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Just Said Yes October 2015

How to inform guests of no "formal dinner"

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Michelle, on March 31, 2015 at 8:23 AM

Hi, we are getting married at a beautiful lake house. Do to spacing however, I can not physically seat all 135 of my guests at the same time. So, we have decided to not have a formal "sit down" dinner. We will have dinner in a buffet style (more than plenty to eat - steaks, chicken, etc.), tables and high tops placed all around. I want my guests to have a heads up so they aren't looking for their table name cards. We want the feel of our reception to be just fun, dancing, drinking, and mingling sort of like a cocktail party, but with a full meal included. Any advice on how to communicate that to your guests? should it be somewhat in the invitation in a clever way? Thanks!

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44 Comments

Celia Milton · on March 31, 2015 at 4:33 PM
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Promike, that's not the fault of the style of the wedding; it's a clear fail on the part of the caterer/host. If you serve dinner style (as in you need a knife and fork and someplace to dissect it) food, with no seats, yep; it's going to suck. If a constant stream of cool hors d'oeuvres come to you and there are stations with easy to eat things augment that in addition to every thing else I suggested, it's really great. The problem is that people who choose 'cocktail party' weddings rarely do the other thing necessary to make it work.

Natalie, can I come?
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Master October 2015
Annie & Javi · on March 31, 2015 at 4:34 PM
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Whenever you need a fork and knife to eat food, you need to have a table and seat.

Figure out seating for every butt you invite and if its just not possible, change your venue.
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Master April 2015
Lucy · on March 31, 2015 at 4:38 PM
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Seat for every butt, period. If it's a cocktail party reception, those seats can come in the form of patio furniture, couches, chairs, bar stools, etc. But yours doesn't sound like a cocktail reception. So change the menu, cut the guest list, or find a venue that accommodates everyone.
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Master September 2015
Promike · on March 31, 2015 at 4:41 PM
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@Celia....this wedding was "over-booked" I believe. There was also people standing in the ceremony due to lack of seating so I think more people came than expected. They didn't have an RSVP set up (at least not to my knowledge) and it was a co-worker so he basically sent out an email to the co-workers he "was friends with" and we didn't need to confirm. Really odd set up though. It was at a very prestigious brewery so I doubt it was the caterer/hosts fault, I am sure they weren't given the correct guest numbers. In the end, I still think there should be adequate seating, if only it is to let folks rest their feet.
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