Which Do You Prefer?

Which Do You Prefer?

October 1st, 2008 @ 10:59 am by Ms Fondue
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One major topic of discussion when we were picking out options for our tasting with the caterer at Ravenwood was on buffet dinners versus seated dinners. We had previously been sent a menu that alluded only to buffet-style dinners, but then they sent a new one that included both buffet and sit-down meals. The prices don’t seem much different, but I have no idea if they include wait staff, which for a seated dinner can really ramp up the costs.

So, what are the pros of buffet vs. seated?

Seated Dinner

The seated dinner is served one of three ways.

(1) Individual plates are brought to the guests with the appropriate meal already upon it

(2) The wait staff serves the courses to the plates already on the table

(3) Two waiters serve from a platter: one holds the platter and one serves the meal.

Pros:

Guests do not have to get up and serve themselves, which removes all awkward juggling of plates and cups
No waiting in line
Everyone is served roughly at the same time, so the first table isn’t finished before the last one gets food
Timing everything out is easier
We may be able to afford more varieties of entrees
We wont have to worry about running out of food
It takes up less space in the room, since there are no buffet tables

Buffet

The buffet dinner is served one of two ways.

(1) With one or more long tables set up with all of the dishes for people to serve themselves

(2) Different food stations set up at different points around the room.

Pros:

Can be less costly, depending on the amount of wait staff vs. amount of food
Guests are free to determine how much and which items they want on their plate
Guests can go back for seconds—or thirds, if food is still available
It encourages mingling and socializing

Obviously, things like cost and space don’t matter much to guests.

Which of the two do you prefer as a guest, and why?

Tags: food, nashville |

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67 Responses to “Which Do You Prefer?”

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Member

MissCamera (message) 770 posts, Busy bee

I prefer buffet style. There are usually more food options, and you dont get stuck being the last person to get your meal. My favorite wedding food wise, was were the couple set up different buffet stations from around the world. One station had sushi, there was a quesadilla station where they custom made them for each person right in front of you, there was a prime rib carving station, italian pasta station, etc. DELICIOUS. Plus if you have picky eaters everyones bound to find something they like as opposed to a 2 entree seated dinner selection.

10/1/08 @ 11:06 am (reply)

Member

tater (message) 122 posts, Blushing bee

Hopefully no one hates me for saying this, but the area I come from buffets are usually thought of as cheap (I’m not from Nashville!). I have been to one buffet style wedding, which was actually Brazilian BBQ so I think it was done more as a tradition than cost factor…. however walking a buffet line in a nice dress and heels is not my idea of a good time. I’m always worried about spilling something at the Whole Foods salad bar, so balancing plates at a wedding just makes me anxious + its unfortunate, but I think a lot of ladies feel very self conscious about how much they choose vs just receiving a seated meal.

10/1/08 @ 11:06 am (reply)

Guest

Murasaki

I like the buffet, this allows me to be a bit more picky lol. I can choose whatever “looks” good to me as appose of ordering at it not being what I imagined. Even at the buffet if something looks good and doesn’t taste that great I would still have other choices to eat from on my plate. Also it gives the opportunity of people that normally wouldn’t talk to each other because they have nothing in common have food in common =]

10/1/08 @ 11:07 am (reply)

Guest

missteaberry

As a guest, I would probably prefer a buffet because it seems that I always end up ordering the worst choice of meals from the plated-meal menu and then waste it and try to mooch off of the plates of the smarter order-ers. However, the only experience I have of a formal affair with a buffet, would be my prom, which was terrible. For our wedding, we did home-style (i.e. a mini buffet on each table). I wasn’t a fan of it at first because I think that plated meals are more formal, but when it came to the day of the wedding - I didn’t have to worry if somebody brought an unannounced guest because I knew there was enough food. If we had gone with plated meals, I would have been stressing over what they would get to eat! Also, I know everybody had enough to eat because they control their portion sizes. It seems that the waiters serving from trays at the table would allow the guests to pick how much food they want, without having the buffet stampede. Hope this helps.

10/1/08 @ 11:10 am (reply)

Guest

Mrs X

Buffet, buffet, buffet! As a guest there is nothing I (and especially Mr Y) am more disappointed by than sitting down at a reception and being served a tiny portion of food. Usually, we’re in a rush to get to the wedding, that we don’t eat much beforehand. By the time the dinner is served we’re both starving.

10/1/08 @ 11:10 am (reply)

Guest

MsJoe

I was actually gonna have a buffet for my wedding but the cost would be the same but you got to remember buffets for weddings are NOT all you can eat. They still need a head count of how many people. A lot of people thinks its all you can eat but it usually isn’t.

10/1/08 @ 11:12 am (reply)

Guest

Andreika

Hi Miss Fondue I’m a huge fan of your blog from before you were a bee:) I actually got a lot of inspiration from you because I also had a damask wedding. My wedding just passed about 3 weeks ago and we had a Buffet. It was the best idea ever. All my guest kept saying how good the food was and how full they are. I don’t know about you but there has been plenty of weddings that I’ve been to where I’ve left hungry. The buffet was so grand that we had so much leftovers. Even though I couldn’t spurlge for an open bar I was glad everyone left satisfied without a empty tummy.

10/1/08 @ 11:16 am (reply)

Member

amysue (message) 1,492 posts, Bumble bee

Buffet. I hate being stuck at a table due to other people being served first/later.

10/1/08 @ 11:17 am (reply)

Bee

Mrs. Pineapple (message) 682 posts, Busy bee

our venue said the cost would be the same because for a buffet they have to make more food. they dont know which dishes will be more popular and need to be replenished more than once. we are going with a sit-down to make it easier for some of our guests who have a hard time walking or have other limitations.

10/1/08 @ 11:17 am (reply)

10.

Guest

sally

seated. def seated!!!!!

10/1/08 @ 11:17 am (reply)

11.

Member

elle1009 (message) 120 posts, Blushing bee

I am having a buffet style dinner at my wedding to encourage mingling. Also, I was told that a sit down dinner takes longer. I wanted more of a party atmosphere - my FI and I are not extremely formal people, so we wanted people to walk around, mingle, talk and laugh. If you use a very good caterer and the food is presented well, it will not look cheap.

10/1/08 @ 11:19 am (reply)

12.

Hostess

chelseamorning (message) 2,252 posts, Buzzing bee

I prefer (and am having) a buffet with different stations around the room. Picky eaters are happier, and it allows for last-minute guest substitutions with no hassle. You don’t have guests changing their meal options at the last second either.

Additionally, a buffet gives you the option of not having assigned seating. At weddings with buffets I’ve been to, guests ate as they pleased; there was no rush on the food or long lines. Not everyone was sitting down at the same time or even sitting down at all. So on the whole it seems like a lot less stress to have a buffet.

10/1/08 @ 11:23 am (reply)

13.

Guest

Nichole

We’re having a seasted dinner, because I don’t like the idea of people standing in line for their dinner. The stations idea works a little better except that the last wedding I went to that had stations, the more popular stations ran out of food pretty early on. Although that was more the fault of the caterer than the bride and grooms choices.

10/1/08 @ 11:25 am (reply)

14.

Guest

megand

I prefer the first seating option. I really hate buffets at weddings, I always seem to be at the last table dismissed to the food. Plus, buffets can actually cost a lot more since people usually take more than one serving. A buffet actually cost 5-7 dollars more for us, and with the seated option everyone was served within minutes.

Last plug for seated dinner: Elderly guests don’t have to worry about walking around and parents don’t have to struggle to carry both their plate and their child’s.

10/1/08 @ 11:26 am (reply)

15.

Member

kim0309 (message) 115 posts, Blushing bee

We are going with a buffet to save on the wait staff costs. I would rather have the few servers that are there to be on top of wine refills than serving teeny entrees that leaves everyone hungry. I’ve never left a wedding with a buffet and thought “gee, I’m really upset I had to stand up to get food” Its the ones with the plated meals where I think, wish I could have had a bit more veggies and less potatoes!!

10/1/08 @ 11:29 am (reply)

16.

Hostess

LittleBear (message) 800 posts, Busy bee

Maybe it’s a Chicago/Northern thing, but even the idea of a buffet makes me, my FI, our parents and friends want to throw up! (sorry buffet lovers out there! Just being honest!) Besides the food being cold, I always get behind the person who wipes their nose on their hand then reaches into the bread basket (forget using the thongs clearly laying there for getting bread) and touches all the pieces before grabbing theirs. EWW! Besides that, it seems that the ‘good’ food gets eaten first and the people at the end of the line have to scrape the pan.
Go with the plated dinner! Much more elegant and easier for people who can’t move around as well (or those of use who will always spill something) to get their food, relax and just enjoy!

10/1/08 @ 11:30 am (reply)

17.

Guest

Lauren

I like the convenience of the seated dinner, and I hate waiting in line for my meal - but at buffet’s usually the food is hotter, fresher, and better tasting. I suppose it depends on what you’re looking for and how important that is to you. It wasn’t that important to me (no one remembers the food anyhow) and I ended up at a location where we are not given a choice. Bummer.

10/1/08 @ 11:31 am (reply)

18.

Guest

Stefk

I prefer buffet. We got to take TOOOOONS of leftovers home. Granted, we left for our honeymoon two days later, but those two days we got to eat some amazingly delicious food, and our family did too the day after the wedding. I prefer buffet.

10/1/08 @ 11:33 am (reply)

19.

Guest

Stefk

PS - food’s not always cold…?!?! Please. And I still get many many comments about how good the food was (I think people do remember the food…if it’s good). I think the most important thing is that the food is tasty, not how its served, and a plated dinner is hard to do right (and good) imo.

10/1/08 @ 11:34 am (reply)

20.

Member

lilneko69 (message) 471 posts, Helper bee

We had a sit-down meal because we felt it was more “elegant” presentation wise. But if you were to ask me as a guest, I think I would honestly prefer a buffet. The food is usually more interesting and has more variety.

When we had a seated dinner with 2 entree choices, we knew we HAD to choose a beef and a non-beef to satisfy most palates.

The international buffets are more variety and everyone will be able to find something they like.

You can make it more “elegant” “upscale” whatever by having manned food stations, where servers place the food on people’s plates, vs serving themselves. Also make sure the venue keeps the food hot and give some serious thought into the room flow. Design the space to minimize lines.

10/1/08 @ 11:34 am (reply)

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