Evening Food, Yes or No?

Berty · 11-11-2013 05:33PM #1

We are considering the evening food option.

We have 130 adults at the full wedding and probably only 10 evening invites so considering people have been given a nice 5 course meal do they really need sandwiches and cocktail sausages at 11:30pm?

Budgeting for it isn't the issue. Providing something that would go to waste would be my issue.

The OH has a "every other wedding has it".

Penny Dreadful · 11-11-2013 06:01PM

We had it for at our wedding (fish and chip cones) and it was devoured. Granted we did have a bigger number of evening invites but it went down a storm.
A few drinks into the evening and people seem to crave food like that.

seosamh1980 · 11-11-2013 06:02PM

Our venue provided afters food, but they do it at 12.15 after the meal finishing at about 8.30, so there's a bit more of a gap. I told them we were having very few to the afters (literally about 5 people) so to bear that in mind and not waste the food, all the fried food they put out was eaten (and there was a lot), a lot of sandwiches were eaten but a lot went in the bin. People will always eat fried food, cocktail sausages etc when drinking, but I do find 11.30 is far too early for it after a meal that might only have finished properly 2.5-3 hours ago.

January · 11-11-2013 06:19PM

We'll be having it and we are not inviting anybody to the afters. Anybody that is there is invited to the full day and that's it.

Will be served after midnight though.

seosamh1980 · 11-11-2013 06:21PM

See afters food was originally for guests who were just invited to the afters, because you had to feed them something. Now it's just more food piled on top of the 3-5 course meal the guests that were there all day had. It really doesn't need to be a lot, it's just greed and drink (and boredom) that makes people eat any amount of it.

ardinn · 11-11-2013 06:23PM

You need it as weddings are a long day - As a hotel manager its very easy to spot who hasnt had their evening snacks by how drunk they are!

solerina · 11-11-2013 06:25PM

We had no one to the afters and the afters food was devoured...everyone had canapés, a 5 course meal and it was still all eaten, so I would not do a wedding without it to be honest !!

Berty · 11-11-2013 07:20PM

For 130 Day Invites and 10-20 Evening Invites how much food is enough food going by the total number of 140-150 people.

Food for 80-90 people assuming not all will eat?

Moonbeam · 11-11-2013 07:29PM

yes, you definitely need it,
Besides being starving some people drink too much and it helps:)

The best 2 evening foods I have seen were fish and chip cones and bacon rolls,they were devoured.
We had the usual,sambos,wedding cake,chicken goujons,potato wedges.

January · 11-11-2013 07:34PM

I'd probably get food for 3/4's, assume everyone will eat SOMETHING and assume some people will pile their plates high, being greedy.

Pang · 11-11-2013 07:58PM

I am definitely having it along with canapes on arrival. There is no way I would not serve evening food. I was at a friend's wedding a couple of years ago and there was no evening food. I was famished by the end and had to order room service.

You don't need to go crazy and have a wok station or the likes, people are happy enough with simple sandwiches, sausages etc...

SmilingLurker · 11-11-2013 08:02PM

I would say yes. We got roughly 60% of the numbers in simple finger food, and it was perfect (some left over, but not too much).

Congratulations and good luck.

Digs · 11-11-2013 09:01PM

Definitely do the evening food. Ours was served after 12, fancy breakfast baps, chicken goujon and chips cones, mini pizzas etc people still rave about it 2.5 years on. Probably why everyone was still going at 6am the following morning!

It's a long day, people need to eat!

Berty · 11-11-2013 09:05PM

Poll Added.

Couldn't add on Mobile.

beertons · 11-11-2013 09:08PM

Get someone to get a few bacon rolls, and put them aside for later. I would have murdered a roll after the residents bar closed, and so would the 40/50 that we're there with me.

seosamh1980 · 11-11-2013 09:13PM

beertons wrote: »

Get someone to get a few bacon rolls, and put them aside for later. I would have murdered a roll after the residents bar closed, and so would the 40/50 that we're there with me.

Our place served more sandwiches at 3am, genius.

Toots · 12-11-2013 04:04AM

We had evening food and it was demolished. We had about 20 evening invites - mainly work colleagues/friends etc. Our hotel told us when ordering the evening grub, order enough for about 75% of the number of day guests (unless there's another 50 or something coming to the afters). In our case they had it pretty much spot on, there were one or two sambos left at the end of the night and that was it.

I will say that the only wedding I was at where evening food wasn't served was probably the one where I've seen most people really mouldy drunk. It could have just been the particular crowd at that wedding, but I reckon a few nibbles later on in the evening might have provided at least some soakage!

Millem · 12-11-2013 08:09AM

ardinn wrote: »

You need it as weddings are a long day - As a hotel manager its very easy to spot who hasnt had their evening snacks by how drunk they are!

Totally agree it is 100% needed. Weddings are such a long day especially for bridal party and family that a lot of people are actually starving before meal. My dad always goes on that he loves a few nibbles at drinks reception, as a lot of meals aren't served till 5.30/6.00. Last wedding I was at they had tea/coffee, wine and biscuits. Biscuits were devoured before we got there as we had to photos taken (I was in bridal party) I was starving, as was bride. When I have my wedding I am definitely going to have something e.g. sandwiches or canapés then. I actually think it might stop some people getting as drunk!

clint_silver · 12-11-2013 11:21AM

As a regular poster on here, this comes up every now and again. Im at 80-90 weddings afters a year with work. Here's what I see.

90% of Sausages/chicken nuggets will be eaten. some chefs add a bit of worchester sauce, what a difference.

Of the venues that do it (very few), 100% of fish and chips always get eaten and gratefully so. youd have a job convincing your hotel to put them on but it is the way to go. Darver castle do the best in the country for me. Little paper cups with fish goujons, proper chips, nomnom

90% of sandwiches will NOT be eaten. Youre at the whim of the chef and how much mayonaisse he likes to put on 2 slices of white bread. On a nightly basis in every venue I play I see plates and plates of sandwiches go back in.

I've recently seen a development where they bring out bags of crisps and slice pans being put out for afters. They all get devoured, any left get eaten at 2-3am. Ive seen these put out at 3am as well. butter, batch and crisps. win win every time for the late night munchies.

The hotel may or not allow the crisps but if I was getting married now thats what Id do.

amdublin · 12-11-2013 12:43PM

I think you need it. Plus substantial food before the meal imo!

Gatica · 12-11-2013 01:09PM

We had finger food served around midnight, after the band finished and as the DJ was starting up.
We didn't have people over for afters, we only had guests there for the full day. We gave a choice of 2 hot finger food and choice of 3 sandwiches per person for 75% of our numbers. I don't think there was any left.

I've always looked forward to late night snacking at weddings, even after the large meal. If you're dancing a lot and also drinking, it's definitely welcome.

sweetie · 12-11-2013 03:15PM

The wastage of sandwiches at weddings is awful. Most places put trays out to each table and they sit there going stale. Some places do it right and have them covered and served on a help yourself basis. Fish and chips and burger vans are a nice treat. I agree with Clint about Darver being lovely. Ballybeg and Clonabreany both serve lovely hot food too. Last year I saw a pizza van at a wedidng and it went down a storm. I'm sure domino et al would do a good deal on a large number of pizzas delivered. Cheese boards and crackers are becoming more common at weddings too.

Penny Dreadful · 12-11-2013 03:21PM

sweetie wrote: »

The wastage of sandwiches at weddings is awful. Most places put trays out to each table and they sit there going stale. Some places do it right and have them covered and served on a help yourself basis. Fish and chips and burger vans are a nice treat. I agree with Clint about Darver being lovely. Ballybeg and Clonabreany both serve lovely hot food too. Last year I saw a pizza van at a wedidng and it went down a storm. I'm sure domino et al would do a good deal on a large number of pizzas delivered. Cheese boards and crackers are becoming more common at weddings too.

On the whole sandwiches are boring as hell and personally I can't stand them.
The bread used is cheap and obviously so. The fillings are bland and I think thats why they are left.
The mini pizzas, cheese boards, little burgers, fish and chip cones always and ever go down a treat. They are tasty, warm, just enough to keep people happy if they've been getting a little peckish.

Millem · 12-11-2013 05:33PM

From the few places I have priced sandwiches and cocktail sausages are more expensive than the mini steak sandwiches or fish and chips cones!!

amdublin · 12-11-2013 06:06PM

I must be the only person to love the sandwiches

And the cocktail sausages and the chicken goujons

pooch90 · 12-11-2013 07:00PM

Ah no amdublin, I love the sandwiches too!! Mainly because they use the cheap catering butter that's unrivaled when you're drinking!

April O Neill · 12-11-2013 08:26PM

seosamh1980 wrote: »

Our venue provided afters food, but they do it at 12.15

January wrote: »

Will be served after midnight though.

Such a great idea to serve it after midnight - any weddings I've been to, the evening food came out at like 10pm. Way too soon.

April O Neill · 12-11-2013 08:34PM

amdublin wrote: »

And the cocktail sausages and the chicken goujons

No evening food platter is complete without cocktail sausages.

lazygal · 12-11-2013 08:50PM

I don't consider it a real wedding without cocktail sausages. I'm nearly sure its in the legal requirements somewhere.

seosamh1980 · 12-11-2013 09:22PM

April O Neill wrote: »

Such a great idea to serve it after midnight - any weddings I've been to, the evening food came out at like 10pm. Way too soon.

I have been told the kitchen staff normally finish at 11-11.30 which is why they send out the food just before they go home, our venue keeps them on until 12.30 so that the food can be served when the band is finished rather than during their break. We were at a wedding recently where the meal finished at 9, afters food was served at 10.45. Couldn't even face it, but was hungry then at about 12.30 when it was all mangled by drunken paws.

sweetie · 12-11-2013 10:30PM

The ideal time for afters food is during the break between the band's set, 11.15-11.30 or so. I've found if you serve it after the band finish and when the dj set starts it makes it harder to make the transition and keep a full/busy dancefloor especially if it's served in a different room. Obviously it depends on how late the meal finishes though.

Evening Food, Yes or No?

Evening Food at Reception 62 votes

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