Buffet style place settings?

We had a dinner buffet at my wedding reception. The plates were not on the table, they were right next to the food. I would not want to see my guests grabbing their plates to go stand in line for food. I've never seen that at a buffet. Here's what our tables looked like. I don't have any photos of the buffet itself, though.

Same as Karebear, the guests got their plates at the buffet. There were folded napkins at the place settings beforehand.

Unfortunately our party hall doesn't supply fabric napkins which is why i figured i'd go the paper doily route.

I forgot to post pics. brb

Something like this

I have buffet - I'm going to have the plates at the buffet, and then the utensils set at the table with the cloth napkin folded by itself where the plate would go.

I'm having a buffet. We'll have the plates and utensils with cloth napkins set up before hand on the tables. People will need to bring their plates to the buffet. I really don't think it's that difficult.

I'm going to have plates and the utensils wrapped up in a napkin by the buffet. I just feel like kids will mess with the utensils and napkins and I'm going for a more casual style anyway.

@Brenda so your tables will only have the centerpieces and cups?

Sorry to overtake the post but I am serving buffet style. My question is should I provided them with a menu??

@Jenna, i'm not they'll see when they get up there lol but we really only have spanish food

@Jenna I'm doing a menu. I used rack cards from vista print. I got 100 for $20.

My plates will be at the buffet. I will have chargers, flatware, and napkins on the table.

We did a casual buffet, but the caterer put the salad down at each place first, and the entree plates were at the buffet. I understand what you're saying, but agree with the other ladies... having a nice napkin, with either the utensils wrapped and sat on top, or a menu sat on top, will look lovely... no worries about that.

However, you could ask your caterer if they would be willing to plate the salad and put it at the places - this might be a happy medium. They might not be able to if they don't have salad plates, but if they do, there's not much difference in plating salad and having people get salad on separate plates.

This is our place-setting with the salad. We put 1 copy of the menu on each table.

@Rebecca I love your mugs.

We had plates at the buffet.

Jenna-- we had a menu board at the buffet itself so ppl would know what things are, but didn't have a menu at each place setting.

@Rebecca I love how that looks! We're having a restaurant cater, so they'll only be dropping the food off.

Do you think the doilies will work? White doilies on plum overlay?

What about something like this instead of a doily?

We are doing nicer plastic ware from smarty had a party. Plates will be on the buffet, but plastic silverware and linen napkin will be at each place setting. You could even do that with a nicer paper napkin.

Most people have surely been to a buffet in their lives. So if you put plates at the table, they should know to take them. However, having plates at the buffet encourages people to use a new plate if they decide to go back for seconds!

@Julia, thanks! $0.84 ea, too... Such a deal! Added the lid for another$0.30, and made them bug proof, kids proof, and spill-on- my-dress-proof lol