Decisions - Do I Want a Buffet or a Sit-Down Dinner for my Wedding Guests?

Your next decision is between a buffet meal or sit-down meal. Buffet means your guest will self serve themselves. Buffet meals usually include some action stations, such as carving station or mash potato bar.  Sit-down meal means that the food will be brought to your seated guests. Both ways are totally acceptable. Our Willrich Brides run pretty much 50/50 on the decision. Sit-down is definitely the more formal of the two but a lot of people prefer buffet because it allows the guest more choices.

As far as cost goes, you may read that sit-down is more expensive because of the need for serving staff, but I have found that the actual cost runs close to the same. The reason being that with sit-down the chef knows exactly how much food to prepare. With a buffet he needs more of everything because you never know if there is going to be a run on the fish or the chicken. So even with the need for serving staff for a sit-down the cost pretty much evens out.

Visually there is a difference, as you can see. The buffet table will be located in the room. For a buffet the guest will be up standing in line. For sit-down there is no buffet and the only people up moving around are the serving staff.

The decision is yours and really depends on the look and feel you are going for.