Coctail reception vs formal dinner??

Im doing a buffet which for us was cheaper than plated

I have found the that a cocktail reception is just about the same as a buffet. A plated meal is usually the most expensive way to go however depending on the protein and options chosen costs usually can be cut. With a cocktail reception you would offer an assortment of appetizers that would constitute the same amount as a full meal. I would sit down and try to figure out what you would like to offer for dinner and the type of service. Some people do not want plaid whereas others do not like buffet. Once you determine what service you prefer then come up with some options for the service. Such as for a plated meal, chicken, potatoes or rice and a veggie. Or Chicken, or fish with sides etc. If a buffet think of everything and everything you want. Once you figure out what exactly you want start to look around and talk to several caterers. Explore the options of plated, buffet, cocktail and see what the actually prices are. You just might find that if you have a buffet you will be able to afford more choices then if you offer plated. We discovered that we could get a buffet with pork, beef, and fish, a mashed potato bar with both sweet and white potatoes, salad, bread, yucca with onions and peppers, fried plantains, bread, and 3 apps for cocktail hour was way cheaper than cocktail and plated. In fact for 100 guest we are only paying 3100 for everything but alcohol. Good luck!

A cocktail reception can cost more than a buffet, because apps are labor intensive.

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Wow, thank you so much! It all is a lot to consider. Sadly, we are trying to stick to a budget, but also keep our guests happy and enjoy the food we serve. We have a lot of deciding to do. So much more complex than you would ever think before looking into it all. One thing seems to lead to another.

Appetizers are expensive and you need to provide a variety in a quantity sufficient enough to replace a meal. You'll need hot items and room temperature. And, people tend to want to try most or all of the appetizers and think nothing of taking multiples of the same item. In most cases, a dinner, whether plated or buffet, will be cheaper than appetizers.

We did a plated because buffet was too expensive. So we have guests choosing between chicken or prime rib (along with a vegetarian option). We also have a cocktail hour, keeping in mind the time the wedding is starting at 4. (Which means cocktail hour will be 430-530 and dinner should be served around 6.) But look at different options different venues offer. We chose this because our first look is when I walk down the aisle so the cocktail hour gives us time to do our pictures.

View Quoted Comment I'm glad to see someone else's plated dinner is cheaper than the buffet. I was starting to think reading all these posts that there was going to be a hidden cost I dont know about. I'm doing a semi inclusive hotel venue and they explained to us the reason for price difference is amount of food. If you have 120 guests for plated then they make 120 plates, but if you have 120 for buffet they make food for 150 (can't remember her exact example because we went with plated).