Buffet for a wedding?

Question

We're planning our wedding in Vegas, where we live. We're expecting 150 guests who are mostly coming in from the east coast.

What is your opinion on a buffet style dinner for a wedding? We will be having a salad, 3 entrees with a carving station for rib eye, 2 accompaniments (a vegetable dish and a starch dish) along with deserts. There will also be hor d'oeuvres served before the reception.

Or should we stick with a traditional sit down dinner, that people on the east coast are used to?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

unles it is done classy (like you are doing it with a carving sation) i think that it usually looks cheap. But the way you are doing it sounds like it will be really impressive. Love it!

Answer 2

It's totally up to your preference, but in my experience it was more expensive for a buffet, so we chose sit down.  Everyone mentioned how elegant it was and how much food there waas anyhow, so I'd do the same again and save the money.

I've been to both and prefer sit down because the buffets I've been to don't offer opportunities to go up a few more times,

Answer 3

I think buffet is just fine. That is what I am doing and then at least people can eat what they want and in the quantity they want. I personally am not a fan of sit down as the portions tend to be tiny and people remember very few things of a wedding but the food is one! Do what works for you! Good luck and best wishes!

Answer 4

A buffet is totally perfect, and great for guests because they can choose.

Answer 5

We did this for our daughters wedding and it was great.We needed less people to work because no servers were needed. It went real well and was pretty.

Answer 6

We're having a buffet at our wedding next weekend. The biggest pluses of this:  no seating charts or arrangements are needed at all (after all, we're talking about adults, not 3rd graders), and people can pick and choose what they want.

It's perfect!

Answer 7

I like buffets because then you can eat as much or as little as you want. I am always starving after weddings.

Answer 8

I'm from the East Coast (NYC Area) and I'd say of the weddings I have attended in the area it was about a 50-50 mix of sit down and buffett.  So, we're not all "used to" a traditional sit-down dinner.  Don't worry about that.  I'm even having a buffet for my own wedding because it offers more options.

I think Buffets are great because you take what you like and you can take more of one item and less of another.  They're great.

Answer 9

in my opinion, the reception should be in line with the formality of the wedding. if you are having a less formal ceremony, then a buffet sounds fine. you buffet sounds really lovely anyway so i am sure if you want to go this route it will be fine. it will save you some money and probably keep more food from being wasted.

Answer 10

I'm on the east coast and I am use to having a sit down dinner.  However, I have been to weddings that were buffet.  IMO, a buffet is fine as long as it's presented well.   If the food is served in nice chaffing dishes and attended by white gloved waiters, it will still be as fancy as any sit-down.

Plus, craving stations are very elegant, especially if you can get the waiter to crave the pieces as people walk up to the table.

Also, in college I worked at a country club.  I never saw a buffet for a party or a wedding.  But, every Sunday morning the club had a HUGE buffet brunch.  Nicest looking buffet I've ever seen.   The tables were dressed beautifully, I had to wear my black pants, white waiter's coat, a crisp apron and white gloves.  I stood next to the table and made sure it remained SPOTLESS and the food fresh.  We never let anything sit out.  I also moved people along and called the tables up so there was NO traffic jams.

If you find a place with similar standards, you can have a very elegant and high-end buffet.   The reason buffets have a bad name is because people typically throw any type of food together, they don't keep it fresh and they prepare it fast and without worrying about quality.

If you find a places that prides itself on serving good food (buffet or not) and making sure the buffet remains clean, fresh, spotless and well organized, you'll blow your guests away.

Answer 11

A lot of people are opting for the Buffet style these days. These people can't be that dumb that they can't figure out how a buffet works. I've been to a few weddings on the east coast and they were all buffet styles.

It sounds like you have plenty of options for the buffet.

Answer 12

Don't worry, I am from the East Coast and we know how a buffet works ;-) And they are becoming more and more popular. This way people can take WHAT they want and HOW MUCH they want

Answer 13

It really depends on your preference. If you want the buffet, or if it is more affordable, go for it. We had a really hard making this decision too, it came down to our budget. For the exact same meal, the buffet was $11/pp cheaper than the sit down.

Answer 14

I think that a buffet dinner would be nice.

It gives guests a chance to mingle with other guests

If someone doesn't like something they don't have to put it on the plate

There is more choice with a buffet