Quote:
Originally posted by Exquisite5
What do you think-honestly? What is your perception of buffet/wait staff wedding? Do buffets say I'm trying to cut costs and I can't really afford this place?
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I help folks with basic wedding planning, and while it is true that buffet receptions often do not have the same "elegance" as sit-down/wait staffed recpetions, I do think it can be done well.
From my experience, the real key to succeful buffets is three fold:
1. multiple stations
2. variety grouping
3. passed hors d'oeuvres if possible
1. The biggest challenge I have found with buffets are the lines--people standing in 3" heels and their Sunday best while the wedding party and lil' Leroy gets his plate is no one's idea of a good time. This problem can be minimized by having multiple "stations" scattered around the room. You can do this two ways--having the same food duplicated at each station, or, even better, to do variety groupings.
2. While multiple stations with duplicated food minimizes the line issue, it doesn't really address the issue of "elegance." So I like use the buffet to it's one main advantage over seated meals--the fact you can have a variety of foods/cuisines. So at one station, do a variety of cheese/crackers/fruits. At another, do Chinese. Another do Southern cuisine. Another could be the dessert bar or Italian foods. Dress up the stations/staff for the station in the colors/images of that cuisine. It's a lot of fun, and it really makes the buffet look purposeful rather than economical.
3. If you can hire a few folks to do passed hors d'oeurves between the wedding and reception (and/or a hosted bar) that lends an air of richness to the affair without actually having a seat dinner.
Just some thoughts about how to execute a more elegant buffet.