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Sonia
Savvy October 2024

Buffet at a reception ??How did that work for you?

Sonia, on November 11, 2016 at 5:57 AM Posted in Planning 0 23

Hello everyone ,

So I'm in the early stages of planning and in my head I thought if I offer a buffet style reception , people have plenty to eat and will enjoy themselves .Bur now I'm reconsidering because 70 people at a buffet can end up being chaotic and time consuming .so my question is: is there anyone who served a buffet at their wedding and how did that workout ? Tips and advices are welcome

Thanks

23 Comments

Latest activity by A&W, on November 11, 2016 at 2:57 PM
  • RealLindseyO
    Master October 2017
    RealLindseyO ·
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    Buffets are quite common. Caterers are good at planning for crowds and people don't all rush up to the buffet at once, you send them up table by table...

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  • Katie
    Expert January 2017
    Katie ·
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    Maybe look into stations. That way people are not standing in a long line and they can roam to different buffets throughout the room

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  • KiwiDerbyBride
    VIP May 2015
    KiwiDerbyBride ·
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    We had a buffet and 75 guests, worked just fine. Staff called guests up table by table.

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  • LuvBeingMarried2Him!
    VIP July 2016
    LuvBeingMarried2Him! ·
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    We had a buffet for 43

    guests.. It worked great!

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  • RJmargo
    Master May 2016
    RJmargo ·
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    We had a buffet for 100 guests and it worked well. The key is to have more than one buffet line and to call people up by tables. We had two buffet lines and it went pretty quickly. We also served the salad as plated, so people had something to eat while they were waiting to get called up to the buffet.

    Eta: by multiple buffet lines, I mean the same food set up in locations. Usually it's two parallel tables.

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  • AlwaysMs.
    VIP May 2018
    AlwaysMs. ·
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    70 is a very easy number for a buffett. I have catered weddings three times that size with buffets and it worked just fine because we set up enough lines and had them open on both sides. Your caterer can do this in his or her sleep.

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  • Sam
    Super October 2016
    Sam ·
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    I had 100 people at my wedding and the buffet went fine. There was plenty of food and it didn't take long for people to get through the line. We had a full serviced buffer though, so people were serving the food. I wouldn't suggest a free for all for 70 people, definitely hire servers for the buffet.

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  • T
    Expert October 2016
    Taylor-brooke ·
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    I've catered alot of weddings and buffet is alot easier and usually somewhat cheaper because you are not paying hourly costs of having servers. They are just so simple. I've done weddings of 250 to 300 buffet style. You just call up a table at a time and it goes really smooth and very fast as opposed to serving each table. Which is hectic and stressful.

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  • Laura2.0
    VIP March 2017
    Laura2.0 ·
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    I'm doing a buffet too. What my venue does is they serve the appetizer and salads family style and the buffet line is called by tables and there's servers and two line going.

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  • MrsDrum
    Master June 2017
    MrsDrum ·
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    I have been to A LOT of weddings. The coordinator will usually go to each table and let them know when it's their turn to go up.

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  • Katherine
    VIP June 2017
    Katherine ·
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    Buffets are the most common for all sizes of weddings in my area. I've actually only been to one wedding with a plated meal. I've seen buffets work for up to 180. The DJ usually dismisses by table, or it just kind of works organically at smaller weddings.

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  • Erin Wood
    Master July 2017
    Erin Wood ·
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    I've been to weddings with buffets and it was fine. I suggest checking with your venue to find out if it's a cheaper option. At my venue it's the same price because they have servers at the buffet. It's not self serve. They also would have to set the buffet up outside of my reception space which I don't like as much. Either way it'll be fine.

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  • Private User
    VIP August 2014
    Private User ·
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    "I thought if I offer a buffet style reception, people have plenty to eat and will enjoy themselves."

    Buffets are not common, in our region, except for cocktail hour cold food spreads and dessert buffets. There are usually 3-4 plated courses, too.

    I have attended 2 weddings, not in our region, that had buffets. I would neither say that "people have plenty to eat" nor they "will enjoy themselves" more. Each buffet offered 2 meats (I don't eat it), a starch, vegetable, cold/hard roll, and bowl of salad mix. Both had servers, so I only got one serving spoon, of each item. Even when I asked for more pasta, since I don't eat meat, at the one wedding, I was told I couldn't. Therefore, I got servings of the meat and switched with my husband, for his pasta. Neither wedding offered seconds, except for the one who chose squash, as a vegetable. I think there was still squash left, when they cleaned-up.

    I attended only one wedding in my area, that had a buffet. The rolls (cold/hard) and salad (wilted/warm) where already at our seats, when we got to the tables. I'm guessing they set these out, before the ceremony, since it was at the opposite end of the room. The buffet consisted of 2 entrees (meat), starch and vegetable.

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  • AlwaysMs.
    VIP May 2018
    AlwaysMs. ·
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    Sorry you had that experience, Beach Babe, but those are definitely not normal buffets! Hope you run into a good one soon!

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  • Suzz
    April 2018
    Suzz ·
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    Buffets are normal in my area. If over 50 people they normally do two identical buffets. Last one I went to have 2 choices of green salad, salmon, chicken, beef, mashed potatoes, 2 pasta, two veggies, and a rice option. Rolls and butter were on the tables.

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  • Samantha
    VIP June 2017
    Samantha ·
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    I have only been to one wedding that I can recall not being a buffet, and even that was family style at the tables. The last one I went to was by far my favorite one, the main things I had that stuck out were they had little Chinese take out boxes with fried rice in them, little plates of rice noodle salad, egg rolls, and chicken wings which I am usually not a huge fan of chicken wings but these were AMAZING and were dubbed "crack wings" because people kept going back for more and more of them.

    We are going to due an Italian buffet for our wedding since we have a pretty good mix of vegetarian and non coming and that menu had the best veggie dishes and could also accomidtate FH with gluten free noodles.

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  • Melissa
    Master March 2018
    Melissa ·
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    My friends had a 130 person wedding. They had a buffet and if you have professionals like they did, it will move smoothly.

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  • T&T Mrs C
    Master August 2016
    T&T Mrs C ·
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    We had a buffet for 110 people and it worked out great. Everyone was sitting and eating within 15-20 mins. Then they also got to go up for more food if they wanted.

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  • Lynnie
    WeddingWire Administrator October 2016
    Lynnie ·
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    Buffets are very common!! Just have either your DJ/MC or the wait staff dismiss tables one by one to get their food from the buffet, that way you stagger the guests so there isn't a mad rush for food Smiley smile

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  • WinterBride
    Devoted February 2017
    WinterBride ·
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    I've never been to a wedding that didn't have a buffet and I've to weddings of 200+ people. They all went fine

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