Are We Making A Mistake?!

That sounds like quite a good compromise. Keeps the cost lower while feeding everyone. It looks like you are having two lots of food still, is it a buffet in the evening? I like the sound of manapes.

Sounds good to me - you've compromised to work with your budget (£10,000 for a site down mean is a lot!) but you're still making sure guests have had something to eat.

I would suggest maybe bringing your evening food (I'm guessing it's a buffet?) forward a little bit though - to maybe 7.30pm? If it was me, the manapes would keep me going for a couple of hours, but then I'd be hungry for some more substantial food - and 9pm is too late for me to eat.

Personally I would look at bringing the buffet forward. Manapes might be bigger than canapes but they're not dinner. If you assume some guests may leave to be at your wedding at 2pm then it's a long time until they are getting proper food. Especially as people will be drinking. I've been to a couple of things where manapes were served and at both I got outrageously drunk quite quickly and unintentionally!

I understand that you need to keep costs down but it's better to spend more and have happy guests than save and have people moaning about lack of food.

For the evening we are having a make your own fish and chip shop as soon as the First Dance is over with food will be announced so hopefully it will be before 9pm!!

We are having a make your own fish and chip shop so we thought as soon as the first dance is done then food can be served. We are making sure the guests coming on the coach stop along the way for food so that will help fill the gap for them as well.

We are looking at rough times but hopefully it will be more 8/830 for evening food. Thank you for your views

I think your timings look great. I wish receptions were longer in general. I always seem to find they are 90 minutes long which is okay until the ceremony starts 20 minutes late. So your photographer will love you.

I would echo the above, without a main meal food should be in copious supply. Be that in the form of an ice cream cart, candy bar and so on. Most wedding ceremonies start at around 2pm so you're only really shortening your day by 90 minutes yet taking away a three course meal and a lot of people might not of even stopped for lunch.

Nothing worse than Hangry guests. It impacts everything.

We have lots for the kids in the form of mini hotdogs and burgers being served and the caterers we have chosen have also said for an extra fee )of course) they can always do more than enough of the manapes for people to be picking at even when the evening guests arrive the manapes can still be on going.

We have hired a sweet cart & a slush puppie machine and a cotton candy cart so there is plenty of pickings to be had for the day. There is 60 people travelling from a distance on the coach we have organised and we have requested that to the drive for him to stop along the way so people can grab a bite before the wedding

Hi! We have just had a wedding reception party (following our ceremony in Ibiza). We started it at 3pm, had a BBQ at 4.30pm and a pizza van at 9pm. The caterers were worried that we had too much food but all the pizzas went and lots of people had seconds for BBQ. I couldn't believe how much people ate but one thing the venue said....we had no drunks throwing up round the back of the marquee! I think your timings are perfect, you might want some background music during the afternoon bit (we had half an hour before the band started and the atmosphere was quite subdued, and find out exactly how big the manapes are. Nothing worse than drunk people heckling during the speeches! Xx

I disagree with Chris. Cotton candy and slush puppies are just sugar hits. They are not great for snacking and they're not real food. Make sure you're providing enough real, decent food. It can be manapes or whatever, and doesn't need to be a sit down meal; it just needs to be sufficient.

It's great that the bus is stopping off for people to get a bite to eat, but I'd ensure it's at a place where they can get a decent meal.

Also, you're not spending money on food for a formality. You're spending the money to feed guests who gave up their Friday to watch you get married and celebrate the start of your marriage with you.

If you google what annoys guests about a wedding one of the most common is always not enough food and food not being early enough. Can you get a figure of how many manapes there will be per guest and see what size they are? If you're not doing evening food til 9 then I would suggest you ensure that there are sufficient manapes that they are roughly equivalent to an evening meal in size per guest. Alternatively I would bring the evening buffet forward and do the speeches and first dance after.

Just suggestions though, you know your guests best .

I agree that the buffet could do with being brought forwards! The manapes sound great but can't really be a substitute for lunch and dinner! (9:30pm isn't really dinner!)

I understand you want to save money though... I like the fact that you've asked the coach to stop off somewhere but can you include a voucher or something maybe for £5 each so everyone can get lunch on the way? They might not realise they will NEED to have food otherwise. If it's a voucher it's part of the wedding so they're more likely to eat on their coach journey - and also it will be very very cheap compared to what you would I presume have to pay at the venue!

Sugar actually makes people hungrier (filling for a short time and then makes you feel empty) so beware - that's when 'hangry' happens! I'm worried about people being hungry in my wedding evening (BBQ is at 7pm) so am having a sweeties buffet ...But am planning to put savoury popcorn on it too to try and fill a hole while people are drinking. Probably mars bars and snickers too (yes they are sugary but I think will keep hunger at bay for a bit). Maybe try and be creative with what the venue allows you to do? I take it you're not allowed your own catering at all (like my venue)...

Thanks for all your input.We have spoken with our caterers and they have assured us that there will be no hungry guests and they will be more than enough as they make sure there is an overflow in that respect. As for the sugar I totally get where people are coming from but we are feeding the children proper food before the suggestion of slush puppie machines or cotton candy even comes up and they are even told that this is available or we will have 25 screaming children for sugar fix only food can't see that being a good idea. But we are making sure they are fed well with there own little afternoon tea set up and mini hotdog and burgers. There will be 5/6 Manapes per person just a little bigger than a Yorkshire pudding for each one them 2/3 dessert Manapes per person, with sweet treats and savory nibbles all throughout the day being available at different locations in the manor to keep the wandering guests happy.

We did think about a food voucher so thank you for clarifying it is a good idea I can just put a tab at the place we are booking for the travelling guests . I'm not making them stop at motorway services or anything like that we've been kind and popped in the invites that a group booking is being made available at like a pub style restaurant and even popped the menu on our wedding website just to make sure there is something for everyone. Being hungry is the last thing we want but the caterers have reassured they will keep the food coming where needed. The timings are a rough estimate and I think it will be more likely that evening food will be 830 I know it's only half an hour but it will make a little difference and it tastes delicious so it will be worth a little wait! Thanks again