What do you think of "Family Style" wedding meals?

clg1213

I went to one FS wedding and really enjoyed it (mid-day meal, rented grounds of a historic home). I liked that I got the ability to choose without the lines. The staff was excellent at staying on top of things and made sure we got more of anything the table wanted (even well someone said we'd def need more of the meat way in advance of the actual need...felt awk to me to ask before it was clear people were going to finish the meat we had, but they didn't seem phased at all). I also liked that I was able to get seconds of some things without having to go back to the buffet just for another serving of asparagus! Ours will be stationed...there are several categories (all brunch) and FS wouldn't make sense. There are four egg dishes and it would end up with a lot of waste if you gave each table 2 full quiche, 1 strata, and 1 frittata.

grumbledore

icecreamcono said:

If it's a small wedding, family style can fit with your theme. Otherwise, it could get out of hand.

Personally, I love the idea, but some may not. I would definitely prefer family style to buffet (long buffet lines and cold food). You just need to make sure each table gets enough food so that no one is left wanting.

I have to chime in on this, because I see this comment a lot about "cold food" at a buffet. I have never once gotten cold food from a buffet. Food at a buffet, if done properly, is kept in chafing dishes over sterno and should be plenty hot no matter whether you are the first table or 12th. Conversely, I have received cold food at several weddings with plated meals, because my food was sitting waiting for a server to bring it to my table. Just saying.

grumbledore

icecreamcono said:

If it's a small wedding, family style can fit with your theme. Otherwise, it could get out of hand.

Personally, I love the idea, but some may not. I would definitely prefer family style to buffet (long buffet lines and cold food). You just need to make sure each table gets enough food so that no one is left wanting.

I have to chime in on this, because I see this comment a lot about "cold food" at a buffet. I have never once gotten cold food from a buffet. Food at a buffet, if done properly, is kept in chafing dishes over sterno and should be plenty hot no matter whether you are the first table or 12th. Conversely, I have received cold food at several weddings with plated meals, because my food was sitting waiting for a server to bring it to my table. Just saying.

lyndausvi

grumbledore said:

icecreamcono said:

If it's a small wedding, family style can fit with your theme. Otherwise, it could get out of hand.

Personally, I love the idea, but some may not. I would definitely prefer family style to buffet (long buffet lines and cold food). You just need to make sure each table gets enough food so that no one is left wanting.

I have to chime in on this, because I see this comment a lot about "cold food" at a buffet. I have never once gotten cold food from a buffet. Food at a buffet, if done properly, is kept in chafing dishes over sterno and should be plenty hot no matter whether you are the first table or 12th. Conversely, I have received cold food at several weddings with plated meals, because my food was sitting waiting for a server to bring it to my table. Just saying.

My experience has been the complete opposite.    Just saying.

mstallae

We are doing Family Style with about 100-120 guests.  We are having 2 entree choices, one starch, one veg,one bread, one salad and dessert.  We haven't fully decided what we are serving yet .. wedding is in August so we still have time. 

We picked this style because it was the same price as a plated meal but it would be refilled.  This way people can choose what they want to eat and not take what they don't like while getting more of what they DO like.  Hopefully everything gets replenished quickly and it goes off without a hitch!

kittypolishnbags

I've been to one held at a restaurant and I like it a lot. It helps though that the people I'm seated with are those that I know for years (friends of my cousins). Mine's gonna be buffet style with at least 4 dishes where 2 is customizable by the guests and there will be 4 sides. They can mix and match and I'm ordering more in terms of quantity to cushion each kind so they can get whatever they want. Vegetarians have a lot of options as well as the non-vegetarians.

RebeccaB88

lyndausvi said:

grumbledore said:

icecreamcono said:

If it's a small wedding, family style can fit with your theme. Otherwise, it could get out of hand.

Personally, I love the idea, but some may not. I would definitely prefer family style to buffet (long buffet lines and cold food). You just need to make sure each table gets enough food so that no one is left wanting.

I have to chime in on this, because I see this comment a lot about "cold food" at a buffet. I have never once gotten cold food from a buffet. Food at a buffet, if done properly, is kept in chafing dishes over sterno and should be plenty hot no matter whether you are the first table or 12th. Conversely, I have received cold food at several weddings with plated meals, because my food was sitting waiting for a server to bring it to my table. Just saying.

My experience has been the complete opposite.    Just saying.

And mine has been the exact same as @grumbledore. I've been to plenty of plated meal events and have never once been served anything beyond lukewarm. The only buffet event where the food wasn't perfectly hot and pleasant was at an outdoor event where it was cold enough that nothing was going to stay warm outside of an oven, including the guests.

RebeccaB88

lyndausvi said:

grumbledore said:

icecreamcono said:

If it's a small wedding, family style can fit with your theme. Otherwise, it could get out of hand.

Personally, I love the idea, but some may not. I would definitely prefer family style to buffet (long buffet lines and cold food). You just need to make sure each table gets enough food so that no one is left wanting.

I have to chime in on this, because I see this comment a lot about "cold food" at a buffet. I have never once gotten cold food from a buffet. Food at a buffet, if done properly, is kept in chafing dishes over sterno and should be plenty hot no matter whether you are the first table or 12th. Conversely, I have received cold food at several weddings with plated meals, because my food was sitting waiting for a server to bring it to my table. Just saying.

My experience has been the complete opposite.    Just saying.

And mine has been the exact same as @grumbledore. I've been to plenty of plated meal events and have never once been served anything beyond lukewarm. The only buffet event where the food wasn't perfectly hot and pleasant was at an outdoor event where it was cold enough that nothing was going to stay warm outside of an oven, including the guests.

sofakingmad

I enjoy family style at weddings.  And in my experience, the waitstaff has always been on top of replenishing items that are empty.  So no worries of running out of anything.  

jdluvr06

RebeccaB88 said:

lyndausvi said:

grumbledore said:

icecreamcono said:

If it's a small wedding, family style can fit with your theme. Otherwise, it could get out of hand.

Personally, I love the idea, but some may not. I would definitely prefer family style to buffet (long buffet lines and cold food). You just need to make sure each table gets enough food so that no one is left wanting.

I have to chime in on this, because I see this comment a lot about "cold food" at a buffet. I have never once gotten cold food from a buffet. Food at a buffet, if done properly, is kept in chafing dishes over sterno and should be plenty hot no matter whether you are the first table or 12th. Conversely, I have received cold food at several weddings with plated meals, because my food was sitting waiting for a server to bring it to my table. Just saying.

My experience has been the complete opposite.    Just saying.

And mine has been the exact same as @grumbledore. I've been to plenty of plated meal events and have never once been served anything beyond lukewarm. The only buffet event where the food wasn't perfectly hot and pleasant was at an outdoor event where it was cold enough that nothing was going to stay warm outside of an oven, including the guests.

It is funny how people have different experiences. I've had mixed experiences with buffets. I've been to weddings where the food was still hot when I got food and I've experienced times when the food was cold or like warm when I got there. I don't eat much at buffets though because I'm kind of a germaphobe but that is something I'm working on. Anyway that is why I would prefer the family style to buffet. I feel that less people would have been around the food in a family style setting than a buffet one.

heathertims

We had about 130 people at our  wedding. Our seating was all at long tables. It was family style and it was a big hit! There was tons of room at the tables. 
I had a lot of anxiety over the meal style up till the last week. Originally it was buffet, but our co ordinator was discouraging us saying it might take a long time for everyone to eat. Then there was the option of plated, but I dont care of that as I'm a picky eater, and I hate the idea of someone plating something for me, and refusing it, or not touching it. She suggested family style, and we went with that, and it was great! Everyone had more than enough food, and it all came out "in courses". In fact, a lot of guests commented that it was a welcome change. Obviously this might not be a good idea for a very upscale event, but our wedding was more country/rustic as it was in a traditional Quebecois Sugar shack.