Did anyone do a buffet reception instead of a sit down dinner?

ead79

<font color=#FF0066>Disney Bride!<br><font color=v
Joined
Jan 21, 2000
Is it easier or more difficult to meet your food minimum using a buffet-type reception instead of a sit down dinner? What type of food did you serve?
 
Hey Ead...

Since we are coming up on our three year anniversay I hope this is not too dated! ;) Just Joking!

Me and DH were married during the Christmas Holidays... we had a buffet style reception, typical buffet cheeses, meats, finger foods, breads, shrimp, beef tenderloins, rice, and other items.

The buffet worked great actually guests could take as little or as much as they wanted, we actually had leftovers.... the reception was for about 120, so it was small.

If you do have a sit down dinner, I think this is a very fomal and wonderful option, however kids really don't eat as much as the adults, in this case the buffet is better.

And with all of the options these days you can have a wonderful serving line with gourmet foods!

Our reception was at a hotel on a lake in Alaska (where me and DH are from!) where will yours take place?
 
I am planning a WDW wedding. Your food sounds like it was delicious! Thanks for the input! :)
 
The only drawback I can see for a buffet is if you have a really large wedding there could be lots of waiting for some tables. Otherwise this gives your guests a choice of how much and what to put on their plates. If you have a lot of guests with special dietary needs this could be an easy solution.
 


We also had a buffet and we're glad we did. Since it was two-sided, the was virtually no waiting in line. I always like the buffet better because you can eat when you want and have as little or as much as you can. I think the price difference depends on how many entrees you will have on your buffet table. They always have different ranges in prices for buffets, depending on the amount of food you want.
So my suggestion is do the buffet, you're guests will enjoy it more!!!
 
I have always preferred a buffet to a "sit-down" and , having been a server at both types of weddings, the buffet is more popular. People get what they want, no one gets left out.
The only thing is that it is important for the B & G to either go through first or have someone go through for you or you may never eat! It's kind of hectic at a buffet reception because ppl are always up and ready to chat... so MAKE SURE YOU EAT, even if it's only for a minute.
 
My daughter and son-in-law had a buffet at their WDW wedding in May. The wedding ceremony and reception were at the Polynesian Resort, so the buffet was Polynesian themed. They had teriyaki chicken, stir fry beef in an orange ginger sauce, and grilled salmon with mango mint sauce. There was also Caesar and mixed green salads, lo mein salad, Jasmine rice, roasted potatoes and a Polynesian vegetable stir fry.

The cost was about the same per person as the plated meals we looked at. There were 72 guests, and it didn't take long for everyone to get their food. Members of the wait staff walked through the buffet with the Fairy Tale couple and filled their plates for them. (My daughter was worried about reaching across a buffet table in her gown - so she was pleased by that.) The food was beautifully arranged and everyone loved it!

I'm sure you will be thrilled by the wonderful choices and great Disney service no matter what you decide!

Roseanne
 


romck, that sounds like some great food! It's nice to hear that the costs are comparable to a sit down meal. Thanks for the input. :)
 
Hi-

We're having a buffet and part of the reason we're doing it is b/c we felt we got more bang for our buck with the buffet. What with food, alcohol, and cake, I'm sure you'll have no problem meeting your minimum. Ours is $75 and we are easily over. :)
 
Caity,
Do you think it would be extremely difficult to meet the minimum without alcohol? We don't want to serve any, so that's why I'm asking. What buffet items are you having? Thanks a bunch!
 
We just got married on Sept. 1st and had a buffet style dinner reception with about 275 people. It was in a swanky hotel ballroom and the food was incredible so it didn't seem tacky or anything(sometimes people worry abotu that with a buffet) in fact it was faster and everyone had a greater variety.

We had Salmon stuffed with bismati rice and topped with mango salsa, beef tips in a red wine sauce with wild mushrooms and chicken breasts stuffed with garlic butter and green onions, we also had whipped potatoes a million salads and hot veggies...it was beautiful!

and with alcohol, we bought the amount that the liquor store told us too, and we only actually ended up serving 1/4 of it, hardly anyone drank..only wine really with dinner was taken, so dont' feel badly about not serving alcohol, we ended up returnign all of our alcohol and gettign almost all our money back. If people want to drink they can go to a bar afterwards;)
 
Congratulations, Taddy! Good to hear that your buffet was so nice. It's good to hear about really tasteful buffets. Sounds delicious!
 
We did the buffet line as well and I am so glad we did. The dinners were SO expensive! Most of the people wanted the cake we splurged on from a Belgian baker, and the famous cookies a friend of ours makes. We too had finger foods with salmon, and evening type stuff. Stuff mushrooms, meats and cheeses, pasta salads. Our wedding was at a mansion and was pretty fancy, but it was the summer, and it was lighter longer which made it a hot evening. Light foods served at 7pm were the way to go since everyone had probably eaten earlier. Another thing it eliminated was the RSVP. People still had to RSVP for a ballpark figure, but we didnt need to worry too much about people just showing up without responding. We probably saved over a 1,000.00 on catering and took that to Disney with us for the honeymoon. Besides, when the night comes to an end, and youre on your way to the honeymoon, that last thing you will think about is the food. Dont worry about it too much, and spend your money on something worth while like photos or a video!
 
One thing I wanted to add was about the alcohol. My husband and I do not drink, and we opted not to serve any alcohol at the reception. No one made any mention of it, and stuck to what was offered. Since we had an evening wedding with a lot of children there we also didnt want the responsibility of having a drunk driver out on the road from our wedding party. In fact you can do a switch on the alcohol and serve a novelty to make the wedding fun. Some people we know got a 7-11 slurpee machine donated by an individual store as long as 7-11 could advertise. Also someone has used a Hawaiian shaved ice machine which was a HUGE hit with everyone. If you want to serve something different, get an espresso bar!
 

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