Wedding Reception Forum

Table Service vs. Food Stations

I am trying to decide whether to have table service or food staions. There will be 200 guests at our reception. I like the idea of the stations because there will be so many choices available to everyone and I think it wiill be entertaining for our guests to have the chef carving their meat and another chef doing on request pasta dishes. But I am afraid to have that number of people up with plates of food in their hands. SUggestions??

Re: Table Service vs. Food Stations

  • I agree that I think stations end up being too complicated for a large, formal reception.  Also, stations can end up being more expensive than a plated meal because the guests end up taking more than one serving of food.

  • edited March 2010
    I actually love attending weddings with food stations.  In my experience the quality of food and options are much better with stations.  I've consistently been disappointed by the food at weddings with table service - often by the time the food gets to you it's lukewarm and the meat is overcooked and dry.

    I definitely see your dilemma since you're expecting 200 people.  That's a lot of people to be running around with plates all at once. Can it somehow be organized so that only 3-5 tables at a time are invited to go up to the stations?
    weddingcollage
  • I agree with the pps.  I HATE food stations.  For a formal event especially one the size of 200 people it just screams chaos to me.  I feel there's more interaction amongst guests, and the flow is so much better at a sit-down, than having people walking around trying to figure out if they want meat or pasta.  Carrying plates, sometimes carrying yours and your children's plates can be quite the hassel.  It is your wedding so do what you'd really like to do.   As a guest though, I'd much prefer to feel like I'm at a formal event and can keep a conversation with people at the table without interupting to go get food.
  • I LOVE food stations. I have been to so many weddings with plated service where the food isn't hot, is overcooked, or is just plain bleh.  Or where the entree I've selected doesn't look as good as one of the other options, but haven't been able to change my mind and ask for something else since selections where made weeks prior.  To me, having options is great.

    But we're having a food station reception, so I'm probably biased Smile

    200 people is a lot to coordinate, but I agree that if you can have 2-3 tables go at a time it would be manageable. Just make sure that the people who have to wait have drinks and something to munch on.
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  • I love stations.  I live in an area where buffet is the norm, so people expect to go get their food.  We did several stations, and it was a huge hit.  I can't tell you how many people came up and told us how much they enjoyed choosing their own pasta and toppings.  We had a staff person walk around and "release" the tables to get food, so everyone wasn't standing in line all at once.

    I think it's a great way to offer a variety and to have something interactive.  
  • Small weddings:  I like stations.  Big wedding like yours:  Not so much.  It's just too many people standing around and waiting.

    I'd do a plated dinner for 200 guests.
    "Trix, it's what they/our parents wanted. Why so judgemental? And why is your wedding date over a year and a half ago? And why do you not have a groom's name? And why have you posted over 12,000 posts? And why do you always say mean things to brides?" palegirl146
  • We chose to do stations because our guests will be able to choose how much and what they'd like to eat. Every time we attend weddings with a plated meal choice we choose when we send back the rsvp's we're literally starving afterwards because they give a small portion and we don't always like the side it comes with or the garnish. A lot of our friends are excited that we're doing stations for those reasons.

    For a larger guest list I'd talk to the wedding coordinator at your venue and ask how smoothly a 200 guest list can get through the stations. One of my BM's had a guest list of 250 and had stations and everything went smoothly and the food was hot and delicious.. and FI didn't have to hit up the drive thru on the way home due to hunger.. haha. HTH!
  • I'm Chinese and maybe that makes me genetically predispositioned towards buffets, but that's the way we're going with our wedding.  We have around 150 people, each with different diet requirements.  Buffet style lets people pick what they want and eat as much or as little as they want.  That makes it a lot easier on us.  Also, buffet style tends to be cheaper since you don't need as many servers.
  • LasairionaLasairiona member
    First Comment
    edited March 2010
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_table-service-vs-food-stations?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:7f943487-5938-4b80-8d06-2771ca791fc5Post:8443b075-71bc-45f1-8db4-030078105c6d">Re: Table Service vs. Food Stations</a>:
    [QUOTE] Also, buffet style tends to be cheaper since you don't need as many servers.
    Posted by obi_wan_quixote[/QUOTE]
    Other than the people setting out the food and cleaning it up, I have never once been to a buffet where there were servers, period. That tends to defeat the purpose of buffets in the first place since folks are choosing what they want and serving themselves.

    Stations on the other hand are completely different because guests are being served at the stations.  However, unless the food is already prepared and in chafing dishes, it will have to be cooked which takes a long time and guests are going to have be waiting around.
  • I am also torn between a served dinner versus stations/buffet.  I am having at least 150 guests, and while served dinners are fancier, I agree that they can turn out as small portions and cold.  My family is used to family get togethers buffet style, so I think that having a buffet with each table released to the buffet in order works really well.  We're opening the bar while everyone is finding their seats/doing the receiving line beforehand, so they'll have drinks to keep them happy!  I also want to get the reception going after the dinner, not draw out dinner.  So I would think served dinners would take longer than a buffet because of getting the food from the kitchen to tables.  And I want everyone to be full for all the dancing and fun, right now I'm leaning towards buffet!
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