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OK, hive, I need your advice! Apart from my post on choosing our caterer and our menu, I don’t think I’ve mentioned that our meal will be served buffet style. I know, I know-a “black-tie” wedding…buffet style? Well, yes, dagnabbit!
We chose to go this route for a few reasons. While the price was right, cost effectiveness was truly not the only reason—I liked the idea of our guests being able to try a bit of everything and loved the idea of not having to fuss with keeping track of who’s eating what.
My only concern was the dreaded buffet line, but once my lovely catering coordinator informed me that we’d be running two, separate, double-sided buffet lines, I was sold. Considering she has done several weddings at my site before, I was confident there would be none of this:
Image via DetroitNews/Photo by Clarence Tabb Jr.
So why do I need your help?
Well, in choosing to have a buffet this has left me PLATELESS! Ahhhhh. Well, we’ll have plates-pretty ones in fact, just not set out on the table. (I’m really still not clear why-I guess because it’s easier for everyone to grab their plates at the buffet station? Bride brain! Must…remember…to ask caterer.) For the sake of giving you a mental image, I should mention that, though there will be no plates, we will have our centerpieces, table numbers, silverware, and three different types of glass drinkware pre-set at the table.
Anyhow, this is where you come in. Which would be the best way to dress up the table to make up for the lack of plates? Here are a few of the options I am considering.
Option 1: Chargers
Image via TheKnot/Photo by Tamara Lackey Photography
I absolutely love the look of these chargers-they’re classy and elegant…and fit my vision perfectly. However, they are very costly. If we had room in the budget to add them on (which we really don’t), I’d feel much more responsible spending that money on food or videography. Sigh. So pretty.
Option 2: Napkin + Menu Card
Image via Choco Studio/Edited by me
This image was taken at our venue (and I think I’ve blogged it like a billion times already). I didn’t even notice that there weren’t any plates on the table the first 356 times I stared at this image, so I’m thinking that bodes well for this option, no? The only issue I have with choosing to go down this path is that I had originally planned to put only one menu on each table—if we go this route, I would need to print menus for everybody.
Option 3: Get creative. Doilies anybody?
Image via Geographics
Image via StyleMePretty/Photo By Heather Elizabeth Photography
I think the doilies are absolutely adorable, but I could only feasibly afford foil or paper doilies (like the ones above). Do you think they would look out of place in our big ol’ ballroom?
So what do you think, hive-is there an option you like best from above? Have any creative ideas I haven’t thought of?! How are you dressing up your tables?
I think napkins and menus…people love something to read when they sit down! You could even print something fun on the back like a wedding mad-lib or fun facts about the bride and groom.
You still have time before the wedding. I ALMOST always see other bees selling their chargers for about $1 or so. I’m sure you can find one in San Fran. I prefer the charger and even though I’ve said this before, I shall say it again, your venue is gorgeous!
I definitely like the napkin and menu card idea. It gives guests time to drool over your menu options and get themselves hungry before its their turn at the buffet line!
I say option #1 or #2. I had chargers and loved them (and they are currently for sale on the classifieds here!), but I definitely think #3 might not work as well in a ballroom. Just my opinion though!
I think that all of these options are great! I am actually doing a buffet too (for the same reasons!). I am dying to use plates (and not have them stacked by the buffet) with the menu - but you have other great options here I never thought of…
Hmmm…I think that the doilies are adorable and something I never saw before… but the napkins folded are equally nice! Tough choice, Seal! They are all great options.
Maybe you can get cute doilies in a color that matches your color scheme? Or DIY them yourself like making snow flakes as kids - could be really pretty if you choose a fun paper. I quite like the doilies + napkin + menu.
My vote is for the napkin and menu card option. I, too, am having a buffet and plan to do exactly that. Napkin, menu card, favor.
I vote napkin/some sort of card. I love the doily idea, but it doesn’t seem to fit the feel of your wedding to me. And I don’t really understand chargers (you don’t eat off them, but they look like plates, wtf?!)
My wedding is just close family… I think our total number will be around 35. We elected to do a buffet style for our full sit down dinner so that everyone can choose what they want 
I think it will also serve to have a more relaxed feel which is totally the goal.
That being said, part of our decor is the plates. They are mix-matched blue and white print china so give a very vintage feel. If they werent on the tables, the table would look really odd and would lose the appeal. So what our venue is doing is each person goes to their table number. They grab their plate and head for the buffet. We are doing it in order… head table, then tables 1/2, then 3/4 etc. We only have 10 tables, afterall! so that will keep us from having a HUGE buffet set out (wasting food) or having people waiting in line.
I think this will work well for us so I thought I would just share it.
How many people are you having?
We did chargers (because our planner provided them), but I also really like the look of just the napkins and menus!
LOVE the menu/napkin option. It looks so great, and I couldn’t tell there weren’t plates there either. I think this would really tie in all of the formal.
What are you doing for favors? You could do the napkins with the favors on them at each seat. That way, you’re also guaranteed that everyone will at least SEE their favor. (I’m only saying this because, as a BM, I spent hours upon hours once making favors, and then didn’t see them at the wedding AT ALL).
Or, depending on how you’re serving your appetizers, you could do app plates on each table, esp. if people are mingling and apps are being served but dinner is buffeted (is that a word?!). I also noticed that the doily one has the silverware on each napkin on the places. That’s also possible. Or you could have all the napkins folded prettily into origami shapes at each setting. There are endless opportunities!
Also, if you’re not doing the menus on each place, I’d recommend 2-3 menus per table, that way they get passed around more quickly.
i like @bRooklynRocks suggestion. if you don’t want to chance that, then i say a folded napkin and menu/favor is fine enough. i attended a wedding where they had a buffet but left the plates at the table and it was kind of awkward having to lug my plate up to the line.
For our recent wedding we placed a salad on top the napkin at the place setting. That way when they went to the buffet they were only getting the entree and not carrying a salad plate too. (for us–we did plates at the buffet so it didn’t feel like you were at a cafeteria walking up with holding your plate)
Oh–to finish my thought–don’t do the chargers! It looks great without them so don’t spend the money. And I think the doilies are too casual for your venue.
We had a buffet but still put the plates on the tables. I had rented really pretty plates and wanted them to part of the display. We also then did the menu and napkin on top of the plates. On the menu I put a note at the bottom saying to please bring their plate with them to the buffet, and then also had the dj make an announcement before he started releasing tables. There was no problem with people leaving their plates behind. One thing that helps is if just one person at the table reads and follows the directions, everyone else at the table will follow suit.
I say do the napkin and menu. I too, as a buffet bride, had to make this tough decision! While chargers make me drool, I couldn’t justify spending the extra money on something that would be taken off the table almost right away! (check with your caterer about this. It is ultimately what made me decide.) Also, you might want to ask if they do salads first. I spoke with caterer who said that the salads will already be on the tables when the guests sit down so they have something to snack on as they are calling tables up to the buffet. Maybe, your caterer does this too? While aesthetically, it is not my favorite option, I do like that my guests will have a little more in their bellies during their wait. Good luck with the decision! and may I say, your reception location is BEAUTIFUL!
I went to a reception that was buffet style with no plates on the table (it was easier to grab them at the station). They had the favor (chocolate bar) and a folded napkin there. Didn’t even think there was supposed to be a plate.
Relax and stop over thinking this, as a guest- I didn’t even notice!
I seriously LOVE the chargers. I am, in fact, getting those exact same ones for my wedding reception. They were quite a bit of a an extra cost but once I saw them I knew I had to figure it out. They weren’t so expensive that if I didn’t use them, I would be able to get a videographer. Videographer is like 6 times the cost of some chargers. That being said, I found that renting the chargers was almost the same cost as having menus for each guest printed. So I have opted not to have menus and instead have the chargers. For a black tie event, please please please do not use a paper doily. Your reception venue is so aboslutely gorgeous that you would be fine with a nice table cloth and nothing else. Don’t feel you must fill the space. But if you must, then spring for the chargers.
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Mrs. Seal, San Francisco Age and Occupation: 25, Personal Assistant Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Sales and Support Specialist Engagement Date: December 12, 2009 Wedding Date: November 2011 Venue: Sts Peter and Paul Church/The Bently Reserve About Me: I am a goofy, wannabe crafty, well-intentioned Renaissance Woman (OK, perhaps "aimless wanderer" is a more aptly suited term for me, but hopefully you get the point)—basically I dabble in just about everything and pride myself in such. Without warning, I occasionally breakout into soulful improvised songs and interpretive dances and there's just no stopping me! As so many others before me, planning our wedding has unearthed a deep, intense passion for all things bridal and I secretly fear the day it will come to an end. Mr. Seal and I are quite the pair and life with him by my side is extremely rewarding—I am so thankful to have found him. Together we are planning a black-tie San Francisco affair for 250—light on the stuffiness and with lots of extra Seal-y flair.
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