Wedding catering is an opportunity to highlight your personal style and showcase food that has special meaning to you and your future spouse. Whether it’s the food you had on your romantic vacation or an old family recipe, make sure to have your list compiled before speaking to potential vendors!

Buffet Wedding Catering Seattle WA is a great option for large appetites. This style of service allows guests to take their time picking out what they want and gives them the freedom to go back for seconds. This option is also an excellent choice for those who are on a budget. Food is typically served in chafing dishes or on platters that can be placed on banquet tables for guests to help themselves. If you are having a buffet wedding, it is important to consider the size of your venue and the number of guests. This will impact how many dishes you can offer, as well as the amount of space needed for the buffet stations.

Another consideration is the style of wedding you are having. Buffets tend to be more casual than plated dinners. This doesn’t mean that the food will be less delicious, but it can influence how formal your reception is.

Some couples prefer a more traditional, sit down style meal and may find it easier to manage their schedules around the timing of a served dinner. With a served dinner, you will know exactly how much food to order based on the response cards that are collected. It is also easy to accommodate dietary restrictions as the menu can be tailored to each guest once you have collected their information ahead of time.

Plated dinners are usually more expensive than buffets, as the caterer has to prepare a larger number of individual meals. This can add up quickly if you have a very large wedding or if you are serving a high-end menu that will require the use of specialty plates and utensils.

Plated dinners are often the best option for a wedding with a large number of guests who have dietary restrictions. The individualized menus allow guests to choose their own entrées, sides and desserts, which makes it simple for the staff to accommodate dietary needs. However, it is important to collect your dietary restrictions information in advance so the staff can make sure that everyone’s needs are met.

Food Stations

When paired with buffet-style service, food stations can offer guests an upscale and more interactive culinary experience. This option allows you and your caterer to be more creative with the dishes offered, which is great if you want to include a few signature favorites as well as a few surprises for your wedding guests. Food stations are also an excellent choice if you have guests with dietary restrictions, since many stations will provide options for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other diets.

Food station setups can range from a charcuterie board to build-your-own tacos. One popular choice is a dessert station that serves a variety of macarons, cookies and parfaits. This is a wonderful way to add an element of surprise to your reception and will appeal to your guests’ sweet tooth, even the most pickiest eaters!

If you’re planning an ethnic-inspired wedding, you can also showcase your heritage through food station offerings. For example, a sushi bar is perfect for a Chinese-inspired reception, or you can serve a spread of Indian cuisine at your event with live chaat stations and naan carts.

Whether you opt for a standalone food station or pair it with a buffet, the options are endless and can be tailored to your budget. The first step is to determine your guest count and the space available at the venue. Once you’ve accounted for these factors, you can decide how many different food stations you’d like to include and what types of dishes each station will offer.

Once you’ve decided how many food stations to incorporate and what type of menu items they will offer, consider the style and decor of your event. You can use your food station offerings as an opportunity to tie your aesthetic and style together, or you can keep it simple and elegant, depending on your preferences and the vibe of your celebration. You may also want to decide if you will have live or pre-prepared food stations. If you’re having a live station, guests can watch the chef prepare their meal and customize their selections.

Family Style

When it comes to choosing the best service style for your wedding reception, a lot of factors come into play. Plated sit-down dinners are one of the most popular options but there are other catering styles that can create a more casual and intimate feel. A family-style menu is a great alternative that can be just as delicious and less expensive than a plated meal.

This type of wedding food service consists of large platters and bowls filled with different entrees and sides that are placed down the center of each table. Guests then pass around these dishes and serve themselves just like they would at home. The family-style option is an increasingly popular choice for brides that are looking to create a more comfortable and intimate environment for their guests. This type of menu will usually include a starter, entree and dessert.

The advantage of this service style is that it will generally cost you less than a plated meal and it requires fewer servers to fill your tables. However, the disadvantage of this type of menu is that it can be difficult for your guests to interact if they aren’t sitting next to each other and may require more time to eat. It also increases the likelihood of messes and accidents like spilled food or dropped plates.

Another drawback to the family-style dinner is that it can be more challenging for guests with dietary restrictions. This is because the platters will contain many different types of foods and can cause cross-contamination. For this reason, it’s important to ask your caterer about how they will handle allergies and dietary restrictions for a family-style meal.

A family-style menu can be the perfect alternative for couples that want to add a more intimate feeling to their wedding without having to sacrifice the quality of the food or the amount of courses. However, if your guest list is larger and you want to offer more variety to your guests, a buffet or family-style menu might be a better choice. It’s also important to consider your table layout and whether it will be able to accommodate family-style dining for all of your guests.

Plated

The plated wedding catering option offers guests an intimate dining experience and is seen as the most formal of all the service styles. Plated dinners offer precise portion control and ensure that your meal arrives on the table at roughly the same time. This type of service is great for couples that want to highlight expensive cuts of meat and/or culinary delights that need to be carefully presented. It also works well when you’re planning on having multiple events taking place during your reception, as each course can be scheduled around the speeches and dances.

However, a downside to plated service is that it can feel stuffy for some guests and may limit their ability to interact freely with other guests throughout the evening. Additionally, a plated meal can require extra setup and cleaning because of the use of individual plates and serving utensils that need to be cleared after each course.

Buffets can be more casual in ambiance and allow for much more versatility when it comes to food options. They can also be faster to serve than plated meals. While buffets are more free flowing than plated service, they do require some planning because you will need to provide your caterer with your meal options and guest count before sending out the invitations. This gives you the opportunity to include a note about any dietary restrictions and food allergies and provides an important reminder for your guests to bring their own utensils.

A drawback of buffets is that they can feel less festive and can take longer to clear than plated service. It’s also a good idea to provide your guests with a list of available options on their RSVP cards so that they can make a selection that fits their dietary needs and preferences.

Choosing the right service style for your wedding can be difficult because each option has its pros and cons. Our team can help you make an informed decision that’s aligned with your vision and goals for your special day. To get started, reach out to us today!