Wedding Cakes & Food Forum

Honest opinions!! Disposable silverware?!

When are disposable silverware acceptable for a wedding?  How much will guests remember about the plastic silverware vs real china?? 

My caterer offers an "elegant" dinner plate in white, silver plastic flatware, a plastic champagne flute and a good quality white paper napkin.  For real china, it's additional $5 per guest.

We will be serving a buffet style dinner in a ballroom.
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Re: Honest opinions!! Disposable silverware?!

  • No way!  A backyard, tented affair....perhaps.  But definitely not for a ballroom!
  • If you are talking about the heavy duty plastic-ware with the silverware that looks almost real then I think it would work.   If you can afford to spring for the real deal then you should, but not at the expense of more important things.  

    I'd rather eat an incredible meal on plastic than eat a so-so meal on real china. 
  • edited July 2012
    How fancy is the ballroom?  At least around here, "ballroom" seems to have a large range of meaning.

    If the venue is formal, I'd go with the real stuff.  IF you can afford it.  (To me, silverware isn't something to put yourself into debt over.)  If you do go plastic, ask to see if it's high quality. It should have some give when you bend it.  Trying to cut a slice of meat with a knife and fork that break at the slightest bit of resistance is not a fun dinner at all.

    For what it's worth, I can only think of one recent wedding where we had real silverware.  But that was also the only sit down, non-buffet wedding I've been to in the past several years.  Personally, I'm not that picky (aside from the aforementioned breaking issue).  Your mileage may vary, of course.
  • I think real china is great to have if you can already afford it or it's included in the venue. Otherwise, it's not something I'll notice. My wedding isn't in a ballroom, but it is buffet style (we've rented out an older home and are setting up both inside and on the lawn), and we're using the nice plastic and the nicer more heavy duty plastic-ware. Would I ideally love the idea of real china and flatware? Sure, but it's not worth the extra money I can then spend on food and alcohol for my guests. To me, that's one of those things that I'd get if I had money left over that I wanted to burn. 

    We are doing real wine glasses and champagne flutes, but only because if we order a certain amount from the liquor store they're throwing them in for free. 
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  • I would go for the real deal, especially with it being in a ballroom.

    My wedding will be in a ballroom and plastic-ware is not even a thought in my mind for my venue.

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  • I don't care about the plastic glasses and plates, but I absolutely HATE using plastic forks and knives to cut up food, espeically if it is something difficult to cut like steak, pork or chicken...I always feel like I am just going to snap either the fork or the knife in half!

  • PeavyPeavy member
    5 Love Its First Comment

    If you are having your wedding in a ballroom and your husband is wearing a tux or a suit, plastic ware just doesn't go with the elegant feel.  Cut out favors, aisle runner, programs, etc, to make up the difference in cost for the real deal.

  • Thanks all for your comments!

    When I first walked into the ballroom, it reminded me of Beauty and the Beast.  It has a high vaulted ceiling with chandeliers.  It is a nice looking and very elegant place.  and Yes, my fiance will be wearing a tux/suit. 

    We had our tasting with the caterer with their disposable silverwares.  Honestly...I had a little trouble cutting the piece of chicken myself with the plastic flatware.  It looks like we will have to spend $400-500 for china!  I'll be sure to get a picture of them on the wedding day!!
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_honest-opinions-disposable-silverware?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:23Discussion:53517413-67cb-4e9a-a4dd-f8f38166c07dPost:72c404f0-1d0b-46cc-a9ac-c9142ca56bcc">Re: Honest opinions!! Disposable silverware?!</a>:
    [QUOTE]Thanks all for your comments! When I first walked into the ballroom, it reminded me of Beauty and the Beast.  It has a high vaulted ceiling with chandeliers.  It is a nice looking and very elegant place.  and Yes, my fiance will be wearing a tux/suit.  We had our tasting with the caterer with their disposable silverwares.  Honestly...I had a little trouble cutting the piece of chicken myself with the plastic flatware.  <strong>It looks like we will have to spend $400-500 for china!</strong>  I'll be sure to get a picture of them on the wedding day!!
    Posted by beverlyluis[/QUOTE]

    Do you have to go through your caterer to rent the dishware?  If not, do a little bit of research and even ask your venue if they have any recommendations of where to rent china at a decent price. 

    But since you are having a buffet you will most likely have to rent more then just one plate per person.

  • Why not go to a department store like J c Penney in their flatware section they carry stainless Steel sets that have 96 pieces and they always have coupons. Have u looked into any places like that and just buy them outright still way less than 500
  • I think that the cost is mostly for the washing of the dishes.  One of the venues that I'll be looking at offers china for the dinner, but the "fancy" disposables for dessert which I'd be fine with. 
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