Buffet, plated dinner, or cocktail style?

Hey Nicole!! Welcome to the community! I'm so glad you got such useful comments in here! I totally agree with Melissa and Valerie about the cocktail reception. But it's also possible to have apps with a few food stations so that your guests don't get hungry. You can do a mix of things!! But as Samtam said this will also depend (or influence) on the type of venue you choose. Whether they offer these options or not. You could even have a food truck!

You can have a look at different ideas in these two discussions:

Brunch, Lunch or Dinner Reception?

Buffet or sit-down dinner?

5 types of dinner for your reception

I think my personal favourite are the food stations! I like that everyone can be so creative with their plates and choose whatever they want! And you can have different stations so they don't get too crowded, but as Valerie said that depends on the side of your wedding. The taco food station is my favourite so far

In what kind of venue do you want to celebrate your wedding? Do you want a big or intimate wedding?

Can't wait to see all your ideas for your wedding!!

I am the same way!!!! too funny! Glad I am not the only one

lol ok, I was just wondering what about my personality gave me away I hated them all before wedding planning... now I find it's like watching Christmas movies while wrapping presents! I start working on wedding things and I just like putting wedding shows on!! I wish Bridezillas was still on!! I've heard it's like My Super Sweet 16 (with crazy parties and spoiled kids)... but for weddings! Lol, sounds like a hilarious show!

I wish the Four Weddings Canada version was on more often though... I find them less annoying! In the US they're always giving people crazy low scores to make their chances better, like "I gave them a 5 out of 10 because the ceremony was a bit longer than I like"... wtf! So they deserve HALF the score?!?! ... I get super into them sometimes. FH laughs when I comment on the show

OHH okay! And I was just teasing you about the show is all. I find ever since I am engaged I love watching wedding shows such as four weddings or say yes to the dress! I just think its funny that you do as well is all!

Oh no I agree about the show! I don;t know what it means that I WOULD watch that show? I'm not insulted or anything (because it's hard to convey that in text) just wondering what you mean? lol

For example one bride has a buffet style, one has plated... You get to see how these weddings play out and you get to hear what the brides think of each other's weddings. I think it helps to see how smoothly things ran for these brides and what the reactions were to either the long wait in line for a buffet or if they prefered a seated meal and if food was hot or cold. Hopefully that makes more sense.

I'm not sure what that means... lol

LOL you would watch four weddings! I love that show. It helps to watch what other people do and to see how the other brides react to the different styled weddings. It shows what people like and don't like in weddings!

Hello we are doing a seated meal because we have 120-130 guests. For us a buffet would not be the best option because they call you up one table at a time and sometimes depending what table number you are, other people are finished their meal before you get called up. Also I went to a wedding in August and I was the last table number AND I was seated right by the buffet so it smelt so good but I couldn't go up until the end and they were actually out of some of the food or had very little left so I didn't get as good of a variety like the guests that went up first.

When guests are finished eating their meals then they can go up to the dessert table we will have and get some, this way people will gradually be going up and it wont be everyone at once because people eat at different speeds and such.

I think any of the options are great ones. I think it ultimately comes down to personal preference and how many guests you will be having. I think for a smaller crowd it makes more sense to have a buffet but for a larger crowd it would be a bit of a hassle. I don't have a lot of knowledge on cocktail style however!

HAHA It's a great show for ideas! Plus I find it really helpful seeing things from the guest perspective (since I've only been to 2 weddings in my life, and I wasn't thinking about those types of things at the age when I attended). I'm hooked on bridal shows now, but I find Four Weddings really helpful surprisingly!

I'm still looking for a reception venue. Although I have a few I'm already in love with. I also had never heard of Four Weddings before. I just googled it and I need to start watching it.

Valerie, that's so true about Four Weddings! Haha

You can do buffet but you would definitely want to do a tasting to make sure it's good quality. (They can be hit or miss.) You could do a buffet with staff serving to your guests or have them serve themselves. If guests do serve themselves though, make sure that you plan for extra food as personal portions are generally larger than the caterer's portions. You want to make sure there's still food left for the last guests! I just went to a wedding last weekend and they had a buffet and the food was really good. It wasn't a huge wedding so we didn't have to worry about people being done eating before others had gotten their food. The bride and groom ate first and then walked around to each table while they were eating to greet guests. They did speeches once everyone was done eating.

We're having our reception at a restaurant so our guests will be able to order off a limited menu the night of the wedding (rather than having to decide when they RSVP) and then everything will be plated. We're planning on doing speeches during the entrees so this will help so everyone is seated during that time.

Nicole, have you found your reception venue or do you know what you're looking for?

I'm rethinking my cocktail idea. It sounds like it will work perfectly in your situation, where the receptions is later. But, I'm thinking my reception will land around dinner time. I'll have lots of hungry guests. I love your build your own pasta idea! I've seen similar ideas on Pinterest like customizable hot chocolate stations and such.

That's a very good point! I didn't even think of that. I was also concerned that it would be harder to have speaches while everyone is walking around. A plated meal solves that problem.

How many people are you having? As much as food stations sound delicious (and they are!), I personally wouldn't want to have to wait in multiple lines to get my food and then sit down. It would likely be cold (or at least not warm) by the time I got to my seat. And the bigger the guest list the longer the lines.

I also wouldn't love cocktail, mainly because when I attend work parties they do this, and I'm hungery when I get there so I feel like I'm constantly trying to eye down the server and get some food. Then I eat my bite and am on the hunt for the next item until I'm finally not REALLY hungry anymore.

As "stuffy" as a plated meal can feel, I feel like it's the best option. The food is warm, your guests don't have to wait in lines and walk around balancing a drink and their plate and walk in heels (for the girls). They can relax and have food brought to them, all at once.

Also if you watch Four Weddings (lol) it's literally the number one thing you'll see people complain about.

Hello again!

I have oodles to say on this!!!

My sister had a buffet- it was great! The key here is to have things set out to run smoothly- it sucks to be the last table to get food, when the first table is done eating! Efficeny is key!

The option to choose between foods is great! and you will save money compared to a plated dinner, because less servers are needed/ less labour.

I personally am having a cocktail reception. This one kind of only works if you are having your reception outside of meal hours, OR if you serve enough to "count" as a meal (about 10 pcs a person). Serving apps as a meal, either passed on trys by servers, or at stations is not likely to save you much money.

I am starting my reception at 7:30- because my guests are only invited to the reception to celebrate our marriage. Our ceremony will be private, in another location several hours before with only our parents and grandparents.

This way I am serving apps, and a late night menu of pasta (build your own sort) and lots of booze! We are saving a lot on food by doing it this way, which enables us to have an open bar, which we wanted, and our private ceremony. They key will be to clearly state these things on an invite, so no one arrives expecting a meal....but we do not forsee an issue with this.

Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions on allllllll of this! I would love to get feeback on my plan, and hear where your plans are headed