Food will be one of your major wedding costs, totaling anywhere from 40-50% of your Wedding budget! Once your venue is chosen, you will have to choose a menu style to serve to your guests and the traditional sit down dinner is no longer your only option. Today there are so many options on meal service, it is a matter of finding which one works best for you and your party.
Sit Down, Plated Dinner
This would be considered your most traditional and formal meal option. Guests could pre-select or order table side from 2 or 3 choice entrees. With this option, everyone would be served their entrees at the same time which leaves plenty of extra time for dancing, speeches, and other fun personal touches!
Buffet Dinner
With a buffet, food stations would be set up on long tables so that guests can pick and choose from the different options. This is usually considered the most causal setting of food service and is a great option if you have a lot of “picky eaters.” Due to limited space, each guest table would be called up individually – so the eating portion of the reception would take a little longer than traditional sit down.
Cocktail Style
This style reception features small bites throughout the entire event (similar to having a Cocktail Hour all night long!) You can offer a wide variety of different stations as well as passed items. It gives your guess plenty of time to mix, mingle and party. In order to host this type of event, be sure that your venue has ample space.
Be sure to discuss all different options with your Venue, including the difference in costs. The most cost efficient Dinner Style is usually the Plated sit down because we are able to know exactly how many of each entrée is needed and no extra food is required. With your other options guests can continue to go back as many times as they like, so more food would be required. No matter which style reception you choose, be sure to include a variety of choice options- remember different people like different things! There may be something you don’t care for, but it could be Uncle Joe’s favorite!
