Social or Cocktail Hour? Plated Meal or Buffet???

I am doing a plated meal as I think it is neater and I want people to be able to sit and enjoy. Not be up walking around everywhere during dinner. Also I am scared that things tend to spill with buffets, or drop and stain the floor.

Me and FH were just talking about this too.I think we are also doing our pics before hand so we can join the party quicker!After the ceremony we are going to take a few moments to ourselves to reflect and check in with each other before joining everyone else. We might nix the cocktail hour, havent decided yet on that.

I would offer a variety of food options. I dont know what specifically that area is known for food wise. But can't really go wrong with offereing a chicken, fish or steak option.

I wouldnt go for anything too greasy or messy! Gosh forbid something spills on the dress! lol

I'm thinking a chicken, fish and steak option for sure... do people really have their guest RSVP with a entree option? I don t have that included on my invitations... is it necessary? Yes, the plated meal is a much cleaner option... the buffet will have attendants serving... I want everyone to be up and moving around... I like a lively and busy atmosphere... and I want my guest to be satisfied and eat as much as they want. I will also have a candy and dessert buffet going on, and everyone will be helping themselves to that.

We are using the social hour to do wedding party photos and family photos with both our families... I will also be changing into another dress before the reception... I think I love the idea of not being involved with the social hour. It gives my guest time to mingle, take pictures and talk with people they haven't seen in a long time. Having us there will be a huge distraction... I want everyone to write their well-wishes, and enjoy the photo booth!!

I'm confused, is the social hour the same thing as a cocktail hour? Just a different name?

Yes, it is the same... I'm just calling mine a social hour!

As for the meal selections most of the time yes if a plated meal is served, but it can vary by location. So ask the venue to be sure of what they want! If it is buffet it shouldnt matter though.

Ask him or his mother what dishes are customary in his culture/ area. The selection you have sounds good so far. However with a buffet it doesnt make sense to ask for a meal choice. Im also doing a buffet and will have enough of each main dish that guests can get more that one if they want (ie chicken and fish). In my culture its common to have an abundance of food which is another reason I went with a buffet besides just variety. As for the name change people really wont care if its called a cocktail hour or not. Are you changing the name because you won't be offering any cocktails???

We are doing a cocktail hour and a buffet. It seemed to be the better option.

I'm Houston, Texas born and raised so I completely understand in regards to Southern food options.

We are having a cocktail hour and we are doing a plated meal. It's actually cheaper to do the plated meal then to do a buffet.

Have you picked a venue yet? A lot of the venues have their own catering or "approved" caterers you can use so you may have to base your selections on that.

I would not say MN food is tater tot hotdish....lol....My wedding in MN will be a pig roast with roasted potatoes, green beans, a green salad and probably another protein like chicken. I even really don't know how I would describe MN food even though I've lived here most of my life. Everyone thinks hotdish or casserole, but that's more home cooking, not going out for the evening food.

I wouldn't worry about what you call it. I have not been to any weddings in MN that called it anything. It was always more "The reception starts at 5PM with dinner at 6PM".

We are having a cocktail hours with soft music and appetizers. then we are having buffet style dinner. We choose my culture food as menu. My husband states "I am not paying all this money to have a wedding in PR so i can american food, we are eating rice and bean"...lol got to love him

For some reason in Puerto Rico it was between 10-20 buck more per person to have a plated meal. So i guess is just depends were you are getting married

Buffets offer a much larger selection of food and can accommidate even the pickest eater. I've come accross the same thing as slthompson - all the venue's I've looked at the buffets were at least $15 more a person but from the menu list of what you choose from they're all well worth the price.

We're having a plated dinner because some of our ederly guests would be unable to fill up a plate & walk back to their seats. I'm also a clumsy human being and every time I go to a wedding with a buffet I'm in fear of falling with my full plate of food. We figured someone delivering the plated option would be best for our guests ;o)

We are doing a cocktail hour and buffet. Not sure what I want to to do for a cocktail hour yet though. Still trying to figure that all out.

We are doing cocktail and sit down..I think sit downs have a more formal/elegant feel..not that buffets aren't, it's just sit downs a lil more so..I wanted it to be easier on guests to not have to stand in line..However a benefit to the buffet is people can stuff themselves silly so you can be more sure they won't get a lil hungry later on..I also chose the sit down since it was cheaper.

We were going to use our photo booth for cocktail hour as well because we will be taking pictures at the time. But my venue coordinator says usually people are still excited right after the wedding mingling with drinks and etc. Then we make our entrance and start dinner and etc. So she said you lose photo booth time. She suggested have them come in at dinner time and begin the booth after dinner. Everyone is settled and ready to have fun and party. I thought this made a lot of sense

For a plated dinner, it's necessary to know ahead of time. For a buffet, no. I would try to figure out what will work best for timing so that guests are eating as close as possible to the same time, vs. one table finishing the entree as another is getting their salads. Plated dinners are more formal, buffets offer more variety (and less planning ahead re: meal choices).

We had a cocktail hour with passed appetizers and a full buffet. We wanted a wide variety of options for our guests for dinner and we also wanted the feel of a cocktail hour - the buffet gave our guests the opportunity to mingle more. It was also nice because Jeff and I had our table next to the buffet so as people were getting their food, we also got to chat with them as they were passing by. It was double-sided which eliminated any type of line and our guests really enjoyed the fact that they could "double up" on the food. You just have to know your guests best. Some people think a buffet is messy (I didn't experience that) and some guests don't appreciate the one item on a plate. Just choose the option that is best for your guests.

We did all our photos before the ceremony and our guests really appreciated the opportunity to mingle with us during that time.

Thanks for all the feedback ladies!!!

@Chuwana, I am not having alcohol... so, yes, that is why I am calling it "Social hour" and not a cocktail hour. My FH's family doesn't drink. I too want a huge variety of food. My FH is Swedish and Finnish, and I am Liberian and Indian so, typically our family traditions and celebrations are done with family/buffet style type meals.

@pumpkin, now that I know you are from Minnesota, What suggestions do you have for a buffet? Since I've lived up here, people have always joked about casseroles and tater tot hot dish... Never heard that back home in Texas...

@Sandralyse S., I too am doing soft music and appetizers during my social hour after the ceremony..

@Kimi k., I completely agree... I am clumsy myself, and by the end of the night... if I don't spill, someone will, lol!!! My reasons exactly for having a buffet, picky eaters. I want a variety of different dishes to please everyone.

@pumpkin, I have not picked a venue yet... still working on the catering aspects of my wedding with each of the venues we have in mind, and seeing which is more reasonable to fit with in our budget!!! We are thinking either the mermaid in mounds view, 413 on wacouta in saint paul or five event center in uptown/Minneapolis!!! Have you seen any of these venues? They are absolutely gorgeous for wedding ceremonies and receptions. I'm completely into having both my ceremony and reception in the same venue. The mermaid has a hotel attached to it, which in my opinion is completely convenient for my out of town guest!!! They provide you with all the food, and give you the choice of picking outside vendors for other wedding necessity's.

@Natalie, that makes sense.. But aside from standing around, mingling and eating during the social hour... I want my guest to be doing something else. I am still considering have the photo booth be a available during that time for my guest. I want everyone to have a great time in the booth. I'm sure everyone will make use of signing the guest book, and all the other memorable items we'll have available for keepsake.