# Evening food?



## emyandpotato

Asking here instead of my blog in hope that it gets more replies.

Our meal will be about five. It's a buffet so people can pick. There won't be a formal ending to the meal, I'm hoping people will just mill about and talk and put music on etc whilst picking at the food. Food won't be cleared away at any point during the evening. We're also not moving to a disco room or anything like that, everything will be in the same place. 

If the food is left out, do I need something else as 'evening food' later on, say 8/9pm? My dad says I do, but I don't think I will as I doubt the whole buffet will be gone by that point and people can still pick at that. I thought of loads of options for evening food but I'm so stressed with everything at the moment that something else to organise makes me feel sick.


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## DanielleM

No I don't think so, people will have eaten lunch before the wedding so your buffet will be classed as their tea, and as you said people will still have bits to nibble on. I am only doing one set of food to be served at 5pm also!!


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## Elles

Not sure if it's helpful but we're having our formal wedding breakfast at 4pm then a buffet at around 9pm once all the evening guests have arrived. 

I guess a buffet is slightly different as it can be left out so people can pick at it x


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## lozzy21

Hmm depending on what food your having leaving it out for 4+ hours brakes several food hygiene rules. I would bring half the food out at 5 and then bring the other half out late on to ensure it stays fresh and does not spoil.


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## Mummy May

Hmm that's a tough one. If you're serving it at 5 I would call that their evening meal and that will be fine. Maybe you could have some bowls of crisps/ nibbles to bring out later on? How's everything going Emy? Xx


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## Gemmamuk

I guess it depends on if your having more people for the evening...

If you just have the whole buffet out at 5, it will be all dried out by 9 for the evening people, and some of the food may go off being left out for that long.

I think the pp suggestion of bringing half the buffet out at 5 and then the rest at 9


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## emyandpotato

Gemmamuk said:


> I guess it depends on if your having more people for the evening...
> 
> If you just have the whole buffet out at 5, it will be all dried out by 9 for the evening people, and some of the food may go off being left out for that long.
> 
> I think the pp suggestion of bringing half the buffet out at 5 and then the rest at 9

No evening guests, everyone is an all day guest. 


I hadn't even considered bringing out half. Thing is I dont know how to divide it. Completely randomly so it's the same food twice seems odd, but I don't really know what to do else-wise?!


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## emyandpotato

Do I have main food out at 5/6pm and bring out dessert style stuff later?! Help me! I hate weddings :cry:


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## emyandpotato

Mummy May said:


> Hmm that's a tough one. If you're serving it at 5 I would call that their evening meal and that will be fine. Maybe you could have some bowls of crisps/ nibbles to bring out later on? How's everything going Emy? Xx

Hi lovely! Okay thanks, only three months to go and I'm so stressed! Nothing seems to be moving along and I feel like I'm running out of time but don't know what I should be doing. Apart from losing weight. Which isn't happening. Soo stressed! How're you?


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## Gemmamuk

Are you doing buffet or are you doing it yourself? 
If doing it yourself, make it all up and put a mix of the food on a few smaller platters to keep aside. 
If its being done for you talk to your caterers and I'm sure they will be able to sort it for you. You don't need masses but peopleay feel a bit peckish and want some snacks by then


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## emyandpotato

Gemmamuk said:


> Are you doing buffet or are you doing it yourself?
> If doing it yourself, make it all up and put a mix of the food on a few smaller platters to keep aside.
> If its being done for you talk to your caterers and I'm sure they will be able to sort it for you. You don't need masses but peopleay feel a bit peckish and want some snacks by then

We're doing it ourselves!


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## Gemmamuk

Well just buy a few smaller platters, and as your making up the buffet, just take a few bits of everything to put on there so you have a nice little selection


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## wishuwerehere

I would do savoury earlier then bring out maybe pudding/cheese later on. i went to a wedding last weekend and we all sat down for a savoury course then they had pudding and cheese out to pick at in the evening which I really enjoyed.


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## Gemmamuk

Yeah that's a good idea!
I still think you should put a small plate of sarnies out though. For example in my case, I'm pregnant and I'm also diabetic, and I need to eat a small snack every 2 hours. I also am limited which cheeses and sweet stuff I can have...


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## emyandpotato

Gemmamuk said:


> Yeah that's a good idea!
> I still think you should put a small plate of sarnies out though. For example in my case, I'm pregnant and I'm also diabetic, and I need to eat a small snack every 2 hours. I also am limited which cheeses and sweet stuff I can have...

Thank you for all of the help!


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## emyandpotato

Thanks guys! Right basically I'm not sure whether to bring out a small snack box for each guest later in the evening (as was original plan) or to bring out little jars of icecream for each guest, or to sort it in to savoury and sweet as was suggested, or whether to bring out the main food earlier and then later on just bring out breads and meat and cheeses with a few extras so it's sort of like an evening buffet?! I just don't know :shrug:

This is my board of food, silly I know but most things I'll be having in some form or another. How would you split things?! https://pinterest.com/peagreenbateau/e-a-t-e-n-h-a-m-b-r-e/


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## Gemmamuk

Ooh your making me hungry!!!

I think like pp said being out a tray of meat, cheeses, breads and pickles and some sweet snacks/desserts etc.

That way there's picky food and people can use the meat, cheese and bread to make a 'sandwich' if that's what they want. Deffo include some form of carb though to give people energy for dancing 
Xx


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## Soph n Chris

I was just watching Four Weddings US and at the end of the night she brought out some chip cones and a mini shot of milkshake and cream. Seemed like a nice idea


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## xemmax

Our evening buffet is made up of artisan breads, hummous, meats, cheeses etc.. if you do something like that it's really minimal preparation - I wouldn't even cut the breads if I was doing it myself - just bring out the loaves on wooden blocks with a pretty knife and let the guests help themselves!


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## emyandpotato

xemmax said:


> Our evening buffet is made up of artisan breads, hummous, meats, cheeses etc.. if you do something like that it's really minimal preparation - I wouldn't even cut the breads if I was doing it myself - just bring out the loaves on wooden blocks with a pretty knife and let the guests help themselves!

That is exactly what I was thinking Emma! Yeah think that's what I'll do. And of course I wouldn't cut the breads! I'm obsessed with how pretty all the different types are, and I don't even like them much.


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## Lulabelle27

Hi, I don't want to throw a spanner in the works, but due to food hygiene and health rules here in the uk food (buffets) for example can only be left out for 2 hours as longer than this increases the risk of illness from the food. If you're worried about it and there is any flexibility in your budget how about bringing out bacon sandwiches later in the evening?


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