Reception dinner - buffet or sit-down?

[Kiki]

How many people are you having and what's the menu?

[JerAndKathy]

Final numbers aren't in, so dunno how many. lol

But we'll be doing buffet with the head table plated. :)

[walleye3]

We are doing sit down, Chicken, vegetarian meal, and kids meal
Final numbers aren't in yet, but we are expecting somewhere around 200-225 for guests.

[nikkiana]

We're having a buffet. The main course is a choice between roast beef and chicken with apple and NH maple syrup. :D

[Uma]

We're having a buffet because I want people to pick what they want to eat. Around 70 guests and this is the menu:

gourmet tea, tea with milk, coffee, cappuccinos, sodas, water, natural orange juice, mimosas
mini croissants with ham and cheese and with tomato and cheese
brioche with chicken and brioche with carrots, cheese and black olives
3 pastries per person
mini lemon pie and mini strawberry tartine
5 cakes (lemon pie, black forest, berry cheesecake, chocolate mousse and dulce de leche)
chocolate and vanilla ice-cream (sliced)
bowls with fruit and fruit salad
glass of champagne
toast
cream cheese quiches
mini apple pies
ham and chese mini sandwiches
3 mini sweet bites per person


Plus wedding cake and perhaps a chocolate fountain

[Aramelle]

We'll have between 40-50 guests, and dinner will be served buffet style. We're still ironing out some of the details of the menu, specifically the hors d'oeuvre. So far, the plan is:
Caesar Salad
Herb roasted red potatoes with fresh herbs and olive oil
Mixed seasonal sautéed vegetables
Carved slow roasted-herb crusted top sirloin w/ au jus, horseradish sour cream
Herb roasted chicken
Dinner rolls


Plus, of course wedding cake for dessert. :)

[Angela]

We invited 137, so far 31 have responded yes :)

We're doing a family-style buffet, that way no one has to get up and go to the buffet tables. And for the life of me I can't remember the menu...it's Italian though. :)

[Maria 05]

we had 80 it was sit down First Farmers Soup

Or

Gravalax- Mixed leaf salad, dill & mustard sauce

Or

Herb Crusted Mussels

Wild Irish Salmon with a tomato & basil crust

Or

Leg of Lamb "Fulacht Fiadh Style" rosemary & garlic

Or

Traditional Style Bacon stuffed with a sausage herb forcemeat

Served with Colcannon & Chunky Seasonal Vegetables

[KathyandJer]

Okay, I voted, but no need to reply seeing as Jer beat me to it :lol:

But our menu is not finalized yet, but looks like it may be: cheese and veggie displays for when guests first arrive... the marinated chicken with some sort of potatoes that I can't remember what we decided, and veggies. Coffee, tea, punch and lemonade included. Then with our caterer, we receive free homemade ice cream to serve with the cake :D And then we hope to have a chocolate fountain after dinner that will run for three hours, with fresh fruit and other goodies to dip in chocolate :)

[Poloke]

Hoping for: 100-125 guests
Sit down, family style dinner.

H'ors doevers:

Sea scallops wrapped in bacon

Batter dipped shrimp & cocktail sauce

Chicken tenders w/ honey mustard dipping sauce

Hot pepper poppers

Batter dipped vegatables

Breaded mozarella sticks

Cocktail meatballs

Canapes-served on flat bread with: Olives, cheese, peppers, bacon, onion.

Appetizers:

Tossed green salad w/ house dressing

Cavatelli (type of pasta) with homemade sweet tomato sauce

Entrees: Served family style, all you can eat.

Roast Italian Chicken

Steak & Mushrooms in a Marsalla and mushroom sauce

Autumn Pork Loin with brandied apple cider sauce

Seasonal vegatable, mashed potatos, stuffing(filling)

Homemade breads & butter

Wedding cake

Other assorted pies/cakes

Premium open bar, coffee, tea & soda.

[jillian]

We're having sit down.

[Coze]

Hi hi-

We are having a buffet style potluck. From what I found of Scottsih traditions, guests provided the food in order to show support for the happy couple. It's explained better on my wed-site than I can right here, right now. Being November, I know we are having a turkey (probably a few of them), but as for anything else... I don't know... I've requested a few people make dishes that I particularly like, but who knows what will come out of it.

TTFN...
D.J.

[Jenn]

We're having a buffet style dinner.

[TeenieBeanie]

When we decide when we'll have our renewal wedding, we're going to have a buffet style dinner.

[belle67]

We are having a sit down.
I have been to many weddings where there was a buffet served and it seemed like our table was always called last. So when we started to eat, everyone else was eating dessert. I want all my guests to be eating together. :)

Here is our menu:

Appetizers

Homemade Rolls with Butter
Pickle Tray
Caesar Salad

Entrées

Roast Beef
Chicken Parmesan
Baby Carrots
Green Beans
Baked Potato

Desserts

Carrot Cake with Pecans and Cream Cheese Icing
Warm Apple Crisp Served with Ice Cream

Coffee

Tea

Punch

[*TanyaJeanne*]

We are having a sit down dinner :)

[-->Kat<--]

We're expecting around 80 and it's buffet from Buca Di Beppo

Yum Italian food :agree:

Lasagna, Lemon Chicken, garlic cheese bread, roated veggies, garlic mashed potatoes, calamari, shrimp, brushetta... yum yum yum :D

[*heather*]

If we'd had our wedding anywhere but a sailboat, I probably would have opted for a sitdown dinner, but that was not possible for us. It worked well the way we had it. :)

[Carrie429]

We had a sit down dinner for 220 guests.

[katieandalex]

We are doing buffet...I can't stand sit down meals....it always seems like that the food is never as good.

[Christa]

We are doing buffet...I can't stand sit down meals....it always seems like that the food is never as good.

And for me the opposite is true. I don't like the food when it is served in a buffet.

We will be having a sit down dinner.

[Theresa]

150 people, sit down dinner. 1 hour passed hor d'ouerves before seated dinner, then an appetizer course (squash ravioli with a cognac cream sauce), then a salad course (field greens with candied pecans, oranges, and an orange vinagrette), then the main course (chicken or pasta plus sides), then the dessert course (fresh summer fruits in a caramelized almond shell), and then wedding cake.

[Becki]

We're expecting around 80 and it's buffet from Buca Di Beppo

Yum Italian food :agree:

Lasagna, Lemon Chicken, garlic cheese bread, roated veggies, garlic mashed potatoes, calamari, shrimp, brushetta... yum yum yum :D

Oh come on, you have to get their tiramisu too!!! It's amazing :)

[Venus]

Hi hi-

We are having a buffet style potluck. From what I found of Scottsih traditions, guests provided the food in order to show support for the happy couple. It's explained better on my wed-site than I can right here, right now. Being November, I know we are having a turkey (probably a few of them), but as for anything else... I don't know... I've requested a few people make dishes that I particularly like, but who knows what will come out of it.

TTFN...
D.J.
We are doing this also, My folks provide the meats and breads, which will be roast beef, turkey and ham, and rolls, then everyone brings a side dish so we will have a hugh variety to choose from, and of course wedding cake for dessert. Also we are having a late nite cheese fondue.

[Andrea]

because my mom is a caterer, ALOT of times, buffet is a HECK OF A LOT EASIER. just get the head table and the 2 family tables served

[lizaanne]

Ours will be a luncheon - it will be plated and served by the waitstaff:
(guests may make their choices the day of, they do not need to tell me ahead of time)

Menu

When guests arrive:
Gourmet cheeses and imported crackers, and fresh fruit
Served with wine and/or beer

First Course
Caesar salad with anchovy crouton, herbed crouton, and pepper chutney
-or-
River House Salad with dried cherries, walnuts, and raspberry vinaigrette

Entrée
Seared salmon with saffron buerre blanc, broccoli rabe and herbed gnocchi
-or-
Amish chicken with wild rice cake, lemon butter, haricot vert and puff pastry round

Dessert
Bride’s Cake
Lemon cake with fresh raspberry and lemon filling, served with raspberry sorbet
Groom’s Cake
Traditional English Wedding Fruit Cake

Beverages
Soft drinks, coffee, tea, beer, and wine

~Liza

[purple_octopus]

We are doing a sit down dinner with about 50-75 people (it's hard for us to estimate our final numbers, since our wedding is on Christmas weekend).

While everyone is waiting on us to finish pictures:

Cocktail Hour

Limited cocktails, but full cash bar is on premises if they don't like what we're serving.

Cheddar cheese ball coated in crushed roasted pecans and garnished with oranges and bunches of grapes; basket of crackers.

Fresh spinach and herb spread served with crackers, tortilla chips, carrots and celery.

Dinner

Dual entree dinner of prime rib and seafood fettuccini with shirmp, scallops and crab, served with sauteed mushrooms and spinach souffle. Salad, rolls, coffee, tea, and beverages. (I haven't decided on the salads yet.)

We are doing cake in lieu of dessert. We're also doing champagne for the toast, and limited drinks for cocktail hour (we haven't yet decided exactly what). We could have done a choice of two entrees, but it wasn't that much more to do both. And I am imposing my habitual menu choice regret on all my guests, as I know that whatever I pick that day, I will end up wanting the other once I get my plate. This way, I get both. :p Our reception is early (3:30 cocktail hour, 4:30 dinner), so we decided to go lighter on the alcohol. We didn't think our guests would drink heavily that early in the day, anyway.

I am biased against buffets because of the ick/germ factor. It's just my own mental hang-up, especially if a lot of kids were in line before me. Plus, I really love the room we have at our venue -- but it's on the smallish side. It might be cramped if we had to set up a buffet line. And in the end, it wasn't more expensive to do the sit down.

[Jaci]

We are having a buffet because my venue says that anything over 40 guests has to have a buffet. I don't mind though.

We haven't completely decided on the menu yet, but I'm leaning towards the italian buffet, because we can have one vegetarian entre and one meat entre. We'll be discussing this tonight!

[PurpleFlower]

We are doing a buffet. We both like the idea of people being able to pick what they would like to eat! I can't remember exactly what we all get with the meals but Ken really wants county fried stake and I really want some kind of chicken breast (not fried) so we will have both of those!

oh and I really want to do a chocolate fountain! So we will hopefully be doing that also!!

[Rebecca]

We are dong buffet for 100. This way everyone can choose what and how much they want and since our guest list is not very formal it will not involve a seating chart. FH loves and misses NC BBQ so we are having
Pulled pork
grilled chicken
rolls
hushpuppies
boiled potatoes
corn
green beans
salad

Before the dinner we are serving apps for everyone while we are taking pictures.

[km]

:computer:

Yummy menus, the only thing I can add is my daughters wedding was a buffet, loved it. The menu I can't remember now of course it has been awhile, but I do know there was so much food to choose from. Plus appetizers
:wavey:

[MostlyMel]

Ours is a buffet... don't have a final head count but it will probably be between 75 and 100 people.

Menu:

Chicken Breast with Wild Rice
Roast Beef
Whipped Potatoes and Gravy
Green Beans and Carrots
3 Salads (Caterer's choice)
Rolls and Butter

... it sounds kind of boring, and the salad thing is weird, but I've tried pretty much everything that place makes and it's absolutely wonderful food, so I'm not worried about not getting to choose the salads.

[Scarlett O]

We had a seated dinner with about 165 guests. We had NY Strip Steak or Breaded-Herb Stuff Chicken with green beans almondine and dutchess potatoes. Before that was salad & bread, and wedding cake for dessert.

We had 5 children in attendance at the wedding - they had chicken fingers. There was also a vegetarian option for our guests if they requested it - I believe it was Pasta Primavera.

[Stitch's girl]

Seated dinner-

passed apps: Brie in puff pastry w/ apple, chicken bites w/sun dried tomato basil sauce, chicken quesadillas, deep friend artichokes w/roasted red pepper aioli

Stationed apps: fruit, veggies, cheese and crackers

Dinner- two choices- Peppercorn studded sirloin or Ginger wasabi salmon

We just liked the formality of a sit down dinner better. If we did a buffet, I would have wanted it family style.

[That Girl]

We are inviting 150 people (don't know the final count of people attending yet). We are having a plated dinner. The main course is filet mignon and chicken marsala, garlic mashed potatoes and oriental blend vegetables.

[kate]

We are doing a seated meal for about 200-225 people. We also liked the formality of a sit down vs. buffet.
Our Menu-
Passed App. Egg rolls, crab rangoons with plum sauce, sesame chicken, and pita points with red pepper humus.
Bread basket will be on table
Tossed Garden Salad
Pork Loin Marsala, green bean casserole, whipped garlic potatoes
Wedding Cake- Devils Food Chocolate with carmal mousse filling and whipped cream filling.

[ginny]

We will be having about 120 people and it will be buffet, so people can choose what they want or don't want. With the buffet we have a choice of two appetizers, three entrees, so we'll be going with the usual, beef, chicken, and seafood. Then we also have a choice of four sides I believe, and then two desserts. And then the cake of course :)