At weddings...Sit down dinner vs. buffet

[Disneyland1084]

Which did you have at your wedding and like better? I had a sit down dinner at mine. It was filet mignon with veggies, salad and bread rolls. YUMMY!!! I prefer sit down dinners because whenever I'm at a buffet I'm never sure how much to put on my plate. At my wedding believe it or not, the sit down dinner was cheaper than the buffet.

 

[mtemm]

sit downs are much cheaper than buffets in my area, at least when we were looking around. we had an herb roasted chicken that was really delicious. loved it. I think we had asparagus with it, can't remember what else. I do remember the cake...alternating layers with 2 different flavors, one was strawberry grand marnier, the other was some kind of chocolate (can you tell the layer I chose? I don't even remember what the chocolate one was, the strawberry was sooo good)

 

[golfgal]

Buffets are more common around here then sit downs. Most of the sit down receptions I have been to have served cold food, or maybe lukewarm at best. I guess I don't have a preference one way or another as long as the food is good. . We had a buffet at our wedding.

 

[ead79]

We had a buffet with two "action stations." The action stations were a carving station with turkey and roast beef and a pasta station where the chef would let you choose your type of noodle and type of sauce. I just couldn't choose what sit down entree to serve, so that's how I wound up picking a buffet with stations. Plus, that's the way most weddings I have been to are, so that's probably what my guests assumed we would have.

 

[SillyMe]

We had a buffet with two "action stations." The action stations were a carving station with turkey and roast beef and a pasta station where the chef would let you choose your type of noodle and type of sauce. I just couldn't choose what sit down entree to serve, so that's how I wound up picking a buffet with stations. Plus, that's the way most weddings I have been to are, so that's probably what my guests assumed we would have.

Mmmm, that sounds like my kinda buffet!

Most buffets up here are awful. When they say buffet, they don't mean all you can eat type buffet with stations. You get in line and people serve you, but you get a very small portion of everything. You only get served once, too. You're guaranteed to walk away hungry.

 

[Stepharoonie!]

We had a buffet, which was a LOT less expensive than a sit down one...and man oh man was it GOOD. Chicken, steak, veggies galore, salads, etc. We still receive compliements on how good it was!!

 

[Aidensmom]

We had sit down - Prime rib with salad, baked potatos, vegetables, and bread. It really was not that expensive per plate.

I have been to good buffets and good sit down weddings, I really don't have a preference.

 

[helenabear]

I had a buffet at mine. Fist it was cheaper, and most importantly it allowed me to have food served that I knew all my guests could eat (vegitarian and lactose intolerant were two big concerns of mine).

I honestly cannot stand plated dinners at weddings. The food is usually not that good and always comes out to me luke warm. At least with a buffet, I can pick food that I know I will eat and not waste it.

 

[taximomfor4]

We booked up half a restaurant, ran an open tab, arranged for extra servers, an hors d'oevre table to be set up along with wines, etc. Basically, we took a whole lot of people out to dinner at a nice restaurant. It was woooonnnnnnderful. The male guests (dh's not-yet-married friends) were in awe. We didn't want the corny wedding-typical stuff. Then afterward, we went to a bar down the street so people could dance.

I strongly dislike buffets at weddings. By the time the last few tables get up to get their food, most of the other tables are done eating. And buffets -- how many hands were all over that stuff????????

 

[aprilgail2]

I've only been to one buffet wedding, all the others were sit down. The sit down ones always have a cocktail hour though and that includes a pasta station where they make any kind of pasta and sauce you want, carving station with turkey and roast beef, a salad bar with shrimp and cheese etc. and then walking around waitors and they have quiches, pigs in a blanket, little egg rolls and things like that. The cocktail hour is my favorite thing- well other than the Viennese hour, that is the BEST!

 

[Aimeedyan]

I've never been to a sit down reception or heard of one. Most weddings I have been to don't even do food (entrees and the like) and if they do, it's buffet style and is usually not considered a full meal.

We didn't have either; we had a dessert reception and it was done buffet style (obviously!)

edited: obviously I've heard of a sit down reception, just not heard of one in my area

 

[summerrluvv]

I've only been to one buffet wedding, all the others were sit down. The sit down ones always have a cocktail hour though and that includes a pasta station where they make any kind of pasta and sauce you want, carving station with turkey and roast beef, a salad bar with shrimp and cheese etc. and then walking around waitors and they have quiches, pigs in a blanket, little egg rolls and things like that. The cocktail hour is my favorite thing- well other than the Viennese hour, that is the BEST!

My sister is getting married in 08 and they have been looking at a lot of places. I cannot believe how much food the places give you!! The menu for the cocktail hour is like a meal! And all those desserts at the Viennese hour, holy smokes! They are going to have to roll me out of there

 

[VioltePrincess]

My sister is getting married in 08 and they have been looking at a lot of places. I cannot believe how much food the places give you!! The menu for the cocktail hour is like a meal! And all those desserts at the Viennese hour, holy smokes! They are going to have to roll me out of there

welcome to Long island.

I got married 20 years ago, at a kosher catering estalishment called the Tivoli Terrace. I don't remember the menu, but you're right, the cocktail hour alone was like a full meal.

my older dd's bat mitzvah was in 2003, and younger dd's in 2005, both evening receptions at our synagogue. the cocktail hour for the adults (there was a separate menu for the teens) included passed hors d'oerves (I know I spelled that wrong), sushi bar and carving stations. then we went into the ballroom and had a salad course, a choice of entree (fish, chicken or beef), bat mitzvah cake ans dessert bar.

most of the weddings and bar mitzvahs I've been to around here have had similar enus.


I did a buffet for dd's sweet 16 last month, much cheaper than a sit down dinner, but since almost all of the guests were teens...it worked well.

 

[ntburns22]

We did a sit down family style dinner. It wasn't too much more then the buffet. The buffet was going to take an extra 45 minutes of our dance time away.

 

[KrnB]

We had a sit down meal at our wedding because we wanted something more formal than a buffet. We served a steak and chicken duet, plus veggies and potatoes. I know the chef would have put something together upon request for a vegetarian too, although I'm pretty sure that everyone there at least eats chicken.

I'd definitely do the duet again. I hate going to weddings when you choose your entree ahead of time, only to realize when you get there that the other one would be better. Fortunately, at our best man's wedding, we had helped with the taste-testing, so I knew what to order.

We had stations for the appetizers and for munchies later on - desserts and coffee (is that the Viennese hour people are referring to??).

I think if you do a buffet, it has to be a good one - but then that's true for a sit-down too. I've had some pretty bad ones of both.

One idea that is kind of the best of both is the family-style serving. That lends itself best to Italian food, I think, but it was really good.

 

[KrnB]

my older dd's bat mitzvah was in 2003, and younger dd's in 2005, both evening receptions at our synagogue. the cocktail hour for the adults (there was a separate menu for the teens) included passed hors d'oerves (I know I spelled that wrong), sushi bar and carving stations. then we went into the ballroom and had a salad course, a choice of entree (fish, chicken or beef), bat mitzvah cake ans dessert bar.

Wow, that's one heckuva meal!

 

[JVL1018]

I've only been to one buffet wedding, all the others were sit down. The sit down ones always have a cocktail hour though and that includes a pasta station where they make any kind of pasta and sauce you want, carving station with turkey and roast beef, a salad bar with shrimp and cheese etc. and then walking around waitors and they have quiches, pigs in a blanket, little egg rolls and things like that. The cocktail hour is my favorite thing- well other than the Viennese hour, that is the BEST!

That was pretty much my wedding--and all weddings I've been to-the Viennese hour isn't standard, probably about 1/4 of the weddings have had them, but the rest is all I have been to really.
Dinner after trhe cockatil hour is almost always salad, pasta, entree(choice of beef, chicken, fish) with potatoes and veg, and then usually some kind of dessert(we had Italian pastries at the tables and a guy who did bananas flambe and cherries jubilee) and then the wedding cake.

I like the idea of a buffet, but hate standing in line for food-we get the variety at the cocktail hour, so I guess it's the best of both worlds.

 

[allie&mattsmom]

Our reception was pretty formal so we had a sit down with I believe your choice of a fillet or chicken or fish if I'm not mistaken. Sixteen years ago was a long time ago! I know it was yummy!

 

[Imzadi]

My cousin has a very high-end catering company that I sometimes work for. It really doesn't matter whether we serve sit-down or buffet. The food is the same, by the same chefs regardless. What matters is the price & how well the service is.

As someone else mentioned, some kitchens can't get the individual dinners plated up & served in a timely manner without getting cold by the time they get out to the table. Other times, because of a buffet carving station, it may actually hold up a buffet serving line, taking longer for one chef to carve each individual plate, than if the whole room was served sit-down style.

I personally prefer a buffet line. I tend to eat more protein & veggies & skip the carbs. Others just eat a large salad. With a sit-down meal, you can't choose to your dietary preferences.

 

[barkley]

i personaly don't care for 'sit down dinners' at weddings-it seems to tie you to the table you're at and does'nt lend itself to socializing with other guests, so that was one factor in our decision not to do one. we also had the issue that all of my husbands side of the family (and their guests) have a religious belief that requires vegetarian food-and for the most part sit down menus only offer a pasta option in that situation (which in my experience at sit down events can be pretty hit or miss quality/temp wise).

we ended up opting to do a buffett, but when we looked at the time of the wedding (6 pm) we figured allot of people may have eaten dinner already or would'nt want something too heavy (gotta figure by the time the wedding ended and people were in the reception area it was after 7). dh and i looked at lots of menus from different catering companies, and one thing occured to us-when we were first still mulling the idea of a sit down meal the driving choice between menus was never the entree-it was always the appetizers. most of the places all offered a similar variation on beef, seafood or chicken-but the most tantilizing options were always the appetitizers. we talked to one of the companies that we knew did great food (had eaten their stuff at several local theatre galas) and asked if they would consider doing a buffett of appetizers only. the owner asked what types of items we were looking for and a ball park figure of what we wanted to spend per head-then came up with a menu. IT WAS GREAT! we had different types of meat skewers, chicken apple sausage, veggie puffs, stuffed mushroom caps (vegan and non), mini quiches (vegan and non), hot and cold dips, antipasto platters, beautiful non run of the mill veggie platters (not carrotts and celery-different varieties of squashes, asparagus, daikon radishes...) and several cheese and fruit trays. people could could for lighter things or if these wished have a very filling meal. it worked out realy well.

the owner later told us that he'd never been asked to do something like that before, but based on the response from our guest would be adding it as an option to his clients.