Wedding Planning Blog

When planning a wedding reception menu, consider the style of service that will accompany the meal.

Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful activities one will take part in with a future spouse, but it can also be one of the most fun parts of planning the wedding. Selections can set the tone for the entire celebration, and will often leave the most
memorable impression on guests.

There are several different styles of meals and service to choose from, depending on what venues are willing to offer.

Basic Serving Styles :

Buffet
A buffet-style meal usually means that all of the food will be placed on a long table or countertop at the reception venue. Arrange to hire buffet attendants who will help serve the food to guests. The meal, when appropriate, is usually kept hot inside chaffing dishes. The advantage to this more casual style of wedding dining is that guests will have the freedom to select the portion size of each dish, often with the freedom to have “seconds.”

Family Style
With family-style dining, platters of food are served to each table, where guests will serve themselves a portion of each dish before passing it on to the guest seated beside him or her. This style of dining is less formal than serving a plated meal, but guests will enjoy sharing with one another and getting to know one another as they pass the food around the table.

Plated Dinner
Usually the most expensive style of wedding reception dining, serving a plated dinner is also the most elegant choice. Reception guests will each be served their own plate of hot food by a server. The drawback to this style is that if the service is not well co-ordinated or quick enough, some guests may finish their meal before others have even been served.
Considering Guests’ Needs

When considering which style of dining to provide for wedding guests, consider:

* The number of guests who will be attending the reception. A very large guest list will not make buffet-style dining easy to accomplish, for example.
* The amount of money to be spent. Consider also unexpected costs such as rental fees for dishes, silverware, labour costs for servers, if necessary.
* Special dietary needs of guests. Consider providing a vegetarian option for guests who do not eat meat. Children may also need a different menu.
* The mobility of the guests. Will older guests be able to reach the buffet comfortably? Will there be servers available to assist less mobile guests?
* The kinds of foods that will be served. Avoid serving messy foods in a buffet-style meal.

When planning a wedding dinner, remember also to plan for any appetizers or desserts, other than wedding cake, that will be served to guests. Don’t be afraid to shop around and ask potential venues about the kind of table and food service they are able to provide for the celebration.

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How is it possible for a couple to have the wedding of their dreams, while staying within budget? By learning to cut wedding costs. The following are tips and practical advice on reducing the overall wedding cost in ways that the guests will be none the wiser:

The guest list
For every person that gets invited to the wedding, the cost of the invitations and food rises. Create a master guest list. Then sit down and go through the list eliminating guests one by one. Some couples may have to do to this a few times over the course of several days until the guest list has been trimmed down to a reasonable and affordable number.

Invitations
Keep the invitations simple. The more detail that is on the invitation, the higher the price will be. Consider printing the invitations using a home printer, purchasing them through a stationary store, party store, or an online retailer. Instead of including a reply card, have guests reply online or the telephone.

Wedding attire
Consider purchasing a used wedding gown, renting a gown and bridesmaid’s dresses, shop in thrift stores, in department stores that sell designer dresses and gowns, or take advantage of sample sales.

Flowers
Flowers are one expense that can add up quickly. Choose flowers that are in season and consider using more greens than flowers wherever possible.

Day of the week & time of year
Saturday is the most popular day of the week to get married. As a result, many churches, house of worship, and reception venues charge top dollar for a Saturday wedding. To save money, some couples choose to get married during the week or on a Sunday.

The months of June through August are very popular months for marriages. Couples can save a considerable amount of money if they choose to get married in the fall, winter, and early spring months.

Decorations
Many wedding decorations can be purchased at craft stores, party supply outlets, and after holiday sales for a fraction of the cost of ordering through traditional wedding supply stores.

If a couple chooses to get married around a holiday, such as Christmas, many churches and reception venues are already decorated for the holiday, which will greatly reduce the amount of decorations that need to be purchased.

When purchasing wedding decorations, choose decorations that can later be used at the reception.

Cake
Wedding cakes can be rather expensive. The more layers and detail that goes into a cake, the more expensive the cake becomes. What many couples choose to do is serve their guests sheet cake. The wedding cake is made with the top layer being the actual cake and the bottom layers are just forms. The wedding cake will look just like a real elaborate wedding cake, but without the added expense.

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