Expert Planner Panel

Hello brides! You're going about your planning, everything is running smoothly, then you do a double take -- "How did my guest list go from 150 to 400?!" Like many brides you may find your guest list has unexpectedly grown (somehow you forgot to include cousin Bill, his wife and eight children along with their children... And oh there's his brother cousin Will and his family and the list goes on and on...) and you're now faced with the decision whether or not that buffet was such a great idea after all. Lucky for you, we asked our experts to help you make that decision easier! We asked:

Which works best for larger receptions, buffet or a plated meal?

Several of our planners including Leigh Barker of A Delightful Day Event Planning, Tiffani Helms of Creative Designs & Events, Elaine Roberts of Events by Elaine, Dawn Sallis Schenkel of Premier W.E.D. and Jessica Sloane mostly agreed plated would be the best option.

"I personally think for logistics that a plated meal works best for a large reception, it cuts down on guest waiting in large lines for the buffet." --Tiffani Helms, Creative Designs & Events

"With a large reception, the standard buffet can take large amounts of time leaving some guests still getting food while others have been finished for a while. A plated or family style meal streamlines the process and reduces the wait times." --Elaine Roberts, Events by Elaine

"Plated dinners help ensure that everyone gets served quickly and there's no waiting in a line. Sometimes brides don't opt for plated, even with a larger guest list, because the price is greatly increased due to the amount of servers needed. So there are also ways to creatively do a buffet and move along the line seamlessly." --Jessica Sloane

Less time waiting in line = more time to enjoy the celebration!

Hope this helps!