(Closed) Food Stations

• red_rose
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: October 2011

I’ve never been to a wedding with that either, but it sounds like a cute idea. I’m not quite sure though how it will be different than a buffet. Will the stations be far apart and clearly labeled and you just expect people to go to one of them? Cuz if I were a guest at the wedding, I might want to try a little bit from each one, which wouldn’t save you on the time in line!

• Bostongrl25
• 7 years ago

We are hoping to do stations too! I like the idea 🙂

• napabridekelsey
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: August 2011

We’re doing food stations!

Ours is more of a finger food situation, since we are having a cocktail-style reception with lots of finger foods and a lounge setup, instead of tables, etc.

I think your stations sound great! It’s something that I’m excited to see how mine turns out, so I’ll let you know how it goes!

• ORella2012
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: June 2012

I love this idea! My brother is the manager of a banquet hall and he says that they work really well. It gives guests options, it’s kind of fun, and it eliminates the huge lines. (There are still little lines but they’re not so annoying). He said the only issue is when a guest wants to go to all of the stations. Either they have to carry their plate around, or get a new plate at each station. There’s not really a way around that, but he said to at least put silverware at each person’s placesetting so that they don’t have to carry their forks and knives around too.

 I think your options are really good and I love that they have special meaning to you. Plus, it seems like anyone could find something they would like with those options. Don’t forget the drink and deserts stations though!

Good luck!

• MrsLongcoatPeacoat
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: March 2012

I love the idea.  I think your choices sound wonderful.

• CindyRelly
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: March 2012

My sis did stations at her reception… and we are as well!

Ours is a bit different…. we’re doing an appetizer station with veggies, cheese, crackers, dips and corned beef sliders (St Pat’s Day wedding)

Salad station with a few different salad options

Veggie station with beans, garlic mashed potatos and twice baked potatos

Pasta station with 2 types of pastas and breads

Meat station with turkey and beef carved

Coffee station with coffee and pasteries.

My sister’s was a HIT and I hope mine is too:)

• Gerbera
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: August 2010

We did stations at our wedding because a) we wanted to, never were fans of plated dinners b) we have different tastes on both sides of the family so we wanted to give options.

It worked out really well. Everyone was glowing about the quality and amount of food.

It helps break out the lines a bit because instead of all your guests going to one line to one table there are lines at multiple tables.

And visually it’s different as well. With buffets they tend to be in those steaming hot plates. With Stations (at least at our venue) it was displayed beautifully there are chefs serving at each station. I think this way everything is kept cleaner as well?

PM me if you want to see pics.

Oops: here’s the novel I typed up in a PM to another Bee

We loved the stations set up because we were able to offer our guests a lot more variety of food than a regular sit down menu. The difference -to me- between stations vs buffet is when I think buffet it’s self serve and there’s like one meat, one veg, on side. Or something to that effect. With stations each station is basically a whole meal. ie. We had four stations 1. Steak House Station We had Chef Carved Prime Rib, Pork Steamship served with a couple different sauces, garlic mashed potatoes, crispy onions, wedge lettuce salad with smoked bacon 2. Asian Station was modified by us to Thai Style Beef, Lemon Grass Shrimp, Crisp Spring rolls, stir fried rice, ginger coriander and orange braised chicken, long life noodles 3. Trattoria Pasta Station Penne a la vodka, tri-color tortellini w/arugula & oven dried tomatoes, foccacia bread, noccellini & grape tomatoes 4. Crepe Station Shrimp & Cognac, Chicken and asparagus, grilled veg & smoked Gouda, baby greens salad and white balsamic vinaigrette served w/fresh baguette

What I liked about doing the stations is you get so much more variety to offer your guests than a sit down or buffet style meal. And it’s all served by the staff so your guests are not serving themselves. We have a lot of picky eaters in our guest list, people who don’t eat Asian, those who don’t eat American, vegetarian/gluten free, and lots of kids. So this allowed us to ensure that everyone would be able to find something they liked!

And my caterer threw in a free dessert station, we picked ice cream which was a big hit in august heat!

This is how it worked with my caterers, every caterer might be a little different. 🙂

P.S We had place settings set up as well, the appetizer was plated. And they had tons of plates at the stations as well.

• banana_anna
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: October 2011

your food sounds delicious!

• LMD84
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: September 2012

I’m doing stations as well! As a vegetarian who has suffered through many terrible wedding entrees, I want to have a huge selection for our guests, a number of whom are vegetarian.

• ReginaH
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: March 2012

Your food sounds yummy! I am also doing stations, with special meanings as well.  We are doing:

 Mexican- We are regulars at our local Mexican restaurant (they make a mean michelada),

Asian- We eat Sushi after every Pre-Marital Counseling Session

Italian- We both love Pasta!

German- I am an Army Brat that spent 10 years over there so I have a passion for some good German food

 American–Pretty obvious…plus he is a Soldier

 Seafood- My Fiance is a Seafood fanatic (he even eats it with his pasta LOL)

We wanted to give everyone a variety.  We have both gotten tired of going to weddings with the same boring food.