Dialogue: Burgers and Fries Reception

Oh yes, we love our fast food addictions. Burgers, fries, tacos, nachos, pizza, etc. Great for a Friday night outing. Great for a girls night out to be little piggies with our margaritas and cosmos. But for a wedding?

Why not?

projectwedding.com

This lovely post tells how a caterer turned an idea for burgers into an actual menu for a couple's reception.

Tacky or unique? What do you think? All this is making me hungry!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Pickle: Buffet vs. Sit-Down

You can't decide what to do for your reception. Do you have a buffet and let people pick what they want, or do you have a set menu with a sit-down dinner? You may be tempted to go with what costs less, but you should know a few things before putting down that deposit.

Photo Credit: Theknot.com

The Pickle: Would a buffet or a sit-down dinner be better for my reception?

The Solution: Consider your options. Ask these questions when considering a caterer:
What is the pricing? By the hour, by the head, by the food provided? Is there a minimum?
Does it include the work of servers? How much if it doesn't? How many would be needed for buffet? For a sit-down dinner? Does it cost extra for vegetarian plates? Food for vendors at a reduced price?

Then ask these questions to yourself:
~ Is my wedding formal, semi-formal? A more formal wedding would have the sit-down dinner, while the buffet allows for a more casual feel.

~ How much of my budget is allotted to my catering? If the food of your reception is one of your budget priorities, then a sit-down dinner wouldn't make you cry when you put down the extra dollars.

~ What food are you wanting to serve? If you are planning a dinner of food that isn't generally what people would eat, then you may be wasting plated meals and money. A buffet allows for people to chose what they want.

~ How much time do you have? Sit-down dinners take more time, while buffets can be come and go. This can make a difference on over-time fees. 

So, as you can see, it comes down to budget and what you are going for. All in all, either option can still have beautiful presentation. Always check portfolios to see how caterers set up their food.

Pickle: We Did Not Just Run Out of Food!

If you are opting for a buffet for your reception, you better be talking with the caterer about how much food will be provided. If the food is running low towards the end of the reception, good. No wasted food. But if your food is running out half-way through, something went wrong. Maybe it was an inaccurate head count. Maybe your budget couldn't afford enough food for the amount of people who came. Maybe a few of your guests went back for 3rds or 4ths.

Photo Credit: dexknows.com

The Pickle: Your buffet is looking naked a little early in the game.

The Solution: The most effective way to make sure you have enough food is to get as close to your head count as you possibly can. Even if you need to make phone calls to people who haven't RSVP'd yet, do it. If costs money and you don't want a party foul just because you didn't have an accurate count. "It is getting close to the wedding and I need to send a final head count to my caterer, just checking to see if I can count you in!"

http://www.mgpweddings.com/

 The other way to prevent this dilemma is to make sure you hired a caterer who knows what they are doing. Always check references. Just know that even the best caterer cannot provide enough food if 50 people show up unexpectedly. You also don't want to spend money on extra food for people who never intended to show up forgetting to RSVP.

Get that head count!