different breads and cracker and different cheeses and pickles. Just enough for a little nibble!

We had a 1.30pm ceremony, canapes at the venue at 3pm, 3 course dinner from 5-8.30ish. All this for 80 people. We had 12 extra people come along in the evening. We just served chesse and biscuits and wedding cake for 60 people about 10pm for anyone who wanted a bit more food, quite a few people ate something but there was LOADS left (luckily we were allowed to take the cheese home with us)! I imagine if we had had a full buffet a lot would have been wasted. Our night finished at midnight.

Hope that helps

We are also having 2pm ceremony, canapes after, sit down 3 course at 4.30pmish then sausage and bacon butties about 9.30. Our caterer is only doing for 50% for the evening. There will also be chocolate favours and our cupcakes as well so our guests will be stuffed! OH says it is better to have too much than not enough.

We're having a lot of evening guests (well inviting them and they're local... so are likely to rock up for a bit) but we're having a light buffet, chips, dips, bread, meat platter, mini pasties, mini scones, cake and possible a cake of cheese.

I've always ended eating something at an evening buffet as it really helps soak up the booze. Never have much, but always like a nibble - and savoury as well as sweet!

Our ceremony is 3.15 so sit down for our fish and chip meal followed by desserts at around 5pm have 120 day then an extra 60 in the evening so having a buffet based on 70% at around 9 pm i am a lightwieght so will be needing something to eat by then x

We are having our service at 1pm, canapes 3pm, wedding breakfast 5pm and then 'oversized canapes' at 8pm and bacon rolls and fish finger sandwiches at 10pm

We're having an early ceremony, so sit down meal will be about 3.30pm. We've decided on a BBQ instead of a buffet because the choice is better and no doubt drunk people will fancy a burger or two! We will only cater for a few more in the evening as the meal at 3 is three courses.

We are having our service around 1.30 or 2 (I can't remember).

We are having the meal for 60 at 4.00pm, - 3 course and then a buffet in the evening for 150 people, but probably cater for around 100 or 120.

Good luck deciding.

Vic x

We sat down to dinner around 6pm and finished by 8pm, then had a buffet brought out around 10pm. This was probably overkill (overfeed?) but it was included in the total price (i.e. we wouldn't have paid less had we not had the buffet) and it was a nice thing to have as the nature of what we did (cheese board, breads and some pate) meant that it could stay out for a while & people could graze at their leisure.

Most people did seem to appreciate it as something to soak up the alcohol and the evening guests also enjoyed it. Sadly I didn't even get to try it - too many people to talk to and too much dancing ?

Were hoping to have a later ceremony than you (3pm ish) then we have the same people for the whole day, no extra everning guests, so we are going to feed them once (between 5-7pm) and no evening buffet, this is mainly down to cost but im my opinion people will have something to eat before they come to the ceremony and then on a normal day you would only eat one dinner so feeding people once should be fine! if our budget allows might add some very light snacks but usually day guests (who have had a 3 course meal) won't touch the buffet so why waste money?

if you are having extra evening guests then maybe something lighter and don't cater for 100%

. sausage/bacon rolls

. bbq

. cheese/pate

x

I wouldn't consider myself a big eater, but a 5pm meal is much earlier than I would normally eat, and I dont think I would last til midnight - especially with booze involved...I would say if you can put on even a small evening snack then do it.

Thanks for all the advice

Need to have a long think....

We are getting married at 2pm and having canopes after and then a sit down at 4pm. We have 50 people in the day and then have invited an extra 50 in the evening. We are having a buffet but it is to feed 80. The venue said you only really need to feed 75% of the people in the evening.