Helping a friend plan her wedding. She's not sure whether to have a sitdown plated meal, stations (themed buffet tables scattered around the room) or heavy appetizers. The heavy appetizers would be hearty enough that guests could easily make a full meal out of them since the caterers consider those to be a type of stations as well, so those would be like a buffet but without having to sit down to eat unless you wanted to.
She and her fiance want a nice wedding but they are not super-formal people.
2006-10-23 11:22:22 · 7 answers · asked by Cinnamon 6 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
The tables being crowded is one of the main reasons why she doesn't like family style. Also, the plates can be really heavy and with people passing them, there is a big risk of people spilling food on themselves while dishing it up.
2006-10-23 11:49:10 · update #1
My personal preference (since you have asked!) would be the passed hors d'oevres. I think it's wonderful to keep all of your guests mingling with each other - at my wedding, I purposefully planned that there would not be enough seats for everyone to sit at one time, because I was worried that each group would stick together and not take the time to meet others. If you're going to do this, it might be worth getting the plates that have the wine glass hooks on the side.
For what it's worth, I despise "family style"...I do everything I can to avoid going to family style restaurants (I don't want what THEY want, I want what I want), and would be fairly offended if that's how the food was served at a wedding I was invited to (I'm not sure it makes sense, but that's how I feel). If I wanted to sit at a table and pass food around, I'd go to Sunday dinner with my family...This is supposed to be something special.
2006-10-23 12:29:12 · answer #1 · answered by abfabmom1 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I cater weddings and had to plan one for myself last year. I would recommend family style. This is a seated meal where each person has a plate, but the food is passed around in dishes (like families do at big family dinners). This way people can take what they want and pass what they do not want. This is different from a family style restaurant because at a restaurant you can order what you want, but you don't usually get to order what you want at a wedding anyways, so this just lets you pick and choose what you would like more or less of. It leaves less waste, and less hungry and unhappy guests. The only down side is that the table can get kind of crowded if too many people are fit at one small table. Otherwise, I recommend this 100%! Also, it is nice and friendly, but not as formal as a plated meal.
Oh yeah, another thing... buffets often cost more because they have to make more food to cover whatever people will want and just in case they want more. They also need to keep the buffet from looking empty, so they have to replenish even when it looks like most people are finished.
Appetizers can also get VERY costly. People go to a wedding hungry expecting to get a full meal. Appetizers are usually fancier and not made to be FULL meals for everyone. The price that is given for appetizers with your meal would probably be just a fraction of the cost for enough appetizers for a meal. Also, not everyone would like the usual appetizers given out. There is never anything in the way of appetizers that I can eat at a wedding. I think that is it....
2006-10-23 18:35:20 · answer #2 · answered by fayra_elm 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Sit down dinners tend to be the most formal, but also are generally the cheapest. Passed appetizers are great for mingling, but can be very expensive if you are having a long reception, because it still takes a lot to fill people up.
I am having a sit down with 2 entree choices for my guests. This is the quickest way to get everyone fed, so we can start the dancing, which is what is important to me.
I tend to shy away from Buffets. I don't like my guests to have to get up and carry their own plates back to the table, but that is my personal preference. It seems a little too informal for a wedding, no matter how informal you are.
2006-10-23 18:29:40 · answer #3 · answered by bride2be091507 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
my wedding and my brother's had buffet style. The hall was beautiful and we preferred to use it for dance than to eat. There was just hearty appetizer, beverage and dessert. It worked out cheaper than formal sit down meal, but then again it depends on which caterer you use and type of food.
2006-10-23 19:16:11 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
have some light snacky foods with the fancy french name and some slightly alcoholic punch as appetizer. then have a nice sit down meal. and dont take all afternoon to get started. simple yet elegant is the way to go. if you do all kinds of stuff and drag out the reception it gts on peoples nerves. the last weding i went to there was an hour wait between getting to the reception and getting food. too long. i took apart the centerpeice at my table and reassembled it in various configurations.
2006-10-23 19:02:14 · answer #5 · answered by Stand-up Philosopher 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
me,or any friends or family I've ever talked to had much more fun at an informal
2006-10-23 18:51:46 · answer #6 · answered by NicotineFit 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hi a nice buffet is a great way to go, and dont have sitting arangement too that way people can sit by who they want too and wont be calling you saying "i dont want to be sitting next to this one or that one " its much easier
2006-10-23 18:47:58 · answer #7 · answered by yvonne p 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋