Plated Dinner Vs Buffet

Miracle520

I had always envisioned having a plated dinner for my reception. However the last few weddings I've attended, dinner was not very tasty and smaller than even typical wedding portions.

I come from a traditional southern background and my fiance comes from an Italian family so we want to make sure our guests feel full.

Any thoughts on if a buffet can be just as classy as a plated dinner? Has anyone planned a buffet for their wedding and are you happy with the choice?

Thanks!!

Cray.anita

the least expensive plated dinner at our venue was $23/plate and that was only one entree option, for two entree choices it rose to $29/plate.

We ended up going with a buffet with servers at each dish for a cost of $8.95/plate.  We are doing 2 meat choices, hand carved pork loin with optional cranberry sauce and a marinated, stuffed chicken option.  We will also provide additional servers to help people through the line that may need it (elderly, disabled, etc).  Salads & Drinks will be served at tables so guests will not be juggling those with their plates.  I think if it is done right a buffet meal can be just as nice as a plated meal and much more cost effective.

Ginabean2011

I personally prefer buffets- guests can skip over the dishes they know they won't want and get a little extra of what they do want. Maybe even get seconds! Who doesn't like that? And it can be done in a very classy manner as well, not necessarily the cattle call with the long lines and paper plates....talk to your venue about options. That is what we are doing.

janedoe1113a

I prefer buffets because I'm pretty picky.  I think buffets can be done really nicely.

Sea24Q

I prefer sit down dinners. I don't like standing in-line and feeling herded for a buffet. Also, I hate the feeling other people have breathed all over my food. One more thought - the last few weddings I went to with a buffet, the B&G never got food because they never had enough time to wait in-line and make their own plates. However, I am also worried about the amount of food being served. So, we are looking at having appetizer stations (buffet style) and plated dinners. Our venue's buffet was more expensive than the plated dinners so it worked out well for us. To each their own though.

agoldhammer

Do a buffet with a plated salad. Meaning the salads are served to the tables with bread and the rest of the food is on the buffet. That way everyone has something to eat while they are waiting for their table to be called. It also is a nice extra for a wedding!

unplainjane

i prefer sit down dinners for weddings. i don't think i've been to a wedding with a buffet so i don't know what that experience would be. if you are concerned about the amount of food i think buffet is a good idea especially considering both your backgrounds. and i think it can be done elegantly. i agree with PP you should serve salads or apps first so people are eating something and don't feel antsy waiting and then don't stampede the buffet when they get there. or maybe the salad bar, apps and dessert are buffet but the main course is served like at a la carte resorts. so if people are really hungry they can eat more apps but they still get the experience of a served main course. i am having a seated dinner and both our families eat a lot so i'm a bit concerned about food quantity too. so i'm just serving more hors d'oeuvres and adding another course.

Sue-n-Kevin

I went to 2 weddings out of town for fiance's family, and both were family style (at the same venue). The servers brought out individual salads, then the meat, fish, potato and veggie options were served with large platters and bowls. This might be a good compromise. When a bowl or platter was emptied, the server brought more of that item. The down side to this is that you have a lot of bowls and platters on the table, creating havoc with centerpieces if you have elaborate ones.

We are planning on having a buffet, and I've been to weddings with buffets. Whether this works for you depends on your venue, the size of your guest list, and whether they can accomodate one or two buffet table lines with people serving themselves from both sides. I personally prefer the buffet option because it allows me to choose what I want to eat instead of the bridal couple. But our wedding is small (about 100 people), and we plan on several options.

Good luck with your choice.

kaesha

We did a plated salad + buffet dinner. I thought it was classy - really it's all about logistics and presentation. If your staff is organized, then there won't be long lines for the food, and it'll run smoothly.

UDscoobychick

Personally, I prefer plated dinners.  All the buffets I've been to, I had to wait FOREVER to go get food, and I was starving the whole time.  And it kinda screams "cafeteria" to me.  I've never had an issue of being hungry after a plated dinner--with appetizers before, a salad course, and an entree course, plus wedding cake, I think there is a good amount of food, and it is reasonable to expect that the average person would be satisfied (if not full).

Whippet8

we had a buffet, and our venue set it up more like stations. IMO, the way it was set up was very classy.

People could choose what they wanted to eat, and could easily get up and get more if they wanted. 

mica178

I like plated dinners too.  They're more formal, and they last thing I want to do is make my guests dress up then line up cafeteria-style for food kept warm over a sterno.

CourtneyJ2010

We are doing a traditional BBQ buffet but we are using real plates and there will be two lines and we are having heavy apps before hand. Also they are going to serve me and my new husband so we don't have to worry about not having time to get up and get food and they said they could also serve our mothers as well if we needed it. They are also decorating the buffet. It sounded so beautiful it made me want to cry. I think I am going to be very happy with my choice.

apaadzzzz

I definately prefer a sit down dinner.  You said you were concerned that the last few weddings with sit-down dinners weren't very good...well that's what a tasting is for. You'll be available to taste your food ahead of time and be sure to pick a good option.  I have had all types of buffets, including gourmet, and with a buffet the food is never as good, it sits out longer, which tends to make some dishes dry and over cooked.  Not to mention I have never met an yone that enjoys a buffet line.  I won't even get into the sanitary reasons (it totally grosses me out).  I totally get why  some people do buffets, but if you can  do a sit down, and the only reason your considering a buffet is your wondering if the food will be better... go with the sit down.  You will be able to ensure ahead of time the food will be exactly what you want.

BluValkyrie

I prefer plated dinners.  The last few weddings I have been to were all buffet dinners and they were all horrible (one even being at a location KNOWN for their buffets); the sort of food that sits like a rock in your stomach in the worst sense of the phrase.

I have heard the argument that if people don't like the main dish, they can fill up on sodes!  I don't see the logic in that; if the main meal of the buffet (namely, the big focus) is horrible, I don't see why a side, which gets a lot less attention, would be good either.

That and after reading some books, I get VERY distrustful of buffets; it's not always as fresh as you might think it is.

jessicamarie320

My best friend got married a couple weeks ago and had a beautiful reception with a buffet style dinner. It worked out wonderfully. She had about 200-250 guests who attended so it was a long line, however, they had servers and two buffet tables so the line went fast. I think a buffet is excellent because it keeps the dinner casual and allows guests to get whatever food they want, as opposed to feeling obligated to finish their plate.

tldh

The one thing that we noticed about weddings with sit down dinners is that guests stay in their seats and don't mingle.  We're having a small wedding at a historical home.  We are doing heavy appetizers set up as a buffet and having a few tables set up if people want to sit and the chairs and couches are taken.

SuMmErKuTiE

We're doing stations because every wedding we've been to together that has a traditional plated dinner, we are always so hungry! The portions are small, and we may have chosen the meat, but didn't like the sides it came with. FI always makes us hit up the drive-thru on the way home.. haha.

But, the weddings we've been to that have had stations or a buffet, we never felt hungry afterwards because we could choose what and how much we'd like to eat. And if we love something, we go back up for seconds! :0)

tme820

My menu for my reception is as follows:

There will be a table set up with fruit, vegetables, cheeses and crackers.

We are also have Butler passed HORS D’OEUVRES, Which are:
Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Petite Quiche and Mini Pigs in the Blanket

Then we will have a appetizer, which we picked Cheese tortellini with Garlic Alfredo Sauce.

Following will be a house salad then Our Family Style Sit Down (Buffet) that consists of:
3 entrees, which we picked Ham with Fruit Sauce, Lemon Chicken & Ziti
Choice of Potato, which we picked Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy
Choice of Vegetable, which we picked California Blend (Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrots) And Dinner Rolls

Of course for dessert we have the Wedding Cake and Ice Cream.

I know our families like to eat and I didn't want them to have to choose one entree but I didn't want them to have to get up for a buffet so like I said I did a Family Style Sit Down (Buffet)

wifeandmommy0609

I wanted to do a buffet dinner so we knew everyone would get full but the platted dinner was more in our budget.

nyquinn134

I've had plated dinners and buffet and I feel like the plated stuff sits there for a while under the heat lamps and can get a little dry.  We're doing buffet with a pasta, carving, sushi, and seafood for our stations.  We also split up the stations, 2 to a side of the room to cut down the lines.