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It's as easy as this -- Your Opinion:
Plated Dinner?
Or Buffet?
Why?
plated, because I've been to weddings where there was not left when I got up there, and everything seems to get colder quicker.
I actually prefer plated. I don't like to have to serve myself. However, we are having a buffet for our reception, because the tables can all be set with the china service we rented.
whatever is cheaper and or has better food. Buffet at the country club venue we have is almost $10 more per person than a plated.
I like multiple stations with a buffet. With a buffet, you aren't stuck with something you may not like. Also with a buffet, if you want more greens than starch or meat, you can get that. With a plated, you are stuck with whatever portions the chef decided to give you.
I'm currently stuck on this decision.
We're doing a BBQ Buffet! I've never liked plated dinners. You get some green beans, a tiny chicken breast and a dry old dinner roll, blech! We want our guests to be fully satisfied :-D
My choice as a guest or my choice as a planner? It can cost more per person to do a buffet. That being said, we did a pot luck buffet reception and it worked fine. As a guest I'm somewhat torn. I'm always leary of people touching/sneezing on/coughing on etc the food I'm going to eat. On the other hand, buffets are all you can eat......
I much prefer plated. I find the food tends to be better (obviously, isn't always, but tends to be). If you are not one of the first tables called up to a buffet, then the food is already getting cold by the time you get it, and some things might already be gone (and who wants to stand around waiting to see if they bring out more salad dressing?). I'm a little bit of a germ-phobe, so the idea of eating food that every other guest before me has reached over and breathed on is kind of gross, and I've seen some horrifying things back when I used to waitress at a restaurant that did receptions (people dropping the tongs on the floor and putting them back in the food trays, picking stuff up with their bare hands and putting it back, etc). I am kind of a picky eater, and buffets tend to have a lot of foods I don't like (although they are things that a lot of people do like)...tomato based pastas, chicken with a mystery sauce (hate when buffets are unlabeled!), etc. As a picky eater, I prefer a plated dinner where I know what the options are ahead of time. That way, if I know there are not going to be options I like, I can plan ahead and fill up on apps or the salad, or even eat ahead of time.
Loving the mix of responses -- buffets do give guests the choice to eat what they'd like. But does plated seem classier?
From a caterer's perspective - plated dinners are much more frantic for servers to make sure all guests receive their food in a timely manner. For buffets, we just need to be sure the food stays filled.
But of course, we love whatever the bride loves!! :)
I prefer a buffet as a guest because I'm a picky eater. I also prefer it as a planner for my family because some of my relatives eat a ton and a plated meal would mean sending them home hungry.
We were worried about the buffet not seeming classy enough as well. We are either going to do stations or buffet....whichever is cheaper with yummier food :)
I also like it because it lets guest get up and mingle a bit more. I hate sitting waiting for my plated meal to arive, only to see that its something I don't even like.
I think stations can look really lovely though!! Caterers can do amazing things and really dress it up.
We are doing plated so we are certain there is enough food and that it doesnt get too crowded up at the buffet line.
I always prefer plated since it seems nicer and it's nice to not have to get up; but I don't eat a lot, nor am I a picky eater (under either case I'm sure I would prefer a buffet.)
We had a small wedding and decided to do a plated dinner. We wanted a plated dinner anyway but when we thought the wedding would be bigger, it didn't seem practical. Ours turned out really nice with a choice between three entrees. Everything came out delicious and hot and everyone absolutely loved the food. Also, I can usually handle buffets but I agree that I can be a bit of a germaphobe at buffets so plated seemed like a better option to me.
@Bostongrl25 - I like that idea as well. Weddings are supposed to be for mingling and seeing family and friends you haven't seen in a while. I agree buffet style allows for that more than plated does.
@mandb122 - Three entrees is awesome! Gives more option and less sitting time in the kitchen because there's less of each thing to make!
Plated. I despise buffets for every single reason that people have listed above- food running out, germaphobe, crowds... plus, no matter how fancy the wedding has been, any time there has been a buffet, it automatically makes it seem more casual. The ONLY exception to this was the time when the salads were all plated and set at each place setting, and then you got up to be served (no self service) at a buffet your choice of entree and side dishes. Self service buffets remind me too much of Sizzler.
I also like plated because I would rather sit and mingle during dinner with the people at my table and not sit there frantically waiting for my table to be called. I'm always starving by the time dinner happens at a wedding and so it makes it worse to have to sit there and watch other people walk by with heaping plates of food. As a guest, it makes me anxious that there won't be anything left once I get to the line.
I've never been to a buffet with cold food. Don't they usually have burners to keep everything warm? I've also never been to a buffet where the food ran out.
I don't get the germaphobe thing either. Have you worked in a kitchen? I use to be a server and worked in places like Steak N shake, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, country clubs, and Mortons and 90% of the time the kitchen staff did not have to wear gloves. So you guys are not okay with people using tongs but okay with several kitchen staff handling your food without gloves?
And who leans over and just breathes on food?
@Miss Tattoo - I sure hope most caterers have the common sense to put burners under the food.
And they should have a server by the food at all times to be sure nothing ever gets low.
Cold Food? Blech.
No Food? Even worse.
My FI hates going to plated weddings- he insists they screw you out of food that way and always has to go to carls jr afterwards to fill up.
I'll also say that we had our plated dinner and we had more than enough food. Between the appetizers, salad/soup choice, and entrees with sides, people barely had room for cake. We actually had so much food on each entree plate that my husband and I took home a couple of boxes (we had a dinner buffet with very few people so we definitely had time to eat too).
ETA: We also added macaroni served family style which was great but it wasn't necessary for the amount of food, we just love macaroni and cheese!
Maybe look into family style? That's the best of both worlds.
Between the 2, I'm always going to choose plated. Less mess, no danger of 1000 people touching my food, no waiting in line, no danger of the food running out before you get there, no walking around with plates waiting to spill on your clothes.
I have been to a wedding where the buffet ran out. The banquet staff was giving out way bigger portions that they should have and by the time they called up the last couple tables, the main course was gone. We got stuck with salad and bread.
Plated, I don't like the idea of getting all dressed up to walk around with a plate full of food. I also feel like I'm always the last f-ing table called and I get so hungry watching everyone else eat. We did a plated dinner and there was a ton of food. By the time entrees came out I was stuffed.
Unless the wedding is very formal, I prefer buffet over a plated dinner. I like the variety and the ability to choose what and how much to put on my plate. But stations are my favorite!
We had chef-attended action stations spread out around our venue. The food was prepared freshly for guests and having multiple stations cut back on lines and encouraged people to be up and circulating rather than rooted to their tables.
When I hear buffet, I think lines!
As I guest I'd much rather just sit down at my table and eat. I think it's easier too for the couple to move around to the tables and talk to folks. Everyone is likely to be there at the same time.
We are doing a buffet.. Our venue actually charges more p/person for plated. But even if they didnt, we like for our guests to be able to get what they want, how they want, when they want. We will have carving stations for different meats and staff on hand to make sure nothing gets low.
@TheEdge: Seriously! My venue told me with a buffet, they are constantly cooking food up until the point where dinner is almost over (and they send anything extra home with the couple) It's almost like a Chinese buffet. They just don't close the place down when food gets low!
Any venue that just stands there and watches the food run out probably wasn't the best choice. I have been the last table up and I have never gotten cold food or just left over scraps.
I prefer buffet but we are actually doing plated for timing purposes. I want to be able to do speeches and such while courses are being brought out and people are eating simultaneously. People just standing in line wastes time in our very tight schedule
@Loribeth: That is another good point. When a bride opts for a plated dinner, we can't set our china on the table.
Plated Dinner Pro: Guests get to relax. No serving themselves.
Plated Dinner Con: Less decorated table.
@Loribeth: That is another good point. When a bride opts for a plated dinner, we can't set our china on the table.
Plated Dinner Pro: Guests get to relax. No serving themselves.
Plated Dinner Con: Less decorated table.
Plated would be my choice. I'm against buffets @ weddings ingeneral but here's the reason I decide to do a plated dinner: the waiting issue, having ppl serve themselves in evening wear, elderly/handicap guests, and vegetarians.
Since I had a small intimate wedding, it was easier for me to create a customized menu.
I wanted Plated so people didn't take FOREVER in the line...and I hate seeing people "line up for food". Rather people relax and converse at the table and be served. That was MY opinion.
We are doing Buffet, because its the same price and its what FI PREFERS lol...why he says he wants people up moving, socializing, not bound to their seats! lol
So its purely preference and what you think would best accommodate your group of friends/family!
Buffet for our wedding because:
1) less expensive and I don't have to be 100% exact with my head count/don't have to keep track of who wants what
2) people can choose to get a larger portion of one entree or smaller portions of all three options
3) Anyone can get seconds if they want (ie I can get seconds ha ha!!)
4) FI and I can eat first and take pictures/mingle while the rest of our guests are finishing up.
5) We wanted a slightly more casual feel for the wedding so I think it will be great to have passed appetizers and a buffet dinner.
And our caterer is having two lines with three servers at each so people will not be serving themselves so that will hopefully reduce or eliminate the major disadvantages of a buffet at a wedding.
I prefer plated... I dont like walking around with a plate in my heels bumping into people, especially if there's a lot of people there. Plus I would rather relax during dinner and just sit and eat.
If it's a matter of saving money and providing more & better food with a buffet, then I would choose that, but if not, plated is the way to go :) It seems more formal too.
Buffet is better because you get options; you can take more of one thing or less of another
We're having a buffet, but the guests will not be serving themselves. There will be servers at each buffet table who will dish out whatever each person wants. That way the caterer will have some control over portion size and also fewer people will be dipping into the food.
We'll probably serve a formal buffet style dinner at our reception. Some people expressed concern about it possibly not being sanitary or formal enough, but I disagree. In our buffet, there will be servers at each food station to control portions. That way food doesn't run out before the last table goes, and guests won't actually be handling the food themselves. Also, the food is supposed to stay fresh and warm because they're sitting on chafing dishes. The table could also be dressed up to add interest. We're offering three main entrees plus green salad and two sides, so there should be enough choices for all.
Ultimately though, it's not so much the style it's served in, but the quality of the food! You can have a good plated dinner or buffet and a bad plated dinner or buffet. It largely depends on your caterer, your budget and your style too.
I hate buffets. I don't want to risk spilling stuff on myself or the floor or have someone else spill on me, or have people pick things up with their hands. Everyone has to wait in line or if you call tables it really sucks to be called last. I want a composed meal and it seems like most of the time at buffets there is just a bunch of food that doesn't necessary go together to make a plate. I think that the intention is that people can eat as much as they want, but no one is going to go back for seconds at a wedding.
I hate buffets. It reminds me of a cattle call LOL Line up, wait, mull around, fill plate...
We are having a plated dinner. And as to the poster who said that plated means not enough food or yucky chicken I can only think that must have been a budget issue. My folks are getting 6 oz fillet Mignon, steamed green beans and potatoes au gratin, or Fontina Chicken with the same sides. Couple that with 4 passsed apps and a artisan cheese tray and no one will be hungry! That is a shit ton of food LOL.
One thing to think about is that it is unfortunately common to have at least a few people RSVP yes and then not show up. With a buffet, at least others can get the extra food, instead of having it totally wasted.
i hate when im one of the last and all the food has been mixed up with others. i also dont like making decisions.. and i hate when ppl dont give me enough time to look at the food and are just trying to slop it on their plates.. im fussy. sorry. def plated
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