Too Many Guests to Serve Dinner (Tables Don't Fit in the Venue)

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

Let me clarify that IF we cut out dinner, we would have lounge areas for seating and probably a few tables with chairs. However the venue has terraces overlooking the city (Spectacular views) and an art gallery for guests to wander through. Plus the venue is going to open up the entire library for us so that guests can wander throughout the different floors. SO in my mind, I had thought of doing belly bars, plus couches and coffee tables throughout for gathering around. A few rounds of tables for other guests to sit at as well.

Taking all of that into consideration, I'm wondering if there's a tasteful way to incorporate an active reception for 300 people that has food served throughout, but not a sit-down meal

The venue had a seating capacity of 330 but they didn't specify until after booking the venue that it was 330 conference seating, and 260 table seating. Right now our guest list is at 318 and that's already cut down from 384. We originally thought of doing long, family-style seating (instead of rounds) to fit everyone at a dinner table, but caterers are telling me that there still wouldn't be enough room for dance floor, buffet/station tables, bars, DJ table, etc.

Having a major dilemma here with cutting more people out to serve dinner, or invite everyone but not serve a meal. We'd have 118 more people to invite if we could! (We're both from small towns and maintain friendships with them, and both are very involved in our current community, so relationships are important to us.)

If you could fit them in the room, you would do plated service. That would alleviate space needed for buffet tables, which you would need a lot of for a group that size.

How big a factor is budget? You can do a cocktail style reception. You just have to be aware that people will eat way more small bites than they would eat on a dinner plate. You have to pass the hors d'oeuvres longer and more often meaning more staff. I wouldn't recommend setting up stations around the whole venue, that's a logistical nightmare. Food gets cold as they have to travel through the building to get to the area it's being served at.

Can you do a plated dinner in the largest room with no dance floor, no dj or buffet tables, etc and have the dancing and dj set up elsewhere?

^ We ideally would have done plated service in the main event room, however the whole problem is that the tables and chairs won't fit everyone.

Everything will be on one floor, so we could potentially have the food out on one terrace and guests would then go get their food outside. We opted to move DJ and dancing out to the other terrace next to the room, but there's a noise regulation that we'd have to look into more.

You don't need to have a sit down dinner; I like this style better, honestly, but at some point, everyone is going to want to sit down.

You need to cut the guest list, plain and simple. First of all, stations for that many people is a lot of floor space (you need at least two of each), sending that much food out on small plates or trays and keeping the area clean is going to require a LOT of staff.

You need to cut the guest list drastically; the good news is that when you start cutting them, you find them in groups; the third cousins, the plus ones, the kids, the people-from-college-that-we-don't-really-talk-anymore. I'm sorry, no one has 318 close friends.

It's so hard! I've literally gone through the list day after day and trim it as much as possible.

Family, friends, church community, people that have supported us consistently over the years, etc etc.

How do you all do it?! I've gotten it down to 294 since the time this post started but there are emotional ties to some of those people still.

This is so rough!

You start over with the guest list. You start with CLOSE family, immediate friends and people from work/school/church that you actually see outside those environments. People who you will be in touch with once you leave the environment.

If you have church friends and you are just getting married in that church, do a punch and cake reception for all those people right after the ceremony.

Here is a really easy test. Would you take that guest out to dinner with a partner and pay for an entire meal with drinks? If no, then off they go.

Weddings are expensive propositions that are not meant to be a thank you to everyone who has ever come into your life. As the acronym goes, Keep It Simple Sweetheart.

Someone gave me some good advice.. "If you have not seen or spoken to any of the people on the guest list in 3+ years. They don't need to come."

Someone then told me to cut it to a year lol. I know the feeling of wanting everyone you know to be there. But you have to ask yourself. Are they actually coming for you? or for the free food and booze? Who is involved with your life almost daily? I mean I have best friends who I don't speak with for months at a time but we still keep in touch. They're in my wedding. Think about who means the most to you. Who do you absolutely truly need to be there?

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Hi and welcome! Just letting you know that this thread is 7 years old, so you may not have any responses.

View Quoted Comment Went to a large wedding (over 200 guests) where everyone had to travel, nobody was local, and the reception was cocktail style with stations for food. It was not great. They spent so much money on their wedding and all anybody remembers or talks about was the lack of chairs and inadequate food (delicious but not enough). Personally, I didn’t sit all night because I didn’t want to take a chair from an older guest. Luckily I had worn flats, but plenty of women wore heels so at least make sure your guests know so they can prepare. I think cocktail style receptions probably can work, but for smaller parties and at least 50% seating ratio.