The great catering debate

Now, I love a good buffet as everyone will agree, however being an event planner and catering for an event, especially weddings, do you serve a plated meal or a buffet? For me when deciding there are plenty of factors to consider, but a good rule of thumb is that plated meals are better suited to formal events. Leave the buffet to the larger people…I mean larger events.

When making that all important decision about the catering be it a sit-down dinner or buffet, there are many things to consider. Like the setting of the event, inside outside, the size of your event and who will be attending.

Ultimately, presentation and layout will play a big role in your guest’s satisfaction with their meal. If you choose one format over the other without considering all of the angles, then you could end up with a less than a stellar event. As is always the case with event planning, what works for one event may not be the best match for other events.

The Basic Rules

For me there are a few basic rules to follow in the event planning rule book. The more formal the event, the more appropriate a served meal is. If guests are expected to wear jackets, ties and evening gowns you can hardly herd them about like cattle and make them line up for a buffet. The expectation will be high therefore table service is a must.

If I’m honest almost everyone would prefer to be served their food as opposed to getting it themselves. Serving a plated meal also allows for better conversation between guests. Get them talking over dinner with their glasses of bubbly and who knows, your next event could be just around the corner.

When it comes to your guests, the expectation they have is not that different from what they would want from a restaurant. If they dressed up to dine at an exclusive restaurant then they would of course expect the highest level of service. On the other hand, if a family goes out to eat in board shorts and thongs then they would likely be more open to serving themselves.