Light refreshments, buffet, or sit down dinner?

We did a buffet with heavy hor'duerves. We had a ham and turkey carving station with rolls and sandwich accompaniments. We also had chicken fingers, fruit and veggie trays, mini quiches, stuff like that. And I wouldn't change a thing about the way we did it. It worked out for us and our guests.

I've been to weddings with sit down dinners, and I have to admit, I almost prefer buffets, as a guest. Generally with a buffet, there's something everyone will like, with a plated dinner, you run the risk of a guest not liking something. However, on your end, buffets sometimes can be more expensive than a similar plated dinner, because the caterer has to provide enough of everything for everybody. If you have a buffet, plan on having left-overs, so you might want to choose the food accordingly.

I'm a bridal consultant, and the one piece of advice I can give you is to keep it real to you. A plated dinner is considered the most formal of wedding receptions, and if you're just not a formal person, it may not be for you. Just because that's what you see on all the wedding shows on tv doesn't mean you have to do it that way. Do what YOU'RE comfortable with, it's your wedding, and this will hopefully be the only one you have.

Good luck in planning your wedding!

Well, I'm currently planning my wedding and I would prefer a sit-down. I just want to serve as much food as I possibly can and I really like the idea of a sit-down dinner with different course (appetizer, salad, pasta course and main entree)

However, I'm open to the idea of a very elegant and well prepared buffet. I agree that buffets can be very bad. However, I've had many lovely and tasty wedding buffets. I know many well-established reception halls that put together a very tasty, well-prepared and wonderful buffet. Nothing like the horror stories some write about. So, I'd be open to having a buffet at a reception hall that prides itself on serving good and well-prepared food. Not all buffets are bad. You just have to do your homework as to which ones are better and which ones suck.

It really depends on the type of wedding you want to have / can afford. Our wedding was an informal outdoor ceremony at a renaissance faire - the food that we had were hot wings and deli trays from a nearby grocery store. If I could do it over, I would order more hot wings - these went fast.

The following weekend we had a "reception" that was basically just a backyard BBQ with the closest friends and family; we had tri-tip roast, chicken, etc. It was fun.

i am doing a sit down dinner where a server brings it to you.

the person will pick up a name card and bring it with them to the table (there is not pre-arranged seating) on the name card will be a small letter to indicate which meal option that person wants.

i seemed like a good idea (and with it being a small venue, the buffet would take up too much room)

I hope it works...lol

although, i have thought alot about a cocktail only reception, and serving just hor d'eourves...

We are having appetizers during cocktail hour and then having a buffet dinner of italian chicken breasts and crab cakes. I am very pleased with our food choices, everything tastes wonderful and I am excited for the big day. Go with food that you like and that others will be receptive to. Sit down dinners are more expensive so if you are on a budget, keep that in mind.

I'm having a sit-down dinner for my wedding. The wedding is a formal wedding so i couldn't think of anything else. I don't like the idea of buffets in formal weddings. The food is going to be pretty cheap for us for the amount of food we are giving and the selections we are offering because my aunt owns a catering company so she's giving us an amazing deal.

well am i not married yet but i am planning mine. And were gonna do a buffet. Of a traditional mexican dinner with some sides, and a traditional italian dinner with sides. And then some fresh fruit and veggie trays. It's Not the most traditional but, im hopeing evrybody has a few choices. I never understood, the whole chicken or fish thing, lol

Sit down dinners are both classy and elegant. This is what my husband and I did at our wedding, with 5 courses plus a large hot and cold appetizers selection. We also provided 2 bottles of wine at each table, white and red, for our guests convenience so they didn't have to get up and go to the bar.

Buffet dinners are always cheap, the food is always less quality and cold, and I really despise waiting in line behind countless other guests.

We're doing a plated "surf & turf" dinner--our wedding isn't super formal, but we've had not-so-good experiences with buffets (too cold, long lines, etc.).

We had a buffet for just over 200 people. Of course I would do the same over again.