Plated meal vs Buffet: Pros and Cons of each?

I did the stations at cocktail hour --- about 5 of them.

Good idea!

We are doing buffet. Its true that buffets keep the food warm for longer, as long as there are warmers underneath the dishes. Otherwise, the food stays in the hotbox while the chefs scramble to assemble the dishes while keeping it as warm as possible. Even as hard as they try, the food will not be as warm as if it is on a chafing dish. It is usually much cheaper too because there is less labor involved in buffet and fewer servers- the server to guest ratio is much lower for buffet than plated.

FH and I are picky eaters and a lot of our guests are too. We like the idea that each guest can choose how much of each dish they want and skip what they don't like. I do like the idea of going back for seconds too, if there is any left. I have never been to a wedding with a plated dinner.

We did a buffet with 2 lines. My wedding was small (100 people) and two tables got called at a time to go up. People could go back for seconds if they wanted and my wedding was nice, but more of a "casual vibe" and a buffet fit the style of wedding we were having. Plus I got more food for the price which was good. We didn't have a whole lot of variety. Just beef, chicken, potatoes, pasta, and two different types of salad. Was good!

I LOVE buffets, but they need to be managed/setup/served well so people aren't standing in line forever. Stations work better, spread around the room or rooms, so it's not one long line from one selection to the next

I also still like the salad to be served at the table or pre set; just spaces out the eating a little better and salad messes up the plate for the entrees, lol!

The first thing I would do is talk to your caterer. Talk to them about the venue space. Some venue spaces are less conducive to a buffet. You can do a buffet with large #s of guests if you prepare for it. You need multiple buffets. You need enough staff to dish out items (for portion control) and enough staff to run new pans of food out as you need it.

There is nothing wrong with any of the types of service. It is more up to what sort of feel you want and what sort of budget you have.

I like plated because I feel like it has a formal feel to it.

I did a buffet, and as a guest I like buffets. I like the fact that I get to choose what goes on my plate and I like the socialization that happens while waiting in line. In plated, I usually don't like all the food and I'm stuck at the table.

I think if your planning a really formal affair you should do plated, if its more casual you can go with buffet. However if you are having a really large wedding I would avoid the buffet because as a guest I personally hate having to wait in a really long line to get my food.

We will be doing a buffet. It was actually more expensive than the plated meal because it provides a lot more choice, but I love having variety. I also like choosing exactly what I want rather than a preset plate where I might want the chicken, but not the peas served with it. We will also have some picky eaters, so this makes it easier for everyone. And I also hate waiting for plated meals. It just takes so much longer usually.

We are doing a plated meal: 2 choices plus a vegetarian choice. The buffet was actually more expensive! Plus I like the formality of the plated meal- I don't like carrying my good around. I also like the option to know exactly what I'm eating ahead of time rather than waiting til I walk up to the buffet. There is no issue with allergies if you're not oblivious and don't include common allergens (like nuts or shellfish) in your meal choices. I don't see how a buffet changes that lol. For example, we're serving chicken Chesapeake (chicken breast with crab imperial) and filet mignon. 2 of my close friends are allergic to shellfish so they'll have the filet (or vegetarian option if they want) instead.

We are doing plated. I like the formality of it, and I really hate waiting for my table to be called when it's a buffet.

We are doing a buffet because it is more casual, and easier since it is being outside catered. It's also the norm with my crowd and the area I live in.

We're doing seated because I think it's more formal. Our guests are getting 6 choices plus a vegeterian option so they will have a lot to choose from. but I've been to buffet weddings & I love them also.

We are having a buffet. It allows guests the variety to pick and choose what they would like to eat. =) Also, guests are able to get u and mingle and get to know one another while in the buffet line, lol.

My opinion:

Buffet: Pro- Guests can choose what they want. Con- Waiting in line makes me feel like I'm back in a middle school cafeteria. I feel too guilty about going up for seconds and I may have picked something I didn't end up liking and didn't take something I ended up liking from someone else's plate.

Plated: Pro- People consider this more "fancy." Con- Food for the table doesn't come at the same time and sometimes things are forgotten (often only half the guests get the salad, some people get their food 5+ minutes after the rest of the table and it's awkward.

Family: Pro-People can choose what they want to eat and can take more if they want without having to showcase it to the rest of the room by getting up. Con- If the hosts make the centerpieces too large then space on the table can get tight.

We ended up choosing Family Style dining. But appetizers and desserts are buffet and the salad is plated, so we kind of got all three options. Lol. The only time I didn't mind Buffet was when I was in my older sister's wedding and the staff made us a plate of everything and brought it to us at the head table. Being a guest while being plated is very awkward, though. I've liked the two times we had family style dining but there was enough room for the plates because they were large tables.

We had a buffet, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. It's cheaper, and you don't have hear about everyone's allergies/diets. You're vegan? Fine-- don't eat the meat. Lactose intolerant? Great, skip the cheese. Allergic to wheat-- no croutons for you! I know it must be really hard for people who have to deal with food allergies and are choosing to be on diets, but I just did NOT have the patience to think about it.

Buffet because everyone can choose what they want without all the hassle!!

We chose to do a cocktail style reception (still have a cocktail hour, but a buffet dinner that has a bunch of different stations). Like most have said, we chose this because people can take what they want. I'm a very picky eater so when I get a plated meal, the vegetables and some of the other food on the plate goes to waste. I like knowing that I can go around and find exactly what I want without wasting the rest.

I agree, I would prefer plated too, but there was quite a difference in price when it came to a buffet [cheaper] so we chose the buffet. Plus, you get more food options =]