Several factors, primarily your budget, will dictate whether you choose to have a buffet- or a sit-down-style dinner. Obviously, choosing a buffet-style option will cost less than sit-down-style; however, the tone that a sit-down-style dinner sets may be worth the extra cost. Consider the number of guests, your budget, your timeline, personal preference, and the tone of your wedding.


Number of Guests
Beginning with guests, your budget will be drastically affected by the number of guests you invite. If you intend to invite several hundred of your closest friends and family, a buffet-style dinner may feel chaotic while a sit-down dinner would require more staff and prep time. A small, intimate wedding would make a buffet-style dinner more manageable while making a sit-down dinner more affordable.
Budget
If you’re searching for a budget-friendly option, buffet-style would be an obvious choice. If you are sparing no expense and are striving for a picture-perfect, unforgettable wedding, a sit-down-style dinner will be well worth the expense.
Timeline
Your wedding timeline will be crazy. If you’re planning on a buffet-style dinner, you need to allot enough time for your guests to serve themselves in an orderly fashion. If you splurge for a sit-down style dinner, you will save time that you can designate elsewhere.
Personal Preference
Every single one of your guests will most likely not want every single food you have to offer at your wedding. Having a buffet allows your guests to choose what they would like to eat. Often, the food left over at a buffet can be taken home with the couple or family; whereas, food left on the plates of your guest’s pre-portioned meals will likely be discarded.
Tone
A sit-down dinner, with the right menu, conveys elegance. The same food served in a buffet will not feel quite as high class as it would being plated and served by your caterer. Clearly, high class and elegance is not every couple’s goal. Buffet-style dinners can contribute to the feeling of a family gathering; everyone you care about coming together to celebrate and eat.
Cheers,
Josealyn
Content Manager | Associate Coordinator
Josealyn Pontius
Cue The Champagne Event Planning and Design Chattanooga Tennessee’s Premier
Wedding Planning and Event Studio Owned by Chattanooga Wedding Planner and Wedding Coordinator Shaun M. Teague
Cue the Champagne Event Planning + Design offers Wedding Day Event Management Services formerly known as Day of Wedding Coordination, Full Service Wedding Planning Services, Chattanooga Wedding Flowers, Elopement Planning and Event Design Services for all your Social and Corporate Events. Cue The Champagne Event Planning and Design also offer Chattanooga Wedding Flowers for your wedding and event planning needs.
Cue The Champagne Event Planning + Design caters to Weddings and Events in Chattanooga Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia Wedding locations and Worldwide.