Hi guys!
FH and I are having trouble deciding on our wedding menu. Out wedding is very classic, traditional, elegant style wedding. Our budget is about $25,000 so it isn't small but we are still trying to save money where we can.
Would it be tacky to have pasta stations for dinner?
-Different sauces, veggies, noodles and meats can be added to the pasta and it is a chef attended station. So it isn't like it's baked ziti in a buffet pan and guests are serving themselves. So we would have that, bread and salad and a s'mores station for dessert along side our wedding cake.
Help! I don't want to be tacky at all, I want people having fun, bellies full of yummy food, drinks in hand, getting down on the dance floor. Bottom line :-)
Re: Pasta for reception menu!?
I don't think there is anything wrong with it, but like PP's said, you may want to consider another menu option as well, like a beef or turkey carving station. Most people love pasta, and I would be thrilled with the pasta station, but not everyone is that way. My FI absolutely hates any type of pasta and won't touch the stuff. We can't even go to an Italian restaurant unless we confirm ahead of time that they offer burgers, steak, or pizza. And some people have gluten sensitivities, which may lead them to avoid pasta as well. So, that may be something to consider.
But, formality wise, I don't think it's a problem.
I'm also not sure that just salad and bread would be enough sides, especially if it's a dressy or very large event. I'd expect things like bruschetta, maybe chicken marsala or parmigiana, meatballs, seafood, good olive oils, fancy cheeses, an antipasti table, stuff like that. Definitely enough that the non-pasta eaters will have enough to eat. Not thinking just about the gluten-free crowd, but I'm diabetic and only eat certain kinds of low-carb pasta. If you didn't have that, then I'd be eating just salad and bread (diabetics have to be careful with bread as well).
Agree with PP that your catering/food should be the majority of your budget. If you had a high end venue, large guest list, fancy DJ, expensive dress, then presented me with a buffet of plain pasta and salad, then I might wonder about your priorities. I'm not saying this is what you're doing, by any means. (You haven't shared that with us.) But food is expensive and it's one of the things that people remember most clearly about an event, not the flowers or dress. I would save money elsewhere to make sure I had the best and most abundant food I could have for my budget.
How many guests did you have? I'm having 100 and trying to decide whether stations would be practical.