Dinner served vs plated vs buffet vs apps

I am doing buffet bc my reception is during dinner. I think you can get away with apps if your wedding is not duiring a mealtime. But if it is you should have more food. I am doing buffet becauase the food is usually warmer and fresher that way. I have been to weddings with served dinner and the food is always cold, and small portions.

I always like buffets better, this way you give your guests more options and they can get how much they want.

Also agree with the above about small portions given during served dinners.

Most of the time, it comes down to how much money do you want (can you) spend.

We did a buffet for my daughters reception. It really didn't save any money, however, it allowed us to offer a wider selection of foods. We had two different groups at the reception. Our side tend to be people who know great food and great wine. His side know how to BBQ. Nothing wrong with either, just two very different sides. So, a buffet served us well.

Buffet is usually the best bang for your buck but it all depends.

More formal weddings tend to have full meals whether it is buffet or plated. If it isn't during a meal time then you could probably get away with appetizers. Whatever you decide make sure you include it in the invitation if it isn't what you would normally expect so guests can plan accordingly.

For example: Ceremony at 5pm followed by cocktails and appetizers

We're doing an Italian buffet. We can choose three different entree's and it comes with Cesar salad, garlic bread, antipasto veggie thingies and we also get to choose 5 hours devours. That way, people aren't stuck with just chicken.

Ditto about the buffet. I went to wedding recently that just had finger foods and I was STARVED. The ceremony and the recption is bit long for just a wing and stuffed mushroom. Oh and it was a cash bar...which sucked because we didn't know. We only had enough cash for two wines...no debit cards accepted. lol

@Ms. Boop - That is so rude, that you did not know that there was a cash bar. Your hosts should have notified guests of that fact.

We did that for my daughters wedding. We (parents) paid for the entire wedding and honeymoon. We paid for all wine, sparkling wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages. The grooms family LOVES whiskey. I was not going to pay for a drunkfest so, we made sure to let guests know that there would be "Wine, beer and soft drinks as well a cash bar for other beverages".

Our dinner was buffet. We had waiters to clear and to keep the glasses full. It was great because you could fill your plate the way you wanted and no one had to worry about cleaning up the tables.

We are doing a dinner buffet since our wedding/reception is at dinner time.

Okay… (I've worked for 2 caterers & a banquet hall) they're all good, it just depends on what kind of event you want.

Buffet: great if you have big eaters or picky eaters because there will be lots of variety (ideally if you have a bountiful buffet). Con- your guests have to get up to get their own dinner.

Plated: Great if you want a formal wedding. Your guests pick their menu on the response card so there will be extra work on you to distinguish the meal on their escort card. If you offer more than 2 options the service can take just as long to get out as with a buffet. (see if they offer a duet plate, then everyone will just get the same plate)

APPS: totally casual. If you do an apps dinner then you don't really need seating for everyone, but you should have tall cocktail tables for guests to rest their plates. Generally, if a caterer offers an apps menu then everything is served with cocktail napkins & little plates to encourage mingling. this is usually the most $$ option.

WOW, you are all so awesome. This made my decision a lot easier (buffet w a butlered app cocktail hour, the best of both worlds). Thanks for all your advice, very much appreciated! !

We are doing stations which is pretty much just a fancier way of saying a buffet. I picked this because I like options and this gives me and my guest more options of food especially for picky eaters like me. The price was also a little less expensive than a seated dinner which surprised me.

We are also having butlered apps during happy hour as well as a few simple app at the tables as well.

Lots of food at our wedding and tons of desserts. We are big eaters.

FH made a good point, we are doing buffets because it gives people more time. With plated dinners sometimes the 1st table is on the last course while other tables are just getting their salads. So he wanted everyone to be able to eat at their own pace and went w/the buffet/carving stations

I've noticed everyone swaying towards the buffet so I just wanted to play devils advocate here. We were totally set on doing buffet for most of the same reasons everyone else here is doing them, but we were recently at a wedding of about 200 (roughly what ours will be) and the wedding party had finished eating and had their plates cleared before the last table was even excused to go get in line for the buffet. With a plated dinner (as long as their are enough wait staff) everything can be served fairly quickly leaving fewer people waiting while everyone else eats!

We're doing a plated dinner because we are having a formal wedding and reception.

I think that so much of it is budget and "feel" that you want for your wedding.

I've been to several weddings, formal and non. And always buffet is better! Everytime I've had plated dinner, the food is cold or undercooked! They spend too much time rushing around trying to serve everybody at once, and I've never enjoyed. My cousins chicken from Carrabas was way better than the plated beef filet and fish I had at a hotel.

To add on to Jill, our wedding coordinator said that it's good for the bride and groom to eat first, and then go visit guests tables while they finish up. If you think that the people right behind you prob finished eating after you, that's a good time to talk to them. And the tables behind them will finish up right after they do, and that's a good time to talk to them....etc.

Our package includes a plated dinner and heavy hors d'oeurves but our wedding is really formal. I have been to many weddings and the food was great plated and not cold but ultimately I think it depends on how many people you are having. If you have a huge wedding it makes sense to have a buffet and if not, it might work out best if you had a plated dinner with light appitizers.

We're doing a seated dinner with apps during the cocktail hour. The way the venue is set up, a buffet wouldn't work and I'm not a huge fan of buffets in general. We're doing a beach wedding, which is elegant but still laid-back. I feel like the seated dinner also helped make the reception a little more upscale, too.

I agree with Mary P. It all depends on the type of wedding you are having.

At my first wedding, we had a seated buffet, which meant after the butlered hors deourves, and introductions and toasts, the salad and pasta course were served(separately), and the remainder of the meal was buffet. It was typical Italian and the only way my father wanted. This way people could eat while they waited for their table to be called.

We are only having 60 guests(I hope, we just added more and are up to 53 without invites going out yet as the numbers are based on rooms booked.)We are having a stationary appetizer buffet during the cocktail hour and an Italian buffet for dinner because it goes with the casualness of our reception.