How to inform guests of no "formal dinner"

You need a seat for every butt regardless of venue type. You probably need a new venue or to drastically cut your guest list.

You really do need a place for each person to sit. Do you really want your guests to be wandering around with a plate of food, looking for a seat, and not find one? Plus, people may have coats/purses, and they need a seat that is "theirs" to put them. Please re-think this

As A & J said--please!

If its a true buffett style then you should have seats for everyone. but if its more app based with some heavier foods i don't see an issue, i would consider that a Cocktail reception.

You need seats for everybody if you're having a dinner!

If you really must do this venue and have all these people, then you should not have a dinner but more of a heavy hor d'oeuvres and a mix and mingle. My friends had a reception at an art gallery where wine, beer, cake, and delicious finger food was served... They did not have enough chairs for everybody because it was more like an opening show at an art gallery where there are seats around the room and high tables to mingle with others.

But, I'll repeat, if you're having dinner, you need seats and chairs for everybody.

People really need to learn the golden rule. Because I'm sure you would not be happy going to a wedding and not having a place to sit and eat your food.

Either have a cocktail reception or seat everyone. I don't see any other options! Especially with chicken and steak that you kind of HAVE to have a table to cut it! You might want to check on having the reception in the yard and renting tables, chairs, and a tent.

ETA: Never invite more people than you can seat at your venue!

Yes, at least, you can only serve food that can be eaten while standing. Which I personally hate, because then I'm standing with a plate of food in one hand, my purse strung over my shoulder, and no where to put a drink. But at least, your food MUST be able to be eaten while standing. How can you cut a steak without a place to sit down? Are you thinking half your guests simply won't eat until the first half are done?

I would also recommend seats for everyone. However, I went to a wedding where we had to check a box on the RSVP if we wanted a reserved seat. Everyone else was at cocktail tables. This could be an option for you, but might bite you if more people want seats than you have room for.

It is too early for this. You must have a chair for every butt at all times.

...you could have them bring their own chairs....

Agreed with the ladies above. What you have planned does not sound pleasant. Your options are:

1. finger food (although even so, I like to be able to sit especially if I'm wearing heels and don't want to fight for a chair at an hours-long reception)

2. invite fewer people and seat everyone

3. find a new venue

Change the menu so it's all portable

have more seats' high tables, low tables, couches, whatever; not formal but seats and/or tables

on the invite; "Join us for cocktails and fabulous hors d'oeuvres to celebrate!"]

I'm sorry, but I think even a cocktail reception should have a seat for everyone, even if it is not a formal table and chair. Stools, couches, ottomans, regular chairs, large window ledges...anything. No one wants to stand for 4 hours while eating and drinking, probably dancing, and wearing fancy clothes. Some of your guests probably won't be able to stand while eating if they are wearing heels or elderly.

You can make a cocktail reception all finger foods with some of them being heavy enough to replace a meal. But you still need more seating or fewer people. :-/

If you get enough high-tops and whatnot that everyone has a place to sit, I think that's fine. My MOH's wedding was like this. The venue did not have a ballroom/dinner area per se. It was very flowy. There were people sitting at bistro tables outside in the courtyard as well as in the indoor rooms. It is a large, fancy, old rowhouse turned into a bed & breakfast, so the common areas were the living room and dining room. It was a little odd because it seemed like the guests were always split up, so at least half of us were missing something. There were not assigned seats, so it was just wherever you could park your butt. I didn't love it.

If all of your seating can be in one large area all together, and you have enough, I wouldn't worry about it. Just make a large sign near the entrance letting people know they can choose to sit anywhere they like. That's what we're doing for our bbq reception.

What you are doing sounds like a "Strolling dinner". However, traditionally it features various food stations and not a full buffet. This is the ONLY way my venue serves dinner. It is a full dinner though. Basically you can eat whenever you want, there is no assigned seating, and while the capacity is 130 people it seats around 75 and has cocktail tables. However, we chose to only invite 75 so every person has a seat. You can let people know by word of mouth and then on the invitation that they are invited to a "strolling reception". Anyone who doesn't know what that is can just google it or ask around to find out.

Huh?

Yea you need a seat for every butt.

This is completely unacceptable. With food choices such as that, each guest REQUIRES a table and a chair. I suggest that you change your menu to include only items that you can eat while holding your plate (and somehow your glass?).

LMAO @ Janeen

@Janeen LMAO I'm still waiting for someone to yell punk on that one.