Please weigh in on plastic plates/utensils vs. the real deal - or has anyone ever mixed/matched?

What is the "feel" of your wedding? Is it more of a formal outdoor wedding, or less formal?

Personally, I am with you, in that I do not care for plastic (plus the thought of tossing so much into the trash).

It seems like mixing real plates with plastic utensils would be a good idea, so that the plates don't blow away, but that would all depend on how they look together...

And, the "feel" of the wedding, like they commented above.

The food will be served buffet style and the wedding will not be super formal but more of a DIY/vintage feel. If I had my way I would have done a hodgepodge of vintage plates and silverware, but I'm worried this would turn into tons of work for clean up.

I got ya, im out door as well..... i had a caterer tell me its ok, ppl are just happy ot have something to eat on, lol... which is TRUE, but the blowing away in the wind would bother me as well.... idk. talk to your FH and see what he wants to do...

I'm not a fan of plastic as a host or a guest. I hate when the plastic tines break off the fork, worry about windy days as you mentioned and think the environmental impact isn't worth the cost savings. That said, I expect plastic with an outdoor wedding serving BBQ, picnic foods, etc. If you are serving Italian, steak, anything that needs to be cut with a knife I'd go for the real dish ware and flatware. I actually bought my dishes off another bride at about half the cost of renting, a little more work but worth the cost savings for me.

Edited to add: reading your comment above I really wanted to do mismatched plates, flatware, glassware but it turns out fh was too OCD about matching, a quality I was not previously aware of lol.

OK I saw this in offbeat bride and thought it was fabulous for a picnic type wedding. http://offbeatbride.com/2009/04/wedding-flatware

Another alternative would be to buy inexpensive dishes and flatware, and sell after the wedding. Some links:

* Porcelain china gold band plates, $6.99 for six or Porcelain china platinum band plates, $6.99 for six

* Forks, $1.49 a dozen

* Knives, $3.11 a dozen

*Spoons, $0.99 a dozen

We went to a Christmas party this past year for FH old work, & for a company that could afford real silverware, had plastic. It was Nice thought, we almost couldnt tell the difference. Just depends on where to go?

2d Bride.. Thanks, gonna check it out for ours

I am mixing. Plastic for cocktail hour and dessert. Real for dinner. Mine is completely outside... So i think decide if its important to you. For the kind of money i'm spending the thought of eating on plastic dinnerware made my stomach turn! But if your doing a really relaxed reception, i think plastic would be worth it. you can also do what another bride mentioned and buy the plates and silverware. Then donate it when youre done and have that tax deduction!

I agree with the other ladies. It depends on the feel. If you are going BBQ, there are many lovely plastic plates and utensils that look like real at Party City and www.smartyhadaparty.com.

While our reception was very laid back, serving with real was one of the things DH and I were not about to omit for the budget. However, delivery and clean up can be a major PITA. We hired a DOC to pick up and take back. It was worth it and the one thing she actually did correctly.

We're having a low-key outdoor wedding, and we're having a taco buffet. We're definitely using whatever plastic stuff the caterer provides.

As a guest, I'm far more concerned with the food quality than what it's served on. For an outdoor event I would expect disposable dinnerware.

Depending on how many guests you are having, why not leave their favors on their plates? It can help with the blowing away problem, I would just double check...

I think it might be strange to mix real flatware with plastic plates but that's just me. I would go all one or all the other. If you do use plastic, you could wrap up the flatware in napkins restaurant-style and display them in jars and keep the plates all together at one serving table if you're having a buffet.

I would prefer real any day, it just depends on your budget. If you go real.....I'd buy them and re-sell, like 2d said. Dollartree has dishes too and they're actually not bad.