The catering at your wedding will probably account for the largest portion of your budget with most couples dedicating around 40% of their total spend to food. Before you can get down to choosing specific dishes you will need to decide upon your style of catering. As with all aspects of your wedding there are no right or wrong answers. You should select what you prefer as a couple. In order to assist with this it is helpful to look at the pros and cons of the two main types of service. It is worth noting that at Hudson’s venue there is no real cost difference between them.
Buffet Service
If you opt for buffet service your guests will need to get up and walk to the service station to dish their meal. At Hudson’s we have staff available to assist guests with plating their food at the buffet. The biggest advantage of this style of service is the variety of dishes on offer. Your guests will have the choice of a range of proteins and sides and can also decide how much or how little they would like of each.
Some cultures perceive buffet service as more informal and indeed it does create a more relaxed atmosphere. Having guests leave their seats allows for more mingling and interaction between them. If you don’t like the idea of your friends and family queuing you can minimise this by having your master of ceremonies ask each table to go to the buffet in turn.
Plated Service
Plated service involves waiters serving pre-plated dishes to your guests at their tables. The nature of this style of service better allows prime cuts of meat to be ordered. Fillet steak, for example, would become quickly overdone if kept hot at a buffet.
More visually appealing presentation is possible when the meal is prepared in this way. Plated service is seen as more formal and elegant with all guests being served almost simultaneously and without the hassle of having to carry their own plate. This frees up some time for more dancing or other forms of entertainment. Sometimes plated service promotes more conversation between guests at the table.
At Hudson’s we can cater different meals for those guests with special dietary requirements or picky eaters. If you prefer plated but the lack of variety is a concern you might want to consider a “sampler plate”. Ideal for a starter or dessert, three mini portions of different options can be prepared so that your guests have the best of both worlds.
To be assured of a generous and delicious meal no matter the style of catering, find out more about booking your wedding at Hudson’s venue. We offer both plated and buffet options.