Do You Want a Buffet or a Sit Down Meal for Your Wedding Reception?

Do you have a lot of guests whom are big eaters or guests whom hardly eat at all? Would you like your guests to have many selections to choose from or serve that one special entree to everyone? Do you have young children and elderly guests whom might feel that it would be too difficult to serve them at a buffet or a youthful group who would get bored sitting down for long periods of time? Do you think it is more impressive to have food stations or have a waiter serving your guests? Here are the pros and cons of both types of service to help you make that decision.

Before deciding on what type of service, you need to consider four important factors: what is the time of day and what season is your wedding reception taking place, are you having a casual or formal event, and your guests list.

First, what time a day and season is your wedding reception taking place? You don't want to be serving a very heavy five course meal during a summer afternoon! However, you will want to be serving more than cheese and crackers and meatballs to your guests, if you're having a summer evening reception. The rule of thumb is: serve heavy entrees in the evening and fall/winter season and serve light meals during the day spring/summer months.

Next, are you having a casual or formal event? If you are having a casual event, a buffet or sit down luncheon are both fine. However, if you're having a formal event, a sit down meal is highly recommended. You don't want to have your guests dressed to the nines serving themselves at the buffet table! Of course, you may have elegant food stations with high end entrees. However, this type of service is more conducive for business banquets which allow guests to mingle and do business.

Finally, keep in mind of your guests list. If you are inviting very small children and elderly guests, I highly suggest a sit down meal. A buffet could be very difficult to serve them! However, a more youthful crowd might think a sit down meal as very stuffy and boring, then, I highly recommend a buffet. Also, if you have a very large guests' list, a buffet will not be conducive for your event. Nothing worse than angry and hungry guests waiting in line for food!

There are four types of sit down service: family style, plated service, Russian service, and French service. Family service is when the entrée, starch item, and vegetable are served in large bowls in the middle of the table. Your guests serve themselves. Your guests could serve what they want- - - even seconds! I highly recommend using family service for more casual affairs! Like family style, Russian service, is served in large platters in the middle on the table, however, servers serve your guests from the platters. French service is when one or two servers dish food from platters and don't leave the platters on the table. When two servers serve your guests, one server holds the platter and the other server dishes the food onto your guests' plates. Finally, the most popular, and often used in banquet facilities, is plate service. Plate service is when the waiting staff serves your guests plates of food.

Sit down service is not the most expensive choice! In fact, you can cut down on your wedding reception budget by serving a sit down meal! The prices on a sit down meal vary depending on how many courses served and what types of entrees served. A three to four- course chicken entrée is less expensive than a five- course filet mignon or seafood entrée. Speaking of chicken! Chicken is the safest choice, because most people like chicken!

Buffet service is usually one or two long tables displaying one to two entrees, starch, vegetable, salad, and dessert choices. Food stations are tables set up throughout the room each with one offering of select foods. For example, a carving meat station, dessert station, pasta station, and a salad station. With a buffet or food stations, your guests will have many selections of food to choose from. This type of service benefits the pickiest of eaters and guests could get another helping of food! However, you might pay for food not consumed! This reminds me! Ask your caterer on their policy of taking home leftover food. Most of the time caterers don't let your guests or you to take home leftovers because of their liability!

The buffet could be more expensive. Again, it all depends on how much food is ordered and what type of food is served! If you order a lot of high end entrees and chef's creations, you will pay more than a simple buffet!

What type of service you pick for your "big" day depends on what type of event you are having, your guests list, and your budget. Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be a special day! Bon appétit!