Buffet Line Control

Do you have a coordinator who can release tables a few at a time?

Why no assigned tables? That's a lot of people to expect to find seats happily and fill the tables correctly. I would seriously reconsider assigning tables for that reason, and it would also help solve your buffet problem.

View Quoted Comment We do not. Very casual

I would ask your caterer how they usually handle managing the buffet line. They may have some suggestions for you.

You need to do it just like it was done in elementary school. You need to ask everyone to take a seat and wait for their table to be called. Head table first, followed by brides parents tables, grooms parents table, then whatever.

Typically the DJ would call tables, so even if he isn't "playing" I would ask him to do this. That's a lot of people to not at least have assigned tables. As long as everyone is seated, there needs to be someone to call them up. I can't think of another way it would be managed successfully.

View Quoted Comment I agree with this. I would assign tables to avoid any awkwardness and anxiety your guests may feel by not knowing where to sit and hoping they can find enough room for who they came with. Plus I would have the DJ facilitate calling out the tables. This is the norm and they should know how to do it efficiently. Plus I would have staff serving the buffet to ensure portion control because it sucks to be that guest towards the end with nothing really to eat because the tables before them heaped the good stuff on their plate. It's happened to me more than once.

People sitting together should be sitting down and eating at as close to the same time as possible, not coming and going like a cafeteria. So whether assigned or not, all from a table need to be called from their seats to the buffet, at the same time. I hate it when an announcer calls people by table number, like a cheap steak house, or a train station, or a bingo game. If your dinner is formal enough to have table linens and centerpieces, even buffets should be handled with a little class. Wait staff should be standing by, quietly moving from table to table and telling groups when it is their time. No loudspeaker or mic announcements during dinner itself. Don't forget, by the time the 2nd or 3rd table goes up, people at the first have started eating. Who needs 10 announcements during dinner conversation?

Yeah if you ain't have staff and your shindig is fairly casual I'd just ask someoneyou can count on to help release tables. Have someone make a brief announcement like, Attention: this is Chad, Chad is in charge of when you get to eat, hang tight till Chad tells you it's time. Don't tick off Chad.

Dont* not ain't. #whenwillwehaveaccesstoedit

Yes, however informal the service, a single person quietly watching the buffet and sending people there, is so much nicer.

I am use to the caterer releasing tables. You could confirm with them

View Quoted Comment

I've had that happen too. People taking way too much food on the first round and things being gone.

We just had our wedding with the same thing and we had our DJ continue to play music so the younger folks still danced while the older ones got their food and then once everyone got their food, he played music like frank Sinatra etc. you don’t want it totally quiet, cuz it’s real quiet when that happens. It’s that quiet when everyone is hungry and just eating...magnified by 10.

I would have someone release each table, whether it's a member of catering staff, coordinator, or another vendor.