Stations vs buffets?

Lasairiona

What exactly is the difference between the two? Obviously every caterer is different in their terminology and view of what they entail. But in general, how do they differ? The concept of both is the same.

Hinaj

I think a food station is considered when you have different types of food on the menu, so your guest can walk around trying foods that they might not have before.  There could be an Asian station, Mexican Station, pasta bar, seafood and dessert station.  The list can go on and on. 

A buffet wedding reception is exactly is like a restaurant buffet, where the food is set up at one place, and laid out for you.  The station is just breaks that down into smaller tables and set up around the reception venue. 

HTH... Feel free to correct me. This is what I always thought the difference was. 

Islamorada14

I'll give it a try...

Buffets are typically one long table of food, while stations are several tables set up in different areas of a room (hence the name "station").  

Each "station" at a station reception will often have a theme, such as an Asian station or Italian station.  It doesn't seem to matter whether or not these different stations match with one another (I typically wouldn't eat sushi with pasta alfredo).  Stations often consist of small portions/finger food, and by visiting several stations you get a filling meal.  Buffets provide a more traditional, robust meal with foods that coordinate well together.

I usually enjoy station weddings and buffet weddings because of the food quality and selection.  As much as I want to like formal, plated 4 course receptions, the food is usually disappointing (dry, lukewarm, seems like its been sitting on a plate too long).

kaesha

Exactly my semantics point. All stations are buffets, but not all buffets are stations.

I'd just say that stations are a way of organizing a buffet into thematic groupings. I've only ever been to restaurants for a breakfast buffet (which always seems to include an omelet bar and a juice bar) so I think they're fundamentally the same thing. Mostly I think it's just the industry rebranding a term that gets a bad rap.

The same problems that some people have with buffets (getting up, carrying food, etc) don't disappear just because you call it a station, you know?

LisaTyler1984

Buffets are usually just a table of food on burners, platers or a carving station. People get up, fill their plate, and bring it back to a seat to eat.

Stations usually are themed, yes, but they also tend to have more action. Food is cooked on the spot and made to order.

I think the major difference is that you aren't meant to go to a station, fill your plate and sit. It's supposed to be enjoyed the same way a cocktail hour is enjoyed. You are meant to visit different stations, mingle and eat at the same time. The portions are smaller so you can stand while you eat- or sit, it's up to you. But, real station weddings wouldn't use a seating chart and the flow of the party is meant to be more free form. You could grab a slider, talk to some friends, eat a sushi roll, dance on the dance floor, go back and get a soup shooter... etc. etc.

I think that people tend to call some buffets "stations" to make it sound fancier, but there IS a difference between a station and a buffet- sometimes they are wrongfully interchanged.

kaesha

So by that definition, how is it different than a cocktail party?

LisaTyler1984

It's not. That's the point. Station weddings ARE cocktail parties... just with food heavy enough to constitute a dinner. Otherwise, you are right, it would just be a buffet.

Lasairiona

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_stations-vs-buffets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:bf1c27c9-5edf-43ca-9823-85d4627403e5Post:5e62a032-4f2e-489a-9a77-41e8cabf54c6">Re: Stations vs buffets?</a>:
[QUOTE]It's not. That's the point. Station weddings ARE cocktail parties... just with food heavy enough to constitute a dinner. Otherwise, you are right, it would just be a buffet.
Posted by LisaTyler1984[/QUOTE]
Is that your definition or does every caterer who offers stations anywhere in the country agree with you? Every single stations menu I have seen online or otherwise, including that of upscale NYC weddings out of curiosity from when my sister planned hers, the stations are the equivalent of several full meals per person with no room for anything else afterward. In fact, just 6-8 passed appetizers alone are the equivalent of a plated meal, yet heavy appetizer parties during a meal time and often at non-meal times offer so much food that if a person goes home hungry, it's their own fault. The food offered is very heavy. Non-heavy food is essentially fruit trays, finger sandwiches, and cheese platters. I can't imagine any caterer having full stations of just those things.


Going back to the catering menus mentioned that offer stations, the caterers in question when asked have described them as buffet tables that have different themed cuisines set up around the room. After all that, l still don't understand what the difference is between them other than one just being a fancier name and why one is socially acceptable while the other is considered "trailer trash" by many, despite frequently being found in many upscale establishments.

kaesha

I see what you're saying - especially in the light of your menu (totally delicious sounding too, I might add). And I completely apologize if what I'm about to say doesn't make sense. I'm seriously hepped up on cold meds.

I'm totally with you on the interactive, live cooking part of the definition, I just don't think stations necessarily mandate a smaller portion size. Perhaps I'm jaded because of suffering through one too many gristly slab-o-meat carving stations at weddings! That's why I said it's a subset of the buffet concept. You get up, you choose your food, you eat the food. This concept of a big table with burners is such an old fashion, restrictive concept of  buffets. Even my university cafeteria included stations - we had a a pasta bar and a sushi stand included as part of our buffet area. When I go to a tapas bar or an izakaya, I'm still going out for dinner, even though I'm ordering several smaller plates of food. Do you see what I'm saying? So, if the stations are used as part of a meal, it's a buffet.

Now, that's not to say that you can't import the concept and apply it to a cocktail party. (Obviously, as that's what you're doing!) But to say they're fundamentally a cocktail party doesn't seem right either.

LisaTyler1984

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_stations-vs-buffets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:bf1c27c9-5edf-43ca-9823-85d4627403e5Post:888cf9f6-088e-42dc-b6b2-5be73d7203db">Re: Stations vs buffets?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Stations vs buffets? : Is that your definition or does every caterer who offers stations anywhere in the country agree with you? Every single stations menu I have seen online or otherwise, including that of upscale NYC weddings out of curiosity from when my sister planned hers, the stations are the equivalent of several full meals per person with no room for anything else afterward. In fact, just 6-8 passed appetizers alone are the equivalent of a plated meal, yet heavy appetizer parties during a meal time and often at non-meal times offer so much food that if a person goes home hungry, it's their own fault. The food offered is very heavy. Non-heavy food is essentially fruit trays, finger sandwiches, and cheese platters. I can't imagine any caterer having full stations of just those things. Going back to the catering menus mentioned that offer stations, the caterers in question when asked have described them as buffet tables that have different themed cuisines set up around the room. After all that, l still don't understand what the difference is between them other than one just being a fancier name and why one is socially acceptable while the other is considered "trailer trash" by many, despite frequently being found in many upscale establishments.
Posted by Lasairiona[/QUOTE]


Kaesha, I'm sorry you are wrong. I mean, don't you know that every caterer in the United States agrees with me? Duh. 
Obviously kidding...
Lasairona, maybe I'm imagining this but, wasn't it YOU who asked the question? Wasn't it YOU looking for an answer? I, clearly, am not the authority on caterers across the country. I am just answering based on my experiences.
If you read what I wrote above you would see that I said that the food would be heavy enough to constitute a meal. You have more options but in smaller portions that allow you to mingle in a cocktail-party esque style. Hors d'oeuvres are not the only thing that could be served at a cocktail party.
Kaesha, I could totally see what you are saying and tapas is definitely a dinner. I think some people do stations like you say (and ugh to the big slab of meat at carving stations haha). I guess, in my mind, station weddings should be more mingling affairs with tapas and not full out dinner portions. If the stations serve full out dinner portions, then that is a buffet- just spread out on different table with different themes.
I really can only speak as to the difference between a buffet and a station, the way that I am doing stations at MY wedding. There is definitely a difference. But not everyone may do them that way and there be little to no difference and the "station wedding" is really just a buffet wearing a fancy hat.

LisaTyler1984

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_stations-vs-buffets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:bf1c27c9-5edf-43ca-9823-85d4627403e5Post:4951df37-1c62-445b-9906-cd3867d3a9d8">Re: Stations vs buffets?</a>:
[QUOTE]I But to say they're fundamentally a cocktail party doesn't seem right either.
Posted by kaesha[/QUOTE]

P.S. I know! I struggle with what to call it all the time. I generally call it
a "station wedding", any other suggestions? I feel like people are always confused by what I mean lol. I'm having a cocktail hour with passed hors d'oeuvres then I am opening up themed stations throught the mansion I'm getting married in. The stations will be in different rooms with seating all throughout the top floor of the mansion. So it's supposed to be like a cocktail party but with stations. See what I mean? Which do you call it?

kaesha

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_stations-vs-buffets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:bf1c27c9-5edf-43ca-9823-85d4627403e5Post:a0baa075-ff21-46ef-abb2-1c68888baa10">Re: Stations vs buffets?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Stations vs buffets? : P.S. I know! I struggle with what to call it all the time. I generally call it a "station wedding", any other suggestions? I feel like people are always confused by what I mean lol. I'm having a cocktail hour with passed hors d'oeuvres then I am opening up themed stations throught the mansion I'm getting married in. The stations will be in different rooms with seating all throughout the top floor of the mansion. So it's supposed to be like a cocktail party but with stations. See what I mean? Which do you call it?
Posted by LisaTyler1984[/QUOTE]

I know, shocking right? LOL! I can't even speak for American caterers - I'm Canadian.

Truthfully, I'd call it a ridiculously awesome buffet - especially since you're having a designated cocktail hour! <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-tongue-out.gif" border="0" alt="Tongue out" title="Tongue out" />  Maybe you need to invent a new word for it - I don't know what you'd call it! It's definitely enough food to call it a meal, not hors d'oeurves, and you've already used up a cocktail hour... I went to a carnival themed reception two summers ago that had a similar kind of set-up and they just called billed it as a dinner reception on the cards, and told us it was a buffet with stations (don't quote me on that, I wasn't seriously considering the terminology at all then). I guess I'm not much help there!

The only problem they had with it was gathering all the people up from all the different areas of the grounds for the cake cutting and dancing! People were all over the place. So, I hope you have better luck with that!

fallbride1109

At my wedding, it was considered a buffet (versus a plated meal) but it was set up in stations.  So it wasn't all on one big table with people lined up on each side.  The food was laid out in separate -- well, stations.  Carving station, potato martini bar, fruit/cheese display, smoked salmon station, etc.  It was definitely dinner, not cocktail food.  We served appetizers at the cocktail hour.  Not that I ever saw it--our plates were made for us and brought to us!  But this was how it was laid out.  People were able to flow through the room getting what they want as they wanted it.  It worked well at my wedding.  But this is only my experience.

SheDiva4

We are doing stations as well as we want our guests to mingle and not be confined to their seat for a plated meal.  We are also having a cocktail hour with hors'dorves but want to make sure that our guests are fed.

Another difference and I know it depends on the location but our stations will all be staffed, so our guests will have someone actually serving the food on their plate at each station.

A buffet would not be staffed which would reduce the cost, but the guests are on their own to serve themselves.

526SadieSadie

I was under the impression that a buffet is self serve (except of course a freshly carved item) and stations were manned by a server....? 

LisaTyler1984

I've been to a buffet wedding before and there were servers but it was definitely a buffet. Also, I've been to a lot of Communion parties and birthday parties where there were buffets but servers too.

tommyandy

Stations can also have people carving slices of meat from a larger piece (like a 40pound roast or whole turkey or ham) for the guests.

Stations  can also improve the flow of guests & food.  It doesn't take anywhere near as long for 100 people to go to 3 stations for food as it does for 100 people to go thru 1 buffet line.

Festiva

you've gotten some good answers on here, just wanted to add that I prefer stations because guests walk around and mingle while a buffet lends itself to a cattle line...know what i mean.

anne.azano

I think with stations the food is often being cooked or prepared in front of you... During our cocktail hour there will be fruit and cheese and passed hors d'oeuvres, then we're having a grill station where a server will be cooking and serving steak and probably salmon, a pasta station for the vegetarians, (which will probably be more like a buffet) and a seafood station with different shellfish options.    

Albireo

My reception venue can do stations. You could use a couple of stations to provide appetizers, or you could have lots of stations to feed everyone a dinner-sized meal. The following is based on how my venue does it:

Some stations require a chef to prepare or serve the food (which can be expensive) but the food will be something really fancy and fresh -- like fresh sushi rolls, meat carved from a roast, little goblets of soup freshly combined with toppings, etc.

Others are do-it-yourself fun-food types of things. There could be a baked potato station where you load a potato with your favourite toppings, or a taco station where you fill the taco with whatever toppings you want... it's like those sundae bars at Ponderosa, but classier.

The upshot of it is that you get food that is more complicated or fresher than what you would have if you had a buffet with trays of premade food.

I went with a buffet rather than stations because we got more different types of food for less money, plus the buffet doesn't take up as much room.

jburkie1

From what I've read - if guests will fill a plate and sit down to eat all at the same time - it's a buffet - regardless of if you have different 'themes'

If you will have partial seating and small plates - then you're having stations - and likely these are grouped in themes.