Evening food - Good idea or waste of money?

I think it's best to provide something as people may be hungry, plus if any guests only attend the evening they'll need something. I think after celebrating and dancing most people will need something. Although I guess depends what time your meal is being served during the day?

It depends on timing and how long your wedding is lasting - if you're packing up just a couple of hours after the meal finishes, then you can probably get away without, but if you are planning on 4-5 hours of post-meal celebration, then you really do need to provide something.

This assumes all your guests are invited for the whole thing, but it's even more important to provide food if you are having some evening-only guests. Plus, of course, unless your guest list is strictly limited to party animals, not everyone will be focussing on getting drunk - and you may have some guests who don't drink at all for a variety of reasons.

Lets start with a typical 2pm wedding at a venue with a sit down meal.

2.30 out with drinks, 4 pm call in for food 3 courses with speeches / coffee brings us to 6.30. Then typically the evening food will be served at 9pm - so that's 2.5 hours after main food was eaten ( ok coffee drank).

So that's 1.5 hours mingling drinks and photos after ceremony and allowing 2.5 hours food service and 3 speeches - remember a call in for food at 4pm - means that by the time everyone has had a last fag or gone to the loo - gone to the bar - sauntered in and got seated - - couple announced in then it can easily be 4.30 before you have your first course in front of you.

But yes have some sort of snacks out for people in the evening but unless you have extra evening guests you do not need much unless you have a very early wedding and sit down.