Weddings by Kathryn-Blessed Events: Wedding Buffet pros and cons

Weddings by Kathryn-Blessed Events: Wedding Buffet pros and cons:   One of the most anticipated aspects to your wedding day by your loving guests is undoubtedly the food! There's just something about si...

Wedding Buffet pros and cons

 

• One of the most anticipated aspects to your wedding day by your loving guests is undoubtedly the food! There's just something about sitting down for a warm delicious meal with your friends and family after you and your partner tie the knot. While not every single wedding involves a complete meal, the majority do—and the two most common options to choose between are a plated vs buffet wedding meal. When planning the wedding menu with your caterer, these are two primary options to choose from.  
• Buffets are a great meal option for events and are often cheaper than plated meals. For a fraction of the price, you can serve many guests without breaking the bank. Also, buffets will give guests more food options to choose from which is great for picky eaters or those with dietary restrictions. However, buffets are less formal and if your wedding is lavish, a buffet might not match up with your theme. 
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•  My biggest issue with buffets as a wedding coordinator is when they are not
• served by anyone, but self-serve by the guests.  Why? Because I have seen guests literally pile mountains of food on plates and leave very little to nothing for the rest of the guests.  I have seen weddings where the food runs out.  Enough was planned for and ordered but guests left nothing and it is disgusting.  Other coordinators and venue owners have shared with me their big pet peeves with buffets are the long line of guests waiting and blocking walkways they find long buffet lines tacky.  
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I personally have no objection to offering a buffet for your wedding or event meal, I try to keep the line manageable and moving.  I just highly suggest to all of my clients to spend the money on a few servers if your caterer doesn't provide them.  A self-serve buffet is a no-no at my events, even if I have to offer my staff as servers (for a price of course). You want your event to be memorable for the RIGHT reasons, not for running out of food.

When you are considering your meal choice at your reception keep these these tips in mind and pad the budget for servers.

Cheers

Kathryn

Blessed Events, CA 

Budget Friendly Engagement Party

 February winds down the holiday season's engagement season.  Congratulations to all you newly engaged couples and brides to be.  Let's talk about budget friendly engagement parties.  Engagement parties are a fun & exciting way to celebrate your big news with your friends and family.  Don't worry, they are NOT required, and if no one offers to throw one for you, don't feel obligated to host one.  An engagement party does not have to be ornate or extravagant, there are ways to keep it affordable.

Budget Friendly Tips:

1.  Brunch- A weekend morning brunch is fabulous and often more affordable than hosting an evening dinner.  Brunch can be at home or a favorite restaurant.

2. Apps & Drinks- If it is better for scheduling to do an evening event, do a cocktail-style engagement party.  Finger foods, appetizers and drinks are all you need for a good time.

3. DIY Decorations- If you plan on spending money on food and a large guest list, you can cut costs with your decor.  There's no need to get overly fancy with decor, stay within your budget by shopping at craft stores and DIY your decorations.  Keep it simple and elegant and focus on enjoying the company of your friends and family.

4. Casual Invitations- Use an online e-vite option for your engagement party or cute postcard.

Use your engagement party as a meet and greet to introduce family, friends and the potential bridal party to get to know one another before the wedding.  Don't rush into your engagement party and start inviting everyone you have ever met, remember this party is for your nearest and dearest in your circle.  You can even just do a family only engagement party for the two families to get to know one another and celebrate your engagement.