Do guests always expect a choice of dinners at wedding reception?

Question

I am planning a nice sit-down dinner. Is it rude to not offer guests a choice of entree?
At the place I have selected for the reception it is one price for the selection of one entree and quite a bit more if I offer guests a pre-selected choice of 2 (I still have to give an exact count ahead of time). I'm not thrilled at being raked over the coals and can't think of any issues if I selected the one entree (I know all of our guests would eat it, nobody is a vegetarian or has allergy issues). It makes me wonder, do the guests expect to be given a choice of entree?

I am inclined to pick just a chicken dish - I figured it was safe. I need to keep within budget and my preference is to pick the one dish and be able to afford a few extra people to attend.
There's lots of great advice here. THANKS!!

Answer 1

The guests are lucky enough to be invited and have a FREE meal so I think they should just be grateful for what they get and not EXPECT anything as that is RUDE!! Do what is best for you and what you can afford. If you can't afford any other options than that's ok, people will undertand, it's not really important, you are a good person for stopping to even consider this!

Answer 2

I agree with you - I'm getting married in one month and did not give my guests the option to select an entree' .... and we're having a pretty fancy/formal wedding/dinner too. Nobody has said a word to me about the lack of choices, and I just could not rationalize paying so much more per entree' just to have 2 options. One of my bridesmaids is vegan, and our caterer was very open to preparing a vegan meal for her. We also are offering child plates upon request.

We also went with chicken - you are correct, it seems to be the least contentious meat. You would be surprised at how many people stay away from red meat, or cannot eat pork, etc. Chicken seems pretty neutral :)

Good luck!

Answer 3

I don't expect a choice at a large reception. It's difficult to manage and often expensive to provide. Sometimes people will have a family-style meal that provides a beef dish, a chicken dish, a pasta dish and an assortment of vegetables as a way of offering choices. I don't usually like those as they are mass-produced and the meat is usually tough, the gravy gelled and the vegetables overcooked. A buffet is another way to provide choices, but can sometimes be expensive, too, and difficult to gauge how many people are going to choose what, and you risk running out of particular dishes before everyone is served. SInce you know your guests don;t have any special needs, I'd go with the same thing for everybody.

Answer 4

Honestly, I didn't really read the entire thing you had posted, just your question. Anyways, NO guests should NOT expect a choice of dinners at a wedding reception. I think ppl who do, are snotty. Guests should be thankful they are getting their meals for free. I've been to two weddings this year where there were no choices, and I had no problem with it at all. I ate the food, I was full, and I was more focused on the happy couple than I was on the food and not having a 2nd choice. So I think anyone who is mad because there isn't a 2nd choice is nuts and a big snob. :)

Answer 5

I would rather have a choice, but if it is an inconvience for you to pay for a second choice I say don't! With only one entree, make sure that you pick something that is generally pleasing for everyone and make sure there are no people with allergies (such as to seafood). Perhaps choose a variety sides (such as a vegetable) just incase any of your guests are not crazy about the main dish!

Answer 6

I don't think people expect choices. If you know for an absolute fact that everyone will be fine with eating chicken, go for it.

We have to have choices at our wedding because some of our guests are vegetarian and some are kosher, so one entree choice won't fly.

Answer 7

At wedding when it's not a buffet but a sit down dinner, I always been given a choice. I've never attended a wedding where there was only one choice.

I'm not a picky eater so this wouldn't bother me but I know there are lots of picky eaters so this may bother them.

Bottom line, if you can't afford to offer two then don't but you will have a few not so nice negative comments about it.

Answer 8

No, for people to huff and puff over not getting a choice - well, that's not very polite of them, is it?

I do have to say that I got the BEST idea from a wedding I attended recently. It was FAMILY STYLE, as in, large plates of food on the table that everyone took a bit from (think Thanksgiving dinner at your house). It was perfect, a mix between sit down and buffett! People could choose what they did want to eat (out of the options provided) and could pass what they didn't! I will DEF. be using that idea at my wedding!!

Best of luck!

Answer 9

Generally, people offer 2 choices because inevitably someone has dietary issues with which you may not be aware because they just eat what they can without making an issue out of it. If you served something like chicken breat, I'd say most people eat chicken, so you should be fine.

Lots of people don't eat red meat, or have lactose issues, so cheese is a problem...chicken is pretty safe.

Answer 10

i attend a ton of formal charity events, that are like wedding receptions, and chicken is almost all that is ever served, it is extremely rare to be offered a choice either when responding or at the dinner itself. chicken is filling, good, everyone likes it, it cant be ruined like steaks that cook too long, and it can be paired with so many yummy side dishes. and i cant remember being ever offered a choice at a wedding, so, gosh, no, i vote for one good chicken dish with nice sides on the plate, and that will fill everyone up.