Dinner: It all goes to the same place
This week we are talking dinner! We strive to make these blogs helpful when making wedding-related decisions. There are so many details that need tending to that it can often feel overwhelming. Everyone does it differently, especially today, there is no right or wrong way to do something; only the way that is right for you and your future partner to have your dream wedding day.
This leads us to discuss the pros and cons of the different ways you can serve your guests dinner.
There are a few ways that you can handle dinner, plated and buffet are the most common ones we see. We will go through the benefits and downfalls of each of them.
Photograph Courtesy of Loved By You Photography
Plated
What is it? Plated meals are pre-chosen by your guests ahead of time. This is typically from a set menu that is agreed upon with your caterer. We recommend plated for couples who put an emphasis on food, as this is more of an artistic, aesthetically pleasing meal.
The Pros:
Plated meals add a level of elegance to your event. Food is styled in an appealing way meant to create an experience for guests.
There is less money wasted because the food is prepared specifically for the number of guests included in the count. Extra is not necessarily needed.
Dinner is served in a timely manner, assisting in keeping your day on track! With a plated meal, all of the food is ready to be served when dinner starts. Your caterer will be able to time it so that everyone receives their food relatively fast.
The Cons:
Plated meals need more servers, which means they can be costly. More staff means more expense. In order to serve dinner quickly, a properly staffed crew is needed. This is a cost that is passed on to you as the clients. The larger the wedding the larger the staff.
There can be more food waste, since everyone may not eat everything on their plate. This food will be thrown away after the meal. Those conscious of waste, want to consider this when choosing their wedding day meal.
There are fewer options with a plated meal. This means every guest will receive the same sides to their meal.
Buffet
Buffet dinners are typically banquet tables lined up with all of your chosen foods for the evening. This can be done in a single or double buffet line. We recommend buffet dinners for a more casual wedding where the goal is laid back and relaxing.
The Pros:
Less food is wasted because people will only take the foods that they like. If Aunt Sally does not like broccoli, chances are she will not take it!
Buffet Style dinner tends to be less expensive since there are fewer people needed on the serving end.
You can offer more options! This allows you to have different types of foods for guests to choose from, letting them make their perfect combination.
The Cons:
Buffet tables and lines take up lots of space! If you are tight on space in your chosen venue, we recommend staying away from a buffet dinner. This is also something that needs to be knocked down after dinner.
The time! Since everyone has to get up from the table and wait in line, it can take a decent amount of time for everyone to get through the line and eat dinner. This can cause those who ate first to be waiting for others to finish and those eating last to feel rushed. This may even hold up your evening.
Lots of food may go to waste. It is likely that there will be lots of leftover food. Someone will need to be in charge of taking this at the end of the night. It is also likely that you will end up throwing out some, if not most of it.
Regardless of how you serve dinner as long as your guests eat they will be happy. As we say, it all goes to the same place!
