Is buffet a no no?

View Quoted Comment Buffets where people serve their own food are generally not done at white tie or black tie , ballgowns and evening gloves events. Those are plated, or at most guests see the buffet, available foods, sometimes on service carts, but the guest looks, chooses foods, and a service staff plates and presents the food at table. Not self serve. But even evening dress and suits level of guest dress, and less than top dollar everything, buffets are very common, very much preferred often with widely different variations in diets and food preferences. Having worked catering, though, I will say, make exceptions where needed. Don't choose to have people wearing their most expensive, hard to clean and fragile clothes, to serve barbecue, or carry plates with gravy and sauces in one hand, soup in another. One lost expensive dress damaged, you could have paid a few $100 server costs ( more dollars per plate.) So if self service and carrying foods, less messy food items. Or have a single station for messy item with a staff to serve onto a plate that goes into a larger charger plate, so guests cuffs and shirt/ dress fronts do not drip with fat or sauces. Allowing them to choose sides, breads, and self serve those. Many people do buffet with a couple of staffed stations for this reason.

I went to a wedding with a buffet and I loved it. I like trying multiple things lol. I would have a waiter serve the meats though just incase people take multiple servings. My wedding will be a plated dinner. Our venue’s buffet style dinner was actually more expensive.

Nothing wrong with a buffet! That is our plan right now, it allows us to give people more options from our venue.

Not tacky at all!!!

A buffet is fine! Not tacky at all. If it’s what your fiancé wants then it should definitely be a top contender. What do you want?
If your own concern is that some people might think it’s tacky, then just get that thought out of your head. It’s super common at weddings, and whatever you do someone will find a way to complain about it so do what you and your fiancé want. 💗

I was gonna do buffet style, thought it would be easier but my caterer said for the same price they will serve it. So we are being served

Not at all. I've been to a few dozen weddings and only 6 have been plated. It cuts down on food waste and saves on personnel.


My own wedding is going to be approximate 55 people, 11 of whom are children under 12, so we're going buffet style, too.

I think plated meals are more elegant, but have been to plenty of buffet style weddings. Self-serve buffet is really normal (many choose it to save money) and totally fine.

Self-serve buffet is also not the same as self-catering, not sure where earlier commenters got that from.

I do not see anything wrong with a buffet as I am having one as well. My thoughts behind buffet vs. plated or family style was that family style gets way too crowded on the guests tables and plated the guest may not get enough food since it’s portioned out. Buffet allows for the guests to get what they want and the amount they want. These were my thoughts hope this helps!

I honestly thought buffets were kind of weird at weddings but, once I've been to one with a buffet and it was amazing! each guest can choose how much and what they want to eat. Its better for people with allergies. AND you don't have to pick out a seating chart if you really didn't want that. my fiance and i are really laid back and felt that a buffet style suits us.

I think it depends on how formal/informal your wedding is. Ours is very formal so we're doing a plated dinner. I don't see anything wrong with doing a buffet w/servers.

Buffets are very common at formal weddings. Some high end caterers only offer buffets and no one bats an eye at all.

I've worked a lot of weddings the kitchen perspective and I'd say each style of dinner all have their qualms. I do not feel like buffets are tacky, usually they get dressed up on a nice buffet table as well. With buffets, its less food waste than a plated dinner because people get to choose whats on their plate instead of just getting the choice of meat or fish and whatever starch and vegetable it is served with that I've seen a lot of wedding guests turn their noses at. The guests that return their steaks because its not cooked enough. I thinks its the best bang for your buck honestly.

At Jordan Valley Barn, we are continuing to do buffets. However, we are requiring caterers to have gloved, masked staff to handle utensils and serve the guests what they choose from the buffet. Guests are requested to group by family or those sharing residences, maintaining social distancing.

That's what we plan to do. Our theme is rustic but elegant. We're trying to do a barn wedding. We are still figuring it out ourselves plus we decided to postpone.

My wedding is in September. I have experience in wedding planning. I will have a buffet line for over 100 people. I have never had a bad comment about one. I have the utensils and napkins at the place setting, so people won’t have to carry it all. It just simplified the process. You will have some take more and some less. And some skip some items. Plus it reassures guests where it can from, that it’s fresh and warm. Absolutely it is fine to have a buffet.