To feed or not to feed?

Im not getting married until 4pm so not really having a separate evening do, so basically everyone who would be coming to the evening do is coming to the ceremony and meal too and then having a band playing so everyone will get the dancing and the food... its worth a thought perhaps?

Ah ha! So you are not inviting anyone extra later on? Not a bad idea but I doubt I would get away with it. I will have a think about it though. Cheers!

In all honesty if i was invited to an evening reception i would expect food to be provided. How many extra do you have coming later?

I am getting married at 3.30pm and we are having no canapes, a 3 course meal at around 5.30pm for 70 guests and then another 20-30 people are arriving at around 8pm for the evening reception. we have opted for bacon and sausage sandwiches at around 10-10.30pm we have catered for 60 guests and it is costing £5.50 per guest. We will also have wedding cake served then and we will have a sweet table with 10kg of sweets (100g per guest) for people to pick at throughout the night. I keep panicking that it won't be enough but at the same time I think who has their evening meal at home and then starts eating again at 10pm. The hotel also said they will cut the sandwiches in half so they go further and they will be served by waiters carrying them round on trays. I hate to see wasted food so hopefully we will have got it just about right.

We're having a 1.30pm ceremony, wedding breakfast (barbecue) at 4pm for about 50 then about another 60 coming along for the evening reception so we're doing a finger buffer (sandwiches etc) at about 8pm.

I will have about another 50 coming later on. I might just email my venue and see what options they have and then go from there.

I am in a total panic everytime I think of this. I don't want people hating me because of it but I was originally very happy with my decision.

If the people coming in the evening are likely to have eaten at home before coming to your reception, then I don't think you need worry too much about "not providing enough" - a light sandwich/finger buffet at £10 a head or less will be plenty for them. Also, many venues are happy to cater for 75% (or some other percentage) of your evening guests rather than everyone - and remember children aren't going to eat a full portion either so that may lower your numbers.

Will you be providing a free drink of some description for your evening guests too - either as a welcome drink on arrival or bottles on the table?

Yes there will be fizz on arrival, will this soften the blow a bit.

Also didn't know some venues can cater for a percentage. Great idea! I will put this to my venue :-)

Thanks for your help!

All venues can cater for a percentage - it's just whether they will!

I think it's fine not to feed people, as long as they all know in advance and can eat at home.

We have dinner at 5-6pm ish each night so we have always eaten before night time 'do's else we'd be starving by the time the buffet was served.

I think Kayl has hit the nail on the head!

If i'm going to an evening do i never eat before hand, 1 because i never seem to have time whilst getting ready and 2 because i usually assume there will be food served.

If you pre-warn people then there won't be a problem.

I'd say 25% of my weddings don't have an evening buffet. What a lot of them do is serve the cake and tea/coffee halfway through the evening which is a nice touch.

Hello, im doing the same, married at 3, bbq buffet meal at 5, then about 20 evening guests invited for half 7, on the evening invite it says to celebrate with dancing and drinks, is tht enough to warn them theres no food or should i make it clearer? also it isnt a free bar do u guys think the wording suggests tht it is??? we just cant afford extras, our bugget is only £3500........ this wedding malarky is tough!!!!!!!!

Now that is very interesting! I thought it would be alot less than that. I could do the cake later on and serve t & C too. Might be nice to tie in a sweet table with this!

If there was no food provided I would expect to be informed with the invite, and I would have no problem with it. But most people would expect at least a finger buffet.

What I wouldn't want to happen is turn up hungry and have no food provided, and end up leaving early or disappearing to get something to eat.

We had a small m&s buffet for evening guests which vanished quicker than I could blink. Personally I never expect to be fed as an evening guest and have not got round to eating when there has been food.

Thanks for all your thoughts guys. I really appreciate it.

I have mailed the venue and they have sent me a list of prices for evening food. Even a bacon butty is £6.50 each. That must be very special pig!

Think I will just have to go with the no food option or cake and sweet table me thinks.