Plated Service or Buffet Service: Which One is Right for Your Wedding Reception

Aside from the wedding menu, an important part of planning before hiring a catering service is deciding on the table service you will have at your wedding reception. Here are the things you need to know and to consider before deciding on it.

Plated service is a service type where all your guests remain at their seats and each course of the meal is prepared on individual plates and served to each guest at their respective tables.

Pros: This type of service is convenient, easier, and less hassle for your guests, making your wedding reception more formal and elegant. Plated service is organized, and each meal is sequentially served to everyone at the same time. Your guests can take their time eating instead of lining up for the food. They get to mingle and spend more time chatting with other guests at their table, but your guests have to understand the wait time for each course of the meal.

Normally, each course of a meal is served 10 minutes after the previous one. You can make sure that everyone is served fairly. No fear of running out of food.

Cons

A meal for plated service is exactly counted per guest. It has a fixed number of servings and has fewer dishes. 

Usually, it is limited to 1 soup and salad, 1 main course, and a dessert. It limits your guests' food choices, since they are only served what’s available. If you are hiring an off-premise caterer whose kitchen is elsewhere and transports the food to the wedding venue, food preparation is more complicated and risky for them.  

Each food requires on-the-spot garnishing, and specific serving measurements on each plate are needed. It also requires them to bring appropriate equipment to the wedding venue, such as an oven or a heating cabinet, to maintain food quality. Thus, your venue should have a big pantry.

Cost

This type of service is expensive and can cost up to 2,000 per guest. Aside from a high demand for food preparation and presentation, a plated service requires more staff and servers to assist your guests. It has a ratio of 1-2 waiters per table, plus food attendants to prepare the food. If you are going for plated service, expect to spend more on staff and food presentation than on the amount of food served. It is ideal for you… If you are particular about a more formal reception, an elegant service, and more artistic food presentation, then the plated service is best for you.

Buffet Service is a type of service where foods are arrange on tables in a specific area of the venue. This is a self-service option where guests need to get their food themselves.

Pros

Your guests will have more food choices and will be free to choose from the options. Guests can also get food multiple times as long as it is available. They can mingle with other guests from other tables, too. Foods at a buffet-style setting have a complete set of meal courses. You may opt to have an appetizer bar (5 choices of appetizers), soup, salad, 4 main courses (fish, pork, chicken, and beef), a vegetable dish, a pasta bar (2 kinds of pasta and sauce), plain & special rice, and a dessert bar (8 kinds of dessert).

You can also add several food stations (Crepe station, Quesadilla station, Pasta station, and Mongolian grill station), making it more flexible and adaptable for a wide range of guests, especially those with dietary and health issues. It fits and pleases everyone.

Cons

The downside of a buffet style is the long lines that can form upon getting meals, especially if your guests are more than a hundred. It could create noise and chaos since everyone will be wandering around the area to get different foods. Having your guests walk around and bring plates to their table can make it less organized and less formal. Long lines can also waste your guests' time instead of letting them eat their food.

You don’t have to worry, though, about the VIP’s and senior citizens because these types of guests are exempt from the long lines and are served on a plated type, even if you are going for a buffet style. Since guests are free to get whatever they want, some tend to get more of what they like and less of what they don’t, which leads to less of certain foods for other guests.

Cost

Since this is a self-service model, fewer staff and less food presentation are needed, making it more affordable than a plated service. You pay more for the food itself rather than for staff and food presentation charges. You can make the most of your budget by allocating more to your wedding menu. It is ideal for you… If you don’t mind a less formal wedding reception and want to have more food out of your budget, then this type of service is right for you. Filipinos love to eat, which is why it is a common choice among many clients.

Buffet-style service offers a lot of food. The more food you have, the happier your guests will be.

It is important to know how each type of service will affect your wedding reception so you have a clear vision of what it would look like, especially during the meal. Being aware of the pros, cons, and costs of each catering service type will help you determine which one best suits you and your guests. It will help you identify which service type is right for your wedding reception.

We hope this article helps you distinguish the right service type for your wedding reception. We would also love to assist you in estimating your budget well for your catering service. 

Check this blog, How Much to Set Aside for Your Catering Service, to get your free guide on your catering service budget.

Co-authors: Maricar Alcobendas, Sales supervisor at Hizon’s Restaurant & Catering Services, Inc. | Irin Rae Hurtado, Sales Supervisor at Hizon’s Restaurant & Catering Services, Inc.| Simon Dayrit, Research & Development Chef at Hizon’s Restaurant & Catering Services,Inc.