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One Long Table .. Question About Seating Arrangements

HauteRoxyHauteRoxy member
First Answer Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
edited June 2014 in Wedding Reception Forum
I am planning to use a small piece of birchwood with a tiny notch in it to fit a little card with the guest's name on it to find their seat. It's a 16 person table - so I think this is the only option there really is.

 Also, we are having a buffet dinner. All of the guests chose their entree w/ RSVP, and I want to make sure everyone sticks to their choice before heading to the buffet and thinking the prime rib looks better than the chicken, or something like that. We are ordering according to screw ups, etc. but it definitely has potential to be completely devastating if everyone changes their mind.

 Where should I make a polite "reminder" of their entree choice? I am not sure if people would like to save their seating name card as a keepsake, I'm also leaning toward it being tacky to write it there anyway.
 Maybe just a nice printed piece of cardstock tucked into the napkin or something like that?

 The menu is the same with the exception of the entree, should I go ahead and list the entire menu anyhow? I am a little worried, especially with all the grief I have been getting about other issues.
 TIA

edited for strange format issue I have when posting any new discussion
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Re: One Long Table .. Question About Seating Arrangements

  • theartistformerlyknownastheartistformerlyknownas member
    First Comment First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its
    It's a really bad idea to expect guests to stick to their selection if it's a buffet. Selections are normally used for plated dinners. You will have no way of policing this to make sure everyone sticks to their choice, and for buffets people generally take a little of everything - that's the beauty of a buffet. You run a huge risk of running out of food this way. Please don't do this.

    Why are all your posts center-justified? Can you please change this? It's easier to read when everything's left justified.
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  • LondonLisaLondonLisa member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    Ditto lolo, the whole point of a buffet is to be able to choose what you want on the day. If you want to do one option per person, you need to have a plated meal.
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  • tcnobletcnoble member
    First Comment First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its
    If I made an entree selection then showed up to a buffet, I would probably think your catering changed and now instead of plated/selection it's a buffet. Woohoo! You will likely face some issues with people sticking to a prior selection. People like buffets BECAUSE they aren't limited to one item.
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  • JoanE2012JoanE2012 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    HauteRoxy said:
    I am planning to use a small piece of birchwood with a tiny notch in it to fit a little card with the guest's name on it to find their seat. It's a 16 person table - so I think this is the only option there really is.

     Also, we are having a buffet dinner. All of the guests chose their entree w/ RSVP, and I want to make sure everyone sticks to their choice before heading to the buffet and thinking the prime rib looks better than the chicken, or something like that. We are ordering according to screw ups, etc. but it definitely has potential to be completely devastating if everyone changes their mind.

     Where should I make a polite "reminder" of their entree choice? I am not sure if people would like to save their seating name card as a keepsake, I'm also leaning toward it being tacky to write it there anyway.
     Maybe just a nice printed piece of cardstock tucked into the napkin or something like that?

     The menu is the same with the exception of the entree, should I go ahead and list the entire menu anyhow? I am a little worried, especially with all the grief I have been getting about other issues.
     TIA

    edited for strange format issue I have when posting any new discussion
    Sorry, buffets and entree selections don't mix.  Either pick a plated meal with entree selection or pick the buffet with no entree selection.  
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  • HauteRoxyHauteRoxy member
    First Answer Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    OK . .  I suppose I can have a friend there to plate for me right after the ceremony while we are doing a couple of pictures.

    I plan on having light refreshments during the ceremony as well, and dinner is almost immediately after.

    Ceremony at 6pm, dinner at 7pm.

    The caterer makes 'X' number of each entree, that's what I have to stick to. 

    Then there is garden salad, rolls, and only ONE side. - Sounds weird but it goes with the dinner....

    Sorry about formatting center - but it seemed the only way my OP posts would be line spaced properly instead of one big, unreadable paragraph.
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  • mysticlmysticl member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    HauteRoxy said:
    OK . .  I suppose I can have a friend there to plate for me right after the ceremony while we are doing a couple of pictures.

    I plan on having light refreshments during the ceremony as well, and dinner is almost immediately after.

    Ceremony at 6pm, dinner at 7pm.

    The caterer makes 'X' number of each entree, that's what I have to stick to. 

    Then there is garden salad, rolls, and only ONE side. - Sounds weird but it goes with the dinner....

    Sorry about formatting center - but it seemed the only way my OP posts would be line spaced properly instead of one big, unreadable paragraph.
    Why isn't your caterer doing this? That is their job.  
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  • JoanE2012JoanE2012 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    HauteRoxy said:
    OK . .  I suppose I can have a friend there to plate for me right after the ceremony while we are doing a couple of pictures.

    I plan on having light refreshments during the ceremony as well, and dinner is almost immediately after.

    Ceremony at 6pm, dinner at 7pm.

    The caterer makes 'X' number of each entree, that's what I have to stick to. 

    Then there is garden salad, rolls, and only ONE side. - Sounds weird but it goes with the dinner....

    Sorry about formatting center - but it seemed the only way my OP posts would be line spaced properly instead of one big, unreadable paragraph.
    So what exactly is the point of the buffet if there are no choices?  You should be having a plated meal served tableside.  

    If you still have to have this "buffet", someone hired (the caterer?) should be doings this.  Not a friend or family member. 
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  • LondonLisaLondonLisa member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    Ditto pp, if your caterer insists on one option per guest, it needs to be plated. When I'm at a buffet I like to take very tiny portions of lots of the options to try it all. It turns into primary school lunch of guests pushing their plates only being served set amounts if you do it that way. Why can't your caterer do a proper buffet? It seems strange. Pre set menus and RSVP choices= plated meal.
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  • HauteRoxyHauteRoxy member
    First Answer Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    How should I bring this up to my caterer? She said I have to order 10 each of each entree. So we picked three different selections for people to chose from. Beef, chicken, fish. I had people tell me what they prefered, so I could order accordingly. Since my guest list is so small ( 16 people ) I figured it would be no big deal to do it this way. . .family only. The caterer said the entrees will be set out alongside the side dish we chose, the salad in one big bowl, and rolls in a basket. We didn't skimp either, we are serving small appetizers & drinks during the ceremony if people would like . . . and for the maybe maybe maybe 15 minutes of layover between the ceremony and dinner. That's just how the caterer told me things work . . I looked at three different ones in the area, spoke to them all extensively, this seems the "thing" that most places do it for such an intimate group. But now I AM leaning toward what you all are saying. She said they will set up the dinner buffet during the ceremony, leave, and come back in the late evening or even morning to collect their equipment.
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  • HauteRoxyHauteRoxy member
    First Answer Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    And AGAIN my post is a blob. Sorry . . .
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  • mysticlmysticl member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    HauteRoxy said:
    How should I bring this up to my caterer? She said I have to order 10 each of each entree. So we picked three different selections for people to chose from. Beef, chicken, fish. I had people tell me what they prefered, so I could order accordingly. Since my guest list is so small ( 16 people ) I figured it would be no big deal to do it this way. . .family only. The caterer said the entrees will be set out alongside the side dish we chose, the salad in one big bowl, and rolls in a basket. We didn't skimp either, we are serving small appetizers & drinks during the ceremony if people would like . . . and for the maybe maybe maybe 15 minutes of layover between the ceremony and dinner. That's just how the caterer told me things work . . I looked at three different ones in the area, spoke to them all extensively, this seems the "thing" that most places do it for such an intimate group. But now I AM leaning toward what you all are saying. She said they will set up the dinner buffet during the ceremony, leave, and come back in the late evening or even morning to collect their equipment.
    I would say get a new caterer that will either do a true buffet or do a plated meal with table service but I'm guessing it's too late for that. 

    I am confused about the 10 of each entree.  Does that mean they are giving you 10 fish, 10 chicken, and 10 beef for a 16 person dinner?  If that's the case you might be okay with having that as a true buffet.  
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  • HauteRoxyHauteRoxy member
    First Answer Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    Yes, it is 10 beef, 10 chicken, 10 fish. So we will have a couple extras unless my counts are uneven. Say that I have 11 of my guests order beef, 4 chicken, and 1 fish, then I have to order an additional 10 beef just to cover the 1 person extra .. . However - that's not how my count went, it went surprisingly smoothly. And I technically have 18 dinner guests as I invited my photographer & officiant to join us for dinner.
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  • HauteRoxyHauteRoxy member
    First Answer Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    We've already placed a deposit, and she is also making our wedding cake.
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  • NYCMercedesNYCMercedes member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    30 dinners for 18 people sounds like plenty of food. If they're plated and the entree selection is printed on their placecard, then it sounds like you won't have a problem.
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  • mysticlmysticl member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    NYCMercedes said:
    30 dinners for 18 people sounds like plenty of food. If they're plated and the entree selection is printed on their placecard, then it sounds like you won't have a problem.
    The problem is her caterer is going to set up a serve yourself buffet and leave. She doesn't have any one to plate and serve the food.

    OP, I wonder if the caterer could cut the portions in half and put them in the buffet trays.  That way people can pick what they want, maybe some will get half chicken, half fish, while someone else does double beef, or whatever.  But you end up with 60 portions of food for 18 people.  I know when I've been to weddings that are buffets the portion sizes are smaller than usual because they expect people to take two or three different ones.  Anyone else think this could work or can point out any potential pitfalls I'm not thinking of?
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  • LondonLisaLondonLisa member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    This caterer seems rather dodgy! I think you need to talk to her about this and what the costs would be to have it plated. I would pay more to have it plated, as for 18 people, she is making this buffet way more complicated than it needs to be. Plus if you have to order 10 of each minimum, you will end up spending more and wasting food. 
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  • HauteRoxyHauteRoxy member
    First Answer Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    I think you have a great point LondonLisa ... I DO indeed plan to speak to her about my concerns. 

    However, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of splitting the entrees in half so everyone can samply everything if they'd like. Wow, I really love it! 

    The cabin has super swanky dishes / china / whatever and it just so happens to match our wedding colors! So, I really, really, want a "set up" table. All people will have to do is bring their plate a couple of steps to the kitchen island and grab their food. 

    Hopefully if I put their "personal menu" card tucked into the napkin, there will be zero issues. 

    But I am definitely going to give her a call today or tomorrow and have a discussion with her.

    Thank you again everyone :)
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  • theartistformerlyknownastheartistformerlyknownas member
    First Comment First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its
    HauteRoxy said:
    And AGAIN my post is a blob. Sorry . . .
    TK eats paragraphs sometimes. You can tell whether you're in "plan text" editing mode by whether or not there's the toolbar at the top with the font selections, formatting, picture icons, etc. If you're in the mode WITH the toolbar, your text will show up just how it looks. If you're in the one WITHOUT it (which also randomly takes your comment to a new page, rather than the box at the bottom of the post), just type <br><br> wherever you want to make paragraph breaks, or try going back to the post page and refreshing and then you'll get the proper entry box. This also helps when it tries to trap you in the quote box.
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  • HauteRoxyHauteRoxy member
    First Answer Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Comment
    thank you a bajillion million lolo !! :)
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