reception food

rycbar123 · March 2014

Hey ladies!

I'm more of a lurker on this site due to the fact that I work night shift so it's difficult to get into a conversation. Besides that, I know this board gets a lot of traffic so I just wanted to post on here and ask for some advice.

FI and I had our tasting with caterer yesterday. Coming from the tasting we have a few decisions to make and wanted to get sort of a group poll before we made the decisions.

1) When it comes to the entree portion we know we are going to have a chicken option whether we choose buffet or plated. So my question is would you prefer a plated dinner or buffet? Also, if we chose buffet we have to chose just two meats and are debating between a carving station of pork loin or a marinated sirloin steak. So which of those two would be the best option if we went with a buffet and the other meat would be chicken.

2) We are given the option of a late night snack with the package we have. The snack would come out at around 9 or 10 and dinner is at 6. Right now we are trying to decide between pizza, nachos, and a chocolate fountain as our choices for the late night snack. So if you were at our wedding (open bar with top shelf liquor all night) which late night snack would you prefer? It also might be pertinent to mention we are having a two tiered wedding cake (feeds about 100) and 6 cheesecakes, Also, we are months away from the wedding but right now our guest list sits at ~150.

TIA for all the replies!

HisGirlFriday13 · March 2014

I prefer buffets because I can pick and choose what I want, and take more of something I like and less of something I don't.

As for the meat, I would prefer the sirloin, but that's me -- I don't care for pork.

You should also have a vegetarian option for guests who don't want chicken or steak or don't eat either.

As far as late-night snack goes, I'd prefer pizza or nachos, but I'm a fan of savoury foods over sweet foods.

rycbar123 · March 2014

Oh we do have a vegetarian option! I forgot to add that. Whether we do buffet or plated, vegetarians/vegans will have their own plate.

AddieCake · March 2014

I prefer buffets b/c I am picky. Of those 2, I would prefer the steak. I am a huge lover of sweets, but I would prefer pizza or nachos for the snack, especially since you already have plenty of sweets.

Futuremrsds2015 · March 2014

I prefer a plated dinner. Buffets take so long for everyone to get their plates. For the meat I would prefer steak. For the late night snack I would pick pizza or nachos since they can have cake or cheesecake.

Senecaf · March 2014

I prefer a buffet, I like to be able to skip what I don't like and get a little extra of what I do like. Plated is more formal tough.

I would go with the sirloin. Pork is fairly similar to chicken and the steak would give you a little more diversity.

Pizza or nachos for late night snack. It will be served after cake so that should be enough sweet stuff.

LadyMillil · March 2014

I'm a picky eater, but I prefer a plated meal over buffet. I like the idea of a carving station and would prefer beef over pork. I love sweets, but after drinking all night I would want pizza. If people have been drinking heavily a chocolate fountain seems like it would be messier than usual.

mel&josh2015 · March 2014

As a vegetarian, I always appreciate a buffet. Often times the vegetarian plated dinner is literally just carrots and a bun. It's like they just take the meat off the plate and there you go. Or they think stir fry is so original and delicious (which often times, it's not that great). At least with a buffet I know there will usually be a few choices I can eat.

I don't drink alcohol but as a late night snack nachos would be my number 1, and pizza my number 2.

cruffino · March 2014

Plated
Steak
Pizza

mellyD2014 · March 2014

I also prefer plated - primarily because in my experience, buffets 1) can take a long time for everyone to be served, which may include waiting in lines, and 2) because of the wait, the food can often get cold, even if it's sitting over the warming platters.

I would also say pizza or nachos - at the end of the night, after a night of drinking and dancing, I want something greasy! We're doing something similar - at the end of our night, we're going to have a breakfast sandwich bar where people can get ham/egg/cheese, sausage/egg/cheese, or bacon/egg/cheese sandwiches. To be honest, it's one of the things I'm most excited about. So, I completely support a late-night greasy snack

doeydo · March 2014

1) When it comes to the entree portion we know we are going to have a chicken option whether we choose buffet or plated. So my question is would you prefer a plated dinner or buffet? Also, if we chose buffet we have to chose just two meats and are debating between a carving station of pork loin or a marinated sirloin steak. So which of those two would be the best option if we went with a buffet and the other meat would be chicken.

I prefer plated dinners at weddings because there are no lines, not as many germs, and I don't have to get up and carry around a plate of food. If you were to go with the buffet, though, I would choose the chicken and marinated sirloin steak.

2) We are given the option of a late night snack with the package we have. The snack would come out at around 9 or 10 and dinner is at 6. Right now we are trying to decide between pizza, nachos, and a chocolate fountain as our choices for the late night snack. So if you were at our wedding (open bar with top shelf liquor all night) which late night snack would you prefer? It also might be pertinent to mention we are having a two tiered wedding cake (feeds about 100) and 6 cheesecakes, Also, we are months away from the wedding but right now our guest list sits at ~150.

Oh I would definitely prefer the chocolate fountain and various foods to dip. I love sweets so I would probably have about one of each little late night dessert thingy. However, what if everyone (or over 100 people) wants a piece of cake? You won't have enough, which isn't really OK, IMO.

JMalettas · March 2014

I definitely prefer plated. Less germs firstly, as mentioned before, (this always seems to cross my mind at a buffet), no lines, & I personally find them less formal. If a buffet though, I would also choose chicken and steak.

Snack wise, (especially if you have wedding & cheese cake already), I'd want the pizza!

*J

CaliMel11 · March 2014

I prefer buffets. Generally I like to be able to pick out what I want and I also find that choosing a meal option is a total pain. I'd rather see what things look like first and then decide.
Plus I'm a picky eater.

I would rather have the chocolate fountain, but pizza is a good choice too!

csuave · March 2014

If it is a large wedding I prefer plated. Buffet lines seem to take forever at large weddings. If the wedding is 120 or less I like either.

Sirloin sounds like the better, crowd-pleasing choice.

I've only seen the late night snack twice and I have been to a lot of weddings. I kind of think they are a waste since I am full by then but I might not be typical that way. The first time I saw it they had pizza. I didn't have any because I wasn't hungry. The second time was a popcorn bar. I made a paper bag full, ate a little and then was very happy to be able to take the rest of my bag home for a morning snack Out of your choices I think pizza is the best.

Cookie Pusher · March 2014

I prefer a buffet. I have a ridiculously large appetite, so plated entrees oftentimes aren't enough for me. It makes me cringe when I see people not everything on their plates because... well... I would totally eat it for them, except it's rude to ask!

Steak is my protein of choice. We have several friends who do not eat pork (mostly for religious reasons), so I usually avoid it when I'm having large gatherings. As for late night snacks, I'd totally be down for pizza or nachos. I'm not much of a sweets person, though.

phira · March 2014

I prefer plated because I don't feel like getting up and waiting in line and carrying a plate. Often plated is less expensive than a buffet because people tend to take way more food than they'll eat when there's a buffet.

However, I wouldn't, like, be ANNOYED at you for having a buffet.

I'd prefer steak. I don't eat pork. I love steak.

PIZZA. Less messy than nachos. You have so much dessert that it would be awesome to have a savory option.

Peaseblossom55 · March 2014

Definitely prefer plated much fancier, less germ and as a vegan it's easier to get a separate plated meal I know is vegan.

I wouldn't be able to eat any of the late night snack options my choice would be pizza, let messier.

Also I would make sure there is a piece of cake for every guest attending

jdluvr06 · March 2014

I prefer buffet so I can pick and choose, also because I don't eat much at weddings because I'm so picky I could have as little as I wanted without feeling like I was wasting a bunch of food on my plate. I would with steak over pork because I don't eat pork. I've noticed that is a bit of a trend in this thread. Lol . As for the snack I choose nachos because... Well I love nachos. Lol. Pizza would probably be less messy though. I wouldn't do the fountain because I don't like chocolate but I know a lot of people so.

rajahmd · March 2014

jaydee4219 said:
Hey ladies!

I'm more of a lurker on this site due to the fact that I work night shift so it's difficult to get into a conversation. Besides that, I know this board gets a lot of traffic so I just wanted to post on here and ask for some advice.

FI and I had our tasting with caterer yesterday. Coming from the tasting we have a few decisions to make and wanted to get sort of a group poll before we made the decisions.

1) When it comes to the entree portion we know we are going to have a chicken option whether we choose buffet or plated. So my question is would you prefer a plated dinner or buffet? Also, if we chose buffet we have to chose just two meats and are debating between a carving station of pork loin or a marinated sirloin steak. So which of those two would be the best option if we went with a buffet and the other meat would be chicken.

2) We are given the option of a late night snack with the package we have. The snack would come out at around 9 or 10 and dinner is at 6. Right now we are trying to decide between pizza, nachos, and a chocolate fountain as our choices for the late night snack. So if you were at our wedding (open bar with top shelf liquor all night) which late night snack would you prefer? It also might be pertinent to mention we are having a two tiered wedding cake (feeds about 100) and 6 cheesecakes, Also, we are months away from the wedding but right now our guest list sits at ~150.

TIA for all the replies!

They all sound great to me (I know, not helpful). And I don't have a preference regarding buffet vs plated.

More importantly, if you are serving cake, you need to have enough for everyone. Not everyone likes cheesecake and a lot of people look forward to wedding cake. You should cut the cheesecake and get a bigger cake. Or at minimum get a bigger cake.

pinkshorts27 · March 2014

Ditto about the cake. I absolutely hate cheesecake and if I got stuck with that, I would be so disappointed.

missmarissa14 · March 2014

I prefer plated although buffet works well since people can pick and choose. However, for my wedding It is important to have good food BUT I want our guests to eat and then get the party started.....sometimes buffets can take a while which will delay the festivities afterwards. We are thinking about steak at our wedding but I am a little worried about that because everyone likes it cooked differently. My FI and I like it done "medium" but that may not be good for someone who likes it well-done. Not really sure what to do about that. We haven't had our tasting yet though! As far as late night snack, I don't think you can go wrong with pizza!

rycbar123 · March 2014

Thank you everyone for all your advice! I will definitely take all this back to FI so we can figure out our menu.

HobokensFury · March 2014

I prefer plated because there is nothing I hate more than standing in a long line while dressed to the nines then having to carry a plate across a room. Since I'm so scared of spilling and tripping I don't really eat anything at buffets.

hikebikebemerry · March 2014

I'm also a fan of plated meals. We are offering a vegetarian dish, a chicken dish, and a pork dish. We were on the fence about offering pork as we are aware that there are a lot of people who don't like pork. What helped us make our decision was that the ingredients in our dishes are locally sourced, the pork was delicious, and we know a lot of people who are quite picky about how their steak is cooked.

wandajune6 · March 2014

I have mixed feelings about buffet v. plated. I like the options with buffet but don't love carrying plates while wearing heels. We're going with a buffet because we have lots of people with food restrictions and a lot of kids of all ages- it's easier to feed pickier eaters and kids can't stay in their seats for the duration of a multi-course meal.

I'm not a big fan of pork. I'd also skip it because many of our guests won't eat it for religious reasons. Steak and chicken are safest.

For late night snacks, I'd go with pizza. It's the perfect food after drinking: sticks in your belly and not easily spilled. Nachos would be my second place. If you're trying to stave off serious drunken behavior by keeping the food coming, chocolate fountains just won't cut it.

I also agree with the PPs- you need enough wedding cake for everyone. I'd imagine that there will be lots of people who want a slice of both cakes, not just one.

daria24 · March 2014

I prefer family style most of all (you can take how much you want AND you don't have to walk to your food). But I would choose buffet over plated usually. I've had terrible luck with plated weddings where some tables are onto their next course before some people have received their entrees. In contrast, I've never been to a buffet wedding were I've waited more than 2 minutes to start scooping.

Steak

Pizza-I'd prefer something non-sweet, plus nacho cheese creeps me out.

lc07 · March 2014

-I have no preference about buffet or plated.

-Steak over Pork

-Pizza would probably be the best. (I can't eat gluten so it's out of the question for me but most everyone I know would love pizza)

- @daria24 , you nailed it. Nacho "cheese" (which I'm convinced isn't even food) is creepy as Hell.

ElcaB · March 2014

Buffet, steak, pizza.

RebeccaB88 · March 2014

Buffet, steak, pizza.

I hate plated meals with a passion. Always cold and take forever to come out.

pumpkinsandturkeys · March 2014

I've never had a bad experience with plated, but I've never been pleased with buffet. I understand that buffet provides more options, but even the most experienced catering companies never seem to keep food hot enough for my liking, or the food ends up overdone (read: dry or mushy) because it has been warming in a chafing dish for longer than it should. I also get anxious walking across a room with a plate of food because I'm a clutz. I vote plated, anything but pork, and pizza.

FutureMr&MrsG · March 2014

I prefer a plated meal and would vote for the sirloin and the pizza.

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