Paper plates for dessert - tacky?

[Deleted User]

I know this isn't strictly etiquette, but would love honest opinions. I'm having real china for the wedding lunch, but thought it would be a good idea to have paper plates for the dessert table. We are having a dessert tables with a variety of cakes/pastries instead of a served dessert.

Would anyone find this tacky? We thought about putting the plates on the dessert table so people can take what they want.

ei34

Personally, I would find paper plates at a wedding tacky, but as long as there was a desserts table with plenty of cakes and pastries, the thought of the paper plates wouldn't make a negative impression when I thought back on the wedding (as long as they were durable enough to hold up...I wouldn't want frosting all over a nice dress).  

Jen4948

I wouldn't use paper plates for dessert if you're using china for the main meal.

But even for a very informal reception, I think I'd still want something stronger than paper plates. I'd go with heavy-duty plastic. You can get some that looks quite fancy.

MobKaz

Jen4948 said:

I wouldn't use paper plates for dessert if you're using china for the main meal.

But even for a very informal reception, I think I'd still want something stronger than paper plates. I'd go with heavy-duty plastic. You can get some that looks quite fancy.

Agreed.  There are lots of pretty and inexpensive alternatives even with a very quick search.....
https://www.tableclothsfactory.com/category-s/501.htm?searching=Y&sort=7&cat=501&show=108&page=1

https://www.tableclothsfactory.com/category-s/499.htm?searching=Y&sort=1&cat=499&show=30&page=1

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=disposable+desseert+china&rh=i:aps,k:disposable+desseert+china

MairePoppy

I wouldn't think paper or plastic plates were tacky, as long as they weren't the thin, cheap type. You should buy a few different kinds of plates and test them before the wedding. I've bought the clear, plastic dessert plates from Amazon to use during the holidays.They were very sturdy. 

downtondiva

I agree that you should have something sturdier. Having been to a wedding recently that a huge dessert buffet, those plates are going to get full fast! 

AddieCake

If you do, definitely go with the "fancier" version.

MesmrEwe

If the idea is to encourage guests to take a portion from your dessert table home with them, I say go for it.  

Dessert is one place I really don't mind disposables for this very reason.  Sometimes depending on how the meal is balanced people may not be able to immediately indulge in dessert that moment but would like to have it later on or take it home and many caterers become picky about the china being left for people to use later on.  We had one caterer literally following people around if they were drinking water out of a water goblet because the caterer wanted to pack up and I find that tackier than if the dessert is on a disposable plate.

Also, even if your full meal was on disposables instead of china, you're just fine because it's not about fancy it's about function.  The chairs don't need to be fancy, they need to function.  Now when it comes to disposable silverware, spring for the heavier duty and not the super cheap ones...

SP29

I would think it a bit off if you had china plates for the meal and then paper plates for dessert. But at then end of the day I wouldn't care as long as I got enough yummy dessert!

Good point about the ability to use the dishware/container to take things home- but unless it's a bowl, box or plastic wrap is available, I'm likely not going to risk taking home an open of plate of food in the car.

For reusable plates, I would prefer paper over plastic, but I would go with the "higher end" ones.

kwiksilver

We had palm leaf plates at our wedding and they were super sturdy and looked like wood!  Plus they are biodegradable/compostable if that's something offered where you are getting married (our city has a curbside composables program so I try to utilize that option). I think that would be a nice middle ground for you  

LondonLisa

I don't think they're necessarily tacky (because there is such a huge range in quality), but I do think paper plates can be a bit of a false economy. Can you talk to your caterers about how much it would be to hire dessert plates? Many times they are much cheaper than you think, and also it is one less thing you have to think about. 

[Deleted User]

LondonLisa said:

I don't think they're necessarily tacky (because there is such a huge range in quality), but I do think paper plates can be a bit of a false economy. Can you talk to your caterers about how much it would be to hire dessert plates? Many times they are much cheaper than you think, and also it is one less thing you have to think about. 

Dessert plates aren't expensive but I want the guests to go up to the table throughout the evening and dessert plates are less conduicive. They would have to be re-washed which is more work for the staff or I would have to order a lot which is more expensive. Paper or plastic plates are a lot cheaper. You can get 100 paper plates for about £2. 

[Deleted User]

I don't plan to buy the most expensive paper or plastic plates because otherwise there is no point. I would like to get a bit better than the really flimsy ones. I like the silver cutlery as opposed to the white plastic ones.

LondonLisa

Kimora_Blax said:

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LondonLisa said:

I don't think they're necessarily tacky (because there is such a huge range in quality), but I do think paper plates can be a bit of a false economy. Can you talk to your caterers about how much it would be to hire dessert plates? Many times they are much cheaper than you think, and also it is one less thing you have to think about. 

Dessert plates aren't expensive but I want the guests to go up to the table throughout the evening and dessert plates are less conduicive. They would have to be re-washed which is more work for the staff or I would have to order a lot which is more expensive. Paper or plastic plates are a lot cheaper. You can get 100 paper plates for about £2. 

I think the ones that you can get 100 for £2 are way too flimsy. I would definitely try to go for the plastic ones over the paper ones. I think the clear plastic ones look ok, like these from Tescos: https://www.tesco.com/direct/clear-dessert-plates-15cm-plastic-party-plates-32-pack/103-8000.prd?skuId=103-8000 

thisismynickname2

At a typical wedding I am much too concerned with drinking and dancing and stuffing my face with anything sweet to notice what kind of plate I'm using... so long as it doesn't bend and drop stuff on my outfit. 
Go with the sturdy plastic ones. Wooooo dessert! 

ahoywedding

Ditto the fancy-ish plastic if you're going to use disposables. Paper plates get floppy real fast, and even things like cake can start to 'soak' into a paper plate. 

However, plastic plates are also super wasteful, especially if you're thinking most people would use more than one. Could you look into compostable bamboo plates or something like that? Or maybe ask your caterer what the cost would be to include enough dessert plates for people to make multiple trips. If a lot of your desserts could be hand-held, you might find people will take one bigger trip & fill up their plate, and then maybe grab some holdable options later into the evening. 

climbingsingle

I agree that I would find it weird to have dinner on china, and then dessert on paper plates. 

Also, it would personally irk me to know that I was creating more garbage, when I could have used china for dessert too. 

charlotte989875

Why not have China plates at the dessert table? Have the venue wash/replenish as needed. That would ensure people know to keep coming back and take a new plate. 

[Deleted User]

charlotte989875 said:9

Why not have China plates at the dessert table? Have the venue wash/replenish as needed. That would ensure people know to keep coming back and take a new plate. 

It's a dry hire venue, so all plates, cups, cutlery etc have to be paid for by me and china dessert plates are more expensive than plastic. I would also have to pay more to get the catering staff to do this.

[Deleted User]

ahoywedding said:

Ditto the fancy-ish plastic if you're going to use disposables. Paper plates get floppy real fast, and even things like cake can start to 'soak' into a paper plate. 

However, plastic plates are also super wasteful, especially if you're thinking most people would use more than one. Could you look into compostable bamboo plates or something like that? Or maybe ask your caterer what the cost would be to include enough dessert plates for people to make multiple trips. If a lot of your desserts could be hand-held, you might find people will take one bigger trip & fill up their plate, and then maybe grab some holdable options later into the evening. 

Yeah you're right about the cheap white paper plates. So I won't use them. The bamboo ones are more expensive than than the plastic ones, I think. I would also put a bunch of napkins down if people want to grab and go. But I will look into the compost friendly variety.

[Deleted User]

scribe95 said:

Honestly if you can't afford proper plates you need to cut back on the dessert bar variety and just do a basic cake to save money. 

I respectfully disagree with that. Food is far more important to a wedding than the cutlery. It's not that I can't afford plates, I just don't want to pay extra and I want easier clean up. As long as they have something sturdy to eat off, I don't see a problem with plastic plates. I will use the hard ones as opposed to the flumsy ones. I'm using plastic cups for the bar as well. Don't want to pay for extra clean up for the glasses or do it myself. There are no bar facilities so I have to pay for a bar area to be put up. Anything I save can go onto more drinks at least.

 Real glass on the table for the meal. Saves me hundreds. A wedding is only one day. Anything that saves me money is useful.

I would prefer a wedding with better food and cheaper cutlery than a basic dessert and better plates. No one leaves a wedding saying it was amazing because of the plates! Most people prioritise with weddings and any way to save money in less important areas,  I will take.

sparklepants41

OP have you looked into Smarty Had A Party? They have good quality dessert plates that are pretty reasonably priced (IMO - not sure what your budget is). I definitely agree with PPs that you should go with plastic and not flimsy paper. No one wants chocolate frosting on their Lilly Pulitzer.

http://www.smartyhadaparty.com/Fine-Disposable-Heavy-Plastic-Salad-Plates-c329.aspx
 

[Deleted User]

scribe95 said:

I would definitely leave a wedding and remember the plates if they can't handle the desserts I'm putting on them. And paper plates are problematic. Just get the durable plastic ones. Jeez.

Pretty sure I said I wasn't going to use the flimsy paper ones already.

PrettyGirlLost

scribe95 said:

But paper all the same. Good luck with that.

There are several companies that make really sturdy paper plates- Chinete is one.

And most of those companies should also have plastic options as well. .  which are recyclable, same as the paper versions, so there's no need to worry about potential "waste."

[Deleted User]

scribe95 said:

But paper all the same. Good luck with that.

I made it clear I am considering hard plastic. You should probably actually read my posts before you criticise. Would make you look less silly.

[Deleted User]

PrettyGirlLost said:

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scribe95 said:

But paper all the same. Good luck with that.

There are several companies that make really sturdy paper plates- Chinete is one.

And most of those companies should also have plastic options as well. .  which are recyclable, same as the paper versions, so there's no need to worry about potential "waste."

Excellent idea! Will look into that. Didn't know that existed.

ahoywedding

PrettyGirlLost said:

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scribe95 said:

But paper all the same. Good luck with that.

There are several companies that make really sturdy paper plates- Chinete is one.

And most of those companies should also have plastic options as well. .  which are recyclable, same as the paper versions, so there's no need to worry about potential "waste."

This isn't always true. Not every municipality (in the US) can take #5 or #6 plastics curbside, which is what most plastic plates are made of. Sometimes they have to be brought to the city or county recycling facility. Also, the couple would then also need a separate trash bin just for these plates and see if the catering staff would be willing to deal with them separately after the wedding. A lot of facilities won't take paper products with food on them, nor will they accept paper with that waxy coating that often makes it more sturdy and water resistant. A compostable option would still require a separate bin, but it's more obvious those products go somewhere besides the trash, unlike plastic or paper plates. If you haven't gotten estimates from your caterer for extra real plates (doesn't have to be actual china, sometimes they have cheaper options), it might be worth at least looking into it, right?

(Sorry for the derailment, I've been reading a lot about waste & sustainability lately)

PrettyGirlLost

ahoywedding said:

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PrettyGirlLost said:

scribe95 said:

But paper all the same. Good luck with that.

There are several companies that make really sturdy paper plates- Chinete is one.

And most of those companies should also have plastic options as well. .  which are recyclable, same as the paper versions, so there's no need to worry about potential "waste."

This isn't always true. Not every municipality (in the US) can take #5 or #6 plastics curbside, which is what most plastic plates are made of. Sometimes they have to be brought to the city or county recycling facility. Also, the couple would then also need a separate trash bin just for these plates and see if the catering staff would be willing to deal with them separately after the wedding. A lot of facilities won't take paper products with food on them, nor will they accept paper with that waxy coating that often makes it more sturdy and water resistant. A compostable option would still require a separate bin, but it's more obvious those products go somewhere besides the trash, unlike plastic or paper plates. If you haven't gotten estimates from your caterer for extra real plates (doesn't have to be actual china, sometimes they have cheaper options), it might be worth at least looking into it, right?

(Sorry for the derailment, I've been reading a lot about waste & sustainability lately)

Not necessarily.

If you don't think the venue staff can be bothered to throw paper/plastic plates into a recycling bin, why would you think they'd be bothered to throw compostable plates into a separate bin?

bookmaiden17_

We are using sugar cane heavy duty plates that are compostable for desert. They are being provided by our caterer. They look nice and hold up well with food, have tried them.

ahoywedding

PrettyGirlLost said:

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ahoywedding said:

PrettyGirlLost said:

scribe95 said:

But paper all the same. Good luck with that.

There are several companies that make really sturdy paper plates- Chinete is one.

And most of those companies should also have plastic options as well. .  which are recyclable, same as the paper versions, so there's no need to worry about potential "waste."

This isn't always true. Not every municipality (in the US) can take #5 or #6 plastics curbside, which is what most plastic plates are made of. Sometimes they have to be brought to the city or county recycling facility. Also, the couple would then also need a separate trash bin just for these plates and see if the catering staff would be willing to deal with them separately after the wedding. A lot of facilities won't take paper products with food on them, nor will they accept paper with that waxy coating that often makes it more sturdy and water resistant. A compostable option would still require a separate bin, but it's more obvious those products go somewhere besides the trash, unlike plastic or paper plates. If you haven't gotten estimates from your caterer for extra real plates (doesn't have to be actual china, sometimes they have cheaper options), it might be worth at least looking into it, right?

(Sorry for the derailment, I've been reading a lot about waste & sustainability lately)

Not necessarily.

If you don't think the venue staff can be bothered to throw paper/plastic plates into a recycling bin, why would you think they'd be bothered to throw compostable plates into a separate bin?

I was thinking more of the guests. It's more obvious to most people that a bamboo plate should go somewhere else than a regular old plastic plate they see every day. It does also require more work from the catering staff, yeah. I still think it's worth ASKING about cheaper options for real plates, what can it honestly hurt? 

DrillSergeantCat

Kimora_Blax said:

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scribe95 said:

But paper all the same. Good luck with that.

I made it clear I am considering hard plastic. You should probably actually read my posts before you criticise. Would make you look less silly.

I love you get so nasty with people after you get answers you don't like.