Olive garden

Olive Garden catering is fine but I don’t think it goes with a formal wedding. When I think of a formal wedding I think multi course plated meal.

As Kelly said, Olive Garden is not appropriate for a formal wedding. You need a plated meal, several courses and servers who bring the food, clear the table and keep glasses filled.

I do love me some Olive Garden, but that’s only appropriate for a more casual wedding. As PPs said, if your wedding is formal, you should have a plated meal. If you have a casual rehearsal dinner, you could certainly do Olive Garden!

Agree with them. Olive garden is a good option for a casual wedding.

I agree with everyone else. Olive Garden is great for a rehearsal dinner, but not formal wedding.

I think Olive Garden is fine like others have said for a casual wedding but not a formal one. I would be expecting a plated meal for a formal wedding. It is affordable and I say go for it if that's what you want. Do you just mean a wedding or formal meaning black tie formal?

Im thinking cocktail formal so a little more than casual but a little less than black tie. The venue and reception is all out doors so i want guest to be comfortable. As far as food im looking for affordable yet appropriate.

Agreed with everyone else. The food served should match the formality of your event. Olive Garden is great, but I wouldn't expect it at a formal wedding.

I say do what makes you happy and works for you! You can still have a formal feeling wedding on a budget. A buffet may not feel as formal but I think you can make it work! Besides their food is great and our family uses their catering all the time, though never for something as large as a wedding!

View Quoted Comment Wearing a cocktail dress outside and eating pasta out of disposable trays doesn’t fit a formal wedding. We catered Olive Garden for a birthday party. it’s not a formal meal.

I don’t view Olive Garden as food for a formal event. We’ve used them for parties before, but I would find it odd to attend a formal wedding and then be served an Olive Garden buffet.

I wouldn't mind Olive Garden but I would consider getting real dishes to serve it on rather than what they would give you.

Maybe my post is confusing. I will have glasswear and glass plates. There will also be servers serving buffet style as well as refilling drinks.

View Quoted Comment That doesn’t make it a formal event. I’ve never attended any kind of wedding without all those things.

Our reception had glasses, silverware, and dinnerware but it wasn't a formal even just because it had dishes. I don't know about Sarah's experience, but from the time Olive Garden cooked the food, delivered it to us, we set it up, and it got eaten the pasta wasn't all that good anyway. It was cooked pasta stored in a disposable aluminum foil pan and put over an open flame.

View Quoted Comment What would you call it then? I wouldnt say casual

Ooohhh breadsticks! IMHO, if it’s nicely presented, chafing dishes and all, I see nothing wrong with it.

But yeah, those BREADSTICKS!

I'm having ceremony and reception outdoors. My wedding is neither casual nor formal so its semi formal. We were thinking about having OG cater our food as well. Haven't decided yet. But do what you want and what works for you and your budget. I personally think unless people plan on helping pay for my wedding, their opinion is irrelevant. It's your day and no one else's. I think people will be glad that there is food period. Good luck.

View Quoted Comment

Since the origial post literally ends with the word "Opinions?", she clearly DID want opinions from people (us) who are not paying for her wedding. If she didn't want opinions, she probably wouldn't have specifically asked for them.

View Quoted Comment Ok so semi formal is the word im looking for. Thank you. Im back and forth on choosing olive garden