One of the many decisions couples have to face is.........buffet or seated dinner? Sheesh. This is a polarizing issue. Some people are absolutely opposed to having to get up and get their food, and others want more choices and control over how much they get to eat. Things get interesting when there is one of each in the marrying couple! One of our last weddings, the bride hated buffets and the groom hated the limitations on plated dinners.
Years ago, the decision was usually a financial one. Nine times out of ten the buffet was less expensive than the plated service. Brides and grooms were able to have more guests and feed them all while still staying in their budget. However, with the amazing buffets and action stations that many couple are opting to make a part of their wedding, often the costs are comparable.
So, what are the factors to consider when making this decision? It is a big one to be sure.
Buffet Pros:
1. Amazing variety of foods and choices. Gone are the days of plain chicken, grayish brown mystery meat with mystery sauce, and green beans in water. Today, buffets can be creative, trendy, and fantastic. Of course, carving stations are always a hit (at least with all the meat eaters). However, now you can have action stations, where chefs create anything from hand rolled sushi to stir fry to customized pasta.
2. It is All You Can Eat! Your guests can eat as much or as little as they like. No one will be left wanting more. If someone is in love with your gratin potatoes, they can sneak more without the embarrassment of asking the server for another plate of potatoes!
3. More guests in less space. On a practical note, the dinner tables can be slightly closer together than with a plated service. If space is a concern, or you want a longer guest list, this can be a consideration.
4. Your guests will get up, move, and mingle. Your guests will see more of the other guests, more of the room, and more of you decor and personal touches. Sometimes, when you have plated service, some guests "take root" in their seats and settle in for the evening.
Buffet Cons:
1. The long, long, long line. Please try to avoid this at all costs! Have the DJ or the band announce tables to go up one at a time for crowd control. Keep the line so that there is never more than three to five people before your guests reach the plates.
2. Cold food, or food that runs out. Make sure as you work with your wedding planner that the caterer is excellent at managing the temperatures (both hot and cold) and amounts needed to keep everyone happy.
3. Carrying it all - plate, glass, napkin, flatware. Consider your guests - make sure that getting their food is an easy, relatively effortless endeavor. Just the plate, thank you.
4. Mystery foods. For both your picky eaters AND your foodie friends, make sure that your foods are labeled, or that your program has a detailed menu for them to peruse.
Plated Service Pros:
1. There is a natural sophistication and elegance to plated service. Your guests feel as if they are being taken care of, and being served.
2. Better time management and crowd control. It is easier to do toasts during dinner after everyone has been served (and are hopefully nibbling happily). This is tougher with a buffet because people are focused on getting their food. This can allow for more dancing after dinner!
3. The Bride and Groom will actually eat! So often at weddings, the bride and groom do not really eat dinner. Having a plated service gives the bride a groom a chance to catch their breath and actually eat at their own wedding!
4. You can express yourself! You can choose both of your favorite dishes, and make it a part of personalizing your wedding reception.
Plated Service Cons:
1. More expensive. Even thought this is a smaller margin than before, the plated service usually still costs a little more than the buffet due to the need for more wait staff.
2. Still may not be perfect! By the time it is served, the food may be cold. Or vegetarians may accidentally be served meat. Or, if you have children at your wedding, they may turn up their noses at the beautiful presented masterpiece.
3. The guests just get what they get. Their choices are usually more limited. (I know of one wedding where the guests had nine main entree choices for the plated service!)
4. Another item to track. If you are having the guests send in their preference with their RSVP, make sure that your wedding coordinator has simplified how you will track who is eating what and sitting where!
A few more thoughts - if there are children at the wedding, it is easier for the parents to just make a plate from the buffet of food they know their kids will eat. however, some of your other guests may get nervous about kids being near the food being served! (Sometimes, it seems like a no win situation!) Buffets do allow your guests to make their food the way they like it - sauce/no sauce, more veg/no veg, shrimp feast/no seafood. Plated service adds a touch of elegance to a wedding that is undeniable, and makes crowd control a little bit easier.
One last note about buffets - please still have drink service at the table, and please still set the tables beautifully. No wedding guest should risk spilling food and drink all over themselves and/or someone else trying to wrangle everything at once to their seat!
Ultimately, working with your wedding planner to make sure that they know what is important to you in terms of food experience, ambiance, spacing, and options is critical. Then, having a masterful catering company to execute your dreams is crucial. The reality is that both can be amazing, and both can be horrible. As for the divided couple that had opposing views? They ultimately had a fantastic buffet, with a carving station, and gourmet choices with an excellent caterer to pull it off with style!
What do you think is better? And for those of you that are already married, which did you choose?
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