Formal or not

I think this depends on how formal you’re going for and what’s common in your circle. If I’m expected to dress formally for a wedding (long dress and fancy shoes), I’d expect to not see a buffet. In my social circle, though, buffets aren’t the norm even for less formal events.

I am doing a formal wedding with a buffet style dinner!

View Quoted Comment Not really like evening gown formal we just don’t want to see shorts an jeans

Semi formal would be worded better then maybe, but buffet would work for it!

View Quoted Comment Yes! Our families love food and some are picky so we figured that was the best choice!

We are having a semi-formal reception in a hotel ballroom with a buffet style dinner

View Quoted Comment That’s what I got to thinking after my mom asked formal or not. Cause we don’t want people in shorts an jeans just don’t see that at our venue

I would call that semi-formal or cocktail.

View Quoted Comment

Ours too! We are also having a BBQ style buffet dinner with sliders, salads, baked potatoes, buffalo chicken dip, mac and cheeses, and smoked meats. I'm breaking all the etiquette rules I don't care! My wedding my rules!

View Quoted Comment Yea I’m definitely gonna change the wording to semi formal.

View Quoted Comment I love it! Ours is a Mexican buffet cause we all love Mexican food and the options are crazy.

Buffet for a wedding isn’t exactly the same as a buffet at a restaurant. It’s not all you can eat. You pay per person still so you get a certain amount of food. Like someone can’t have 5 steaks for example

View Quoted Comment Yea we’re definitely changing the wording no big deal no invites or anything has been ordered.

View Quoted Comment They might still come that way anyway aha. For mine I asked semi formal and majority of people were nicely dressed but had a few stragglers in jeans and a t-shirt

View Quoted Comment Oh yea we know. Just the options is really the thing I doubt any of our family would try to get heaping plates 😂 the ones that would to be honest I’m not inviting 🤷🏻‍♀️

View Quoted Comment Fair enough 😂 that’s the only thing that’s scare me about buffet with my family! I’d say semi-formal or cocktail attire for the wedding 😊 when I think formal I think of plated and multiple courses

View Quoted Comment If it happens it does haha I just know how my grandparents are they are “extra” like me and I love it. Would rather them be there in jeans than not show up cause they can’t afford something to wear.

View Quoted Comment Yea we almost changed it to plated but my fh is so picky he didn’t like any of the options he eats like a bachelor no veggies nothing but ketchup so the plated option wasn’t for him

View Quoted Comment I’m thinking semi formal not formal I just don’t want to see the jeans and shorts

Cocktail or semi formal is what you're looking for. Formal and black tie are typically plated.