How hungry would you be at a 2pm wedding?

KrisRose821

So, my fiance just informed me he wants to move our wedding up to 2pm instead of 4pm. We have relatives coming in to spend the weekend with us and for most of them the last flight out leaves relatively soon after the wedding. So in an effort to allow them more time at the wedding he wanted to move it up a few hours. My only question is would you be hungry enough for a full meal at 2pm? Or would you (like I probably would) eat relatively around noon? I really wanted a full meal, but I dont want it to be wasteful or ruin peoples dinner plans if they have them for after the wedding. The reception will immediately follow the wedding (approx 2:30pm). Should I stick with the full meal or go with apps? If I did the apps I'd make sure there was a good variety and plenty for everyone of course.

KrisRose821

oh! and thanks in advance!

stina93446

If your wedding is starting at 2, I'd have already eaten something beforehand. I'd want apps and cake probably. If you pushed it back to 4, it's still debatable.

TiDa2009

When will your reception end?  If it extends into dinner time, I would servie a full meal, but maybe wait until a little later into it.

danieliza1127

If I attended a 2pm wedding with a reception immediately following, I wouldn't expect a full meal and I would probably eat lunch before the wedding.  Most weddings at that time that I've been to have been just finger foods and cake and punch.

BecW2be

My wedding is at 2pm, and I'm serving a full, albeit light, meal. It's a picnic, so I'm having 5 different wraps, mayo-free slaw, veggie chips, edemame and dessert. Wedding days are so abnormal to me with regard to eating schedule that I think you'll be fine with either. people can eat a full meal early or snack on apps and eat later.

ggmae

"Dinner" was served around 2pm at our wedding. From what I could tell (while walking around to tables) people were eating the food!

Koopa17

I think I'd assume this was a cake and appetizers kind of deal and eat beforehand.  But I also get hungry easily and am incredibly grumpy when I haven't had enough to eat.  Charming, yes? Anyway, for a wedding at that time of the day I'd probably go for the apps and cake myself.

ac_in_dc

We had a 2 PM wedding, and the reception was from 3-7. Served a full meal b/c we wanted to, and everyone ate plenty. Just indicate on the invitation that "dinner and dancing will follow the ceremony" or something like that so folks know what to expect and plan accordingly. Or if you decide not to feed them a full meal, say something like "cocktail reception will follow"

vgmartinez

How long is your reception going to last? Guests will probably have lunch before the ceremony but may be ready to eat another full meal by 5 p.m., depending on when they had lunch. I think if your reception starts at 2:30, heavy apps would be great.

sarabellam

I would most likely eat a late breakfast (10'ish) and be ready to eat a full meal at 2. That said, you can still have apps and make it enough for a full meal. Danieliza did this.

ExpatPumpkin

I will eat a full meal any hour of the day Also, if your ceremony starts at 2PM, people will be arriving around 1:30, meaning they left the house/hotel at 1PM, and it took them an hour to get ready, etc. So most people won't have had time to eat a full meal at noon. I've been to day weddings with receptions starting at 2-3PM and there's always been a full meal. And I've always eaten it

tidetravel

Our wedding was at 2 - we served a full meal, but it wasn't "fancy."  Pasta, beef, mac and cheese, greens, salad, bread.  If I were going to a wedding at that time, I would have eaten beforehand, but probably would only have had a light meal, knowing I would be fed after.

wadingmoose

At 2pm, apps.

lyndausvi

It depends on your group.  In my world full meals (or enough for a full meal) is expected regardless of time.  We would assume we would be a meal and adjust our eatting for the day around the odd meal time.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Apps and cake with cocktails. And I would expect the reception to end around 6.

KrisRose821

Thanks for the input! The reception will probably last til 5 or 6pm. I guess I just have to figure out what I want. I could eat anytime of the day as well so this is a hard one for me! If I do apps I'll have a mixture of light and heavy apps for everyone to choose and eat to their liking. If I do a full meal however, should I wait til middle of the reception to serve it or just have it served at 230-3?

ExpatPumpkin

Ditto what Lynda said. In our crowd, there's always a meal. I've actually never been to a wedding that didn't have a meal. So I would wait to eat in preparation for your wedding. If your crowd is used to apps, however, then you can do that; just have a lot as you said you would. If you're not sure, just do the full meal. You can't go wrong with too much food...

ExpatPumpkin

Have it served at the beginning...

ggmae

In my area, I was also under the impression that a full meal was expected regardless of the time of day.What we did to break up the eating and allow for some digesting was do our cocktail hour, then the ceremony, then the reception, where the food was served within 15 minutes. We fed our guests a lot of food (and it makes me sad that I only for a bite or 2!)

georgia_bride09

My ceremony was at 2:30, and my reception started at about 3:30 (including driving time, etc); we had a buffet of heavy apps. There was a ton of food leftover.

Leah&Christian09

It's not uncommon for us to have lunch at 2ish on the weekends. If you didn't say anything, I wouldn't expect a meal. If the invite said "luncheon reception following" or gave me a meal selection or something, I'd get the point and just wait.

eastunder1

I wouldn't want anything more than light apps and cake.  Just something small to where I would mainly be eating then because they are tasty, not because I was actually hungry.  Because I wouldn't be then.  At all.  I certainly wouldn't want a whole meal.  No way.  Who would want to eat a heavy meal at 2:30 in the afternoon?

jamm2019

If you indicated on the invitation that dinner and dancing immediatley following ceremony, or Cocktail Reception immediatley following I would know to eat something small or moderate before I come...

lyndausvi

Who would want to eat a heavy meal at 2:30 in the afternoon?Me.  I regularly eat a lunch at 1 pm or later.  Having to wait an additional hour would not bother me.  I would just eat a later breakfast to tie me over.

tenofcups4me

I'd expect--and eat--a full meal since I've never attended a wedding that didn't have a full meal, regardless of the time of day. And odds are good that I wouldn't have eaten anything before leaving the house, except for maybe a piece of toast or half a bagel. If I had a meal at that time, it would serve as my main meal of the day and I likely wouldn't eat anything later for dinner, or only something extremely light after I left the reception. Regardless of what you choose, you should indicate it on the invitation because there clearly is no "given."

Bobbysprncss

I agree it depends on how long your reception will last. My FI was the BM in our friend's wedding last summer and their wedding started at 2. We had to get there at noon for pictures and it was over at 5:30pm. The only food they had was fruit and veggie platter and cake. We were starving by the time the reception ended. I normally eat a late lunch so eating a full meal would be fine with me at that time.

ThePinkSuperhero

I would come hungry enough to eat whatever was going to be served. AKA, if it was only going to be cake, I'd eat lunch before.  If I heard there was going to be a meal, I'd come ready for a meal.  I think as long as you communicate to people what you're doing, you have some flexibility in how much to serve.