Family style dining

Keep your centerpeice simple so that the food can be served around.

I have been to a weddonf with family style and its nice to have a change.

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Interesting, what made you decide not to do it?

I am not doing family style but I did consider it. At the venue we're using, they use it a lot. There aren't a lot of dishes on the table at once because everything is served in courses so course one would have buns and salads, then that's all cleared away and then another 2-3 items are served. If they do it all the time, they should know how much room you need and it's probably not as much as you think.

Thanks for your thoughts! Our #1 choice is venue (on paper, still have to go see it in person) has it as an option and it seems to be about $30 a head cheaper. I imagine it would be hard for caterers not associated with a specific venue to make sure they have enough table space, etc. I also went to a family style wedding at a winery last summer and I thought it went pretty well, but the tables were fairly sizeable for 8 people. I agree that it helps create a more social atmosphere.

We wanted to have family style service, round tables of 8... Larger wedding 160 people... None of the caterers we talked to were keen on doing it... Reasons cited were lack of serving bowls, not enough space on tables ect... The quotes we received for it were higher than plated service and buffet, due to the extra food... If you can find a caterer who will do it for a reasonable price, I'd say go for it, passing food is very social and forces people who might not know each other well to interact.

I think smaller tables would be best. Cozier and easier when passing food around.

The FH is NOT going to go for that, but I appreciate the thought. He's scared of lines. I'm wondering if smaller tables so the passing is less aggresive, or longer tables might solve the passing issue for the most part.

Thanks Tina! Very helpful!

I kinda like the idea of family style! People serve themselves, and it's less expensive usually

If you're worried about passing around dishes you could opt for buffet style. People still serve themselves as much or as little as they like. It also tends to be cheaper than plated dinner.

We are going with family style. At our venue it is the same price as a sit down meal. But with the family style we get more food and more variety. Our guest also get to eat as much or as little as they want.

well, you're paying more for the food itself, but less for the service. and most all-inclusives seem to list it as being less expensive. i do understand that you'd be paying more for the sheer produce.

It's more expensive because you're paying for more food than what quests would regularly eat. Donations depend on the venue, you may have to collect the left over food yourself and deliver it (or have someone do it for you) and you'll need large trays with lids to pack the food. Not all venues will provide them

Thanks for the heads up. Do you if that makes it more expensive and/or if people dislike it? Can't the food be donated?

I have a friend who works at a venue that does family style meals and one thing she says is that there is always a lot of food left over. Because venues try to make enough food to make sure each guest can get their fill, they often make far too much and a lot of food goes to waste. It also means you're paying for all the uneaten food also.