Plated, Stations, Buffet, Oh My! Popular Wedding Food Options Broken Down

It's no secret that good food is one of the main keys to a successful event! The food is definitely a major part of your guests' experience and will be one of the big takeaways of the night...in other words one of the things your guests will still be talking about down the road, good or bad! Serving a meal at your wedding will undoubtedly be one of your largest costs because you are quite literally taking about 200 of your closest friends out to dinner! You just have to decide what type of dining experience you want for your guests. If you have started the hunt for a caterer for your big day then you have probably started to hear terms like Plated Dinner, Stations, Buffet, Passed or Heavy Horderves, or even Boxed (in light of the Covid situation). I'm here to break down what each of these styles of meal entails and some guidelines on which style is appropriate when.

1) Plated

This is the most formal type of dining for your wedding. This style is much like it sounds...your guests' meal will be placed before them fully plated. A lot of times in courses.

This type of catering service is the most pricey, typically (but not surprisingly more than buffet and I'll get to that in a bit). One of the reasons you will pay more for this formal dining option is that it requires more servers. The kitchen staff will need additional help plating each meal individually and then of course, there will be servers bringing the plates to the table. This option is ideal if you plan to have a black tie or more formal affair for sure. It is also a good option for weddings with a very large guest count (think avoiding very long lines), or weddings in somewhat smaller venues, in which setting up a buffet line would be more difficult due to available space.

2) Stations

This option is a more modern (and Fun!) take on a Buffet and is perfect for couples looking to give their guests' a unique and trendy dining experience. This style again is like it sounds...your guests will be able to choose from several types of cuisine at multiple mini-buffet or made-to-order setups. Think a sushi station in one corner, a carving station with juicy roast beef, a pasta bar in another, etc. etc. The options are truly endless here, and allows for the couple to get really creative! This type of dining experience is perfect for a modern event and one in which the couple really wants more time for dancing. Keep in mind, a healthy catering budget will be necessary for stations.

3) Buffet

A buffet is pretty self-explanatory and is the most casual wedding food option. In Alabama, it is definitely one of the most popular choices. Buffets can be self serve or server served(recommended). People assume that buffets will be more cost effective but that isn't always the case. Buffets actually require more food (especially in the self-serve scenario) than a plated meal because of presentation. The food has to look as good as it tastes, so you may pay a little extra here for your caterer to style and display the food beautifully and in your theme.

A buffet is perfect if you have your heart set on one of those grand fruit and veggie displays and for the couple who wants their wedding to feel very comfortable and laid back for their guests. Do work with your planner and caterer on creating a buffet situation that is not only safe but that has guests moving through lines quickly and sitting down to warm food.

4)Family Style

A new personal favorite of mine is the Family-Style meal. A bride of mine this past December introduced me to this style and I fell in love. One of her top wishes for her wedding is for her guests to all be seated together passing food around the table, just like all of her family meals growing up had been. So think of Family Style like a slightly more casual Plated. The food comes to each table in serving bowls/dishes and then the guests at each table pass the bowls around to fill their plates.

5) Heavy or Passed Horderves

You might think passed appetizers is more of a cocktail hour thing, and it is. However, if you are planning to have a say 2:00pm Ceremony and want to be out of there by 5:00 because you have a plane to catch at 6:00am the next morning for your honeymoon...you can totally get away with treating your whole reception as like a cocktail hour. Appetizers are such a crowd pleaser and will be plenty to tide people over until they have dinner after your wedding. You can also think about adding some passed appetizers on to your catering order if you plan to party late into the evening. This is what is called a Late Night Snack in the wedding world, and your caterer will love to help you come up with a tasty lineup of snacks to pass around the dancefloor.

6) Boxed

This is a pretty new style of catering as far as weddings are concerned, and we have Covid-19 to thank for that. Because of extra health and safety measures needed to be taken at this time, your caterer or planner may suggest (or insist) on a boxed meal for your guests. That is, a pre-portioned out meal boxed of up cutely for each individual guest so that there are no extra hands or germs coming across the food before your guests enjoy it. These can be tastefully placed at each seat or can be displayed buffet style for your guests to grab on the way to their seats. Some of these boxed meals are actually really adorable and I predict they will become an actual trend for brunch or luncheon style weddings, and bridal showers.

7) Food Truck Experience

This may be the most fun way to serve your guests a meal, and is perfect for the quirky or foodie couple. You can actually hire a Food Truck to come to your wedding and serve your guests. For large guest counts I would recommend hiring more than one. These are ideal for outdoor weddings and will for sure give your guests an experience they won't soon forget! A Food Truck is also great for that Late Night Snack to accompany your more traditional catering.

There is clearly many options for feeding your guests! Consider the type of event you are trying to plan and your budget to help you guide your decision. You really can't go wrong as long as you are feeding your guests delicious food, and have hired a professional catering/food service company!

If you are finding yourself needing help making this decision for your wedding, I'd love to chat with you! Please send me an email at sarahsullinsweddings@gmail.com or visit my website www.sarahsullinsweddings.com/contact and fill out my contact form!

Photography Credits

First Image: Penni Lauren Photography

Collage: Tonya Volk Photography