Buffet or Seated Dinner

The venue that I am probably going to book has both options and the price is the same. The sales woman said that with a buffet-style you often have "more food" i assume she means if ppl want to go up for 2nds. I think the same goes for table-side carving stations, but i'm not 100% on that. I'm choosing a sit down service only because (#1 its the same price, had it been cheaper i'd prob. gone for buffet) but i feel like.. i dont want my whole family trying to clamoring out of their seats to line up for a buffet.. i just feel like, for the same price it's a bit classier to have a sit down. *shrug* lke i said.. if it was cheaper, i'd do buffet style.. for me its about the money.. lol

I believe that the most "formal" of the two is seating. However if you are having a family wedding and would like it to be intimate with mingling "buffet" is the way to go. I specialize in both however I find that today seating allows control over situtations that could go very wrong. LOL

We decided on a buffet so that people could pick and choose what they wanted on the day. I know otherwise last minute people would want to change their order. Because its all being catered by the venue I know the food will be nice and fresh so im really excited about it.

Hi Tanesha! We are doing a "seated" reception for 150 people. You should be fine either way according to the previous posts. However, in helping with our decision we confirmed how many servers per the number of tables. We have a server per every two table so we don't have to worry about things like cold food and wait time because each server caters to his/her own two tables. Good luck with your decision!

We are going with buffet. I like for people to have a bit of an option. I myself am a picky eater and it kinda sucks to have a plate full of food that I won't eat set in front of me. I end up eating a dinner roll and waiting for the cake. A wasted meal. We will have a couple of things that I do not like at our wedding but I want everyone to have a satisfying meal.

We're going with a buffet. the price was very similar (which surprised me) for a seated dinner and the buffet. FH for some reason really wanted a buffet and we have more options to choose from on what to put on the buffet. Also we get "extras" with the buffet that don't come with a seated meal like a fruit tray. I've been to weddings with both a buffet style and a seated meal at the same venue and I think they both went great (similar sizes too) We're hoping to do tastings and decide on our meal when we go back to MN in Dec, I'm excited!

We went with buffet. I said we should have two buffet sides for the guests so it wouldn't be a long line.

Thank you ladies for all the input!!!

I am doing a sit down dinner because it is more elegant to me. Buffets are fine especially if they have more than one line. I went to a very nice weding last summer that had a buffet for over 300 but there were 3 serving lines and things went smoothly. Buffets are not always cheaper because they cook more food to cover extra guests etc. A sit down dinner should never be cold and the venue manager should ensure you of it.

We picked a sit down dinner. To me its more elegant but thats just me. At my venue a buffet was 30 a person and seated was 25 so seated was cheaper and I just feel it will be less hectic

You also have to keep in mind with doing a sit down dinner that you might want to give a higher tip or gratuity so that all of the servers will be compensated. We are doing buffet style dinner for 200 people. For us it's just more logical than a sit down because our caterer is family owned and there aren't enough people to "wait" on our guests. These days formality is in the eye of the beholder. I went to a wedding over the summer that was buffet style for like 250 people and it still had a very elegant and formal to it. In the end it just all depends on you and your FH and what you feel more comfortable doing. If you want your guests to feel more comfortable mingling before you get there then buffet style is definitely the way to go. But if you are going with assigned seats than sit down dinner is the way to go. It all depends on the feel that you are going for. But if you are going for formal and elegant than you can achieve that no matter which style you go with.

Oh and don't worry about congestion. Normally only one or two tables get up at a time. The D.J can help you out with the timing of when to let the next table up and what not. So don't stress over that to much. I have never been to a wedding that was congested over a buffet style set up...Unless you get some very slow uncoordinated people. Just a tip though. Have salt and pepper packs and butter packs so that they can do that at the table. And make sure you utilize both sides of the table if you can instead of having everyone on just one side..Just some thoughts to keep the congestion down.

I've always had a problem w/buffets....I always find a way to drop something & I hate the fact that I have to stand in line to get something to eat . I'm having 190 guests or so and am planning on during the "family style" serving, like they do at Maggiano's. The food will be hot when it's presented to the tables & guests can ask for more w/o leaving their seats.....and potentially spilling something

We decided on a buffet because of cost. we're having our reception at a hotel and for a plated dinner of only one thing was $27 but the buffet which has 15 choices was $30 which to us was a wayy better deal. plus if we did individual plated dinners we would have to pay for gratuity for the waiters and such and its just more money wedont want to spend. the DJ calls tables up to the buffet usually by two's so there wont be congestion.

We are doing the buffet for the reason of it being cheaper. I was at a very classy wedding a couple of years ago and they had a buffet. I don't think there is anything wrong with it. And to avoid your guests getting "out of control" have one table go up, then the next and the next until everyone has gotten their food. Everything will be fine either way. Good luck!