The Ultimate Eat-Off

When planning a wedding, there are hundreds of choices you have to make.  You choose your dress, the bridesmaid dresses, the tuxedos, the tuxedo shirts, the venue, the photographer, the invitations, the limo service, how you want your hair, how you want to decorate, the flowers.  But one of the biggest decisions you will make is the food you will serve.  Believe it or not, what kind of food you serve and how you serve it will set the overall feeling of the wedding.  So do you want a sit-down meal with filet mignon and lobster?  Or a chicken buffet?  Only you can decide but here's some help.

If you answer "yes" to these questions, a sit down meal is for your wedding.
1. Do you want your reception to be formal and elegant?
2. Are your guests mostly the elderly or children?
                A sit down meal will make the night easier for the people looking after them.
3. Are your guests traveling long distances?
                It's appropriate to feed your traveling guests a full meal to make up for their trouble.

If you answer "yes" to these questions, a buffet is for your wedding.
1. Do you want your reception to be more laid back and relaxed?
2. Are you looking to save some money on this part of the wedding?
                ... then you have more money to buy a stunning gown : )
3. Would you like your guests to have more of a variety to choose from?

If you answer "yes" to thes questions, appetizers are for your wedding.
1. Are you really struggling with your budget
                This is the cheapest of the three options.  Also, if you serve hearty appetizers, your guests will feel well fed without the extra expense.
2. Do you want to be creative with the food you serve?
                 You can choose a theme, like tiny cheeseburgers and miniature hot fudge sundaes.
3. Do you have a wide range of people from ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles coming to your wedding?
                  You can provide something for everyone- the vegetarians, the low-carb dieters, etc.
4. Do you want people to mingle?

I just went to a holiday party last Friday night and I loved how they served food.  The venue was two rooms: the room in the front was a large dance floor with a band, two open bars, and a few tables around that held finger foods with mini plates and napkins so the guests could serve themselves.  The back room was set with about 25 tables and then there were buffets set against the walls serving crabcakes and sirloin and a creme brulee desert table.  In my opinion, it was the perfect party!  The people who wanted a sit down meal were in the back and the people who wanted to snack and party were in the front.  Two giant door ways, one on either side of the separating wall, allowed party-goers to easily flow from one room to the next.  What a great party!

Happy wedding planning and stay fab!
Lauren