Planning how to execute the meal at your wedding reception is a big decision. The choice you make can make the difference between a spending a lot of money and having affordable costs. If you want to know the benefits of the different options, then take a look at these explanations of each wedding catering services styles and then decide which one to use at your wedding reception.
A Seated Meal
While having everyone seated and catered to by well-dressed waiters is a charming prospect. If you are on a budget, this can get very expensive. If you have a good number of guests you are going to need a large staff to pull it off. If you are on a budget this is not so great, if you can afford to splurge then go for it.
A Family Style Meal
A family-style reception is just like having a meal at home. Large platters of meals are placed on every table and passed around as needed. This option is far cheaper than hiring a staff and it is perfect for small intimate weddings. Even if you have a large wedding this type of meal is a good way to add a sense of intimacy to the wedding. You will need servers to make this happen but it is far cheaper than getting waiters to serve.
Buffet Style
This is by far the most affordable option because you will need a very small amount of staff to make this happen. You can have staff members tidy up and stock up the buffet when the food starts running low. You may run into slightly higher food costs depending on how people fill their plates. If you have a large wedding you will need a plan to control the crowd. One way is to have people come to the buffet one table at a time. At a small wedding, keeping order will be a little easier.
Luncheon
If you want to cut food costs then you may want to consider moving your wedding to an earlier time and only serving lunch. At the very least you will save on the alcohol bill by serving juices instead. The point is, a luncheon reception carries less of an expectation of expensive food than an afternoon reception.
Planning how to serve food at your wedding reception should be a decision that is based on your budget and your tastes. Think carefully about the options available to you before making your final decision.
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