In my last post I started talking about one of the biggest mood killers at weddings: waiting around. There are three times in a wedding that can really kill the party and give guests a negative attitude. I talked about the time between the ceremony and reception in my last post (be sure to check it out). This post I'm going to talk about something that can make many people very crabby, being hungry.
Waiting In Line For Food
How it kills the mood: You get through the ceremony, drive to the reception, wait for the couple to arrive, cut the cake, and then dinner is served... except you have to wait for all of the 200 other guests to get their good first.
Buffet style receptions are especially common here in Nebraska. Most people believe they are cheaper by default (not always true, check with your caterer for their pricing on sit-down v. buffet). One thing that is true is that a poorly planned buffet can bring a hopping party to a screeching halt. Trying to corral 250 guests through a single buffet line takes a considerable amount of time. Usually first people are done before the last even make it through.
How to beat it: My first piece of advice is not to let the line build up. Ask the host couples or DJ to dismiss the tables as the line dies down. The second thing you should think about is the number of people you're serving 75-100, you'll probably be ok with one single-sided buffet, but any more and you need to start considering multiple buffet lines to allow more people to get food at once. Think about the space. Does it make sense to service different sides of the room with different buffet lines? Anything thing to make it go smoother and faster will help keep your guests happy.
What you really want to avoid is people being uncomfortable, i.e. hungry and standing in uncomfortable shoes. If you have a generous cocktail hour, it helps beat the hunger. Having tables wait to be dismissed until the line dies a little helps to keep them off their feet. These small touches make a big difference.
But most definitely find out about sit-down dinner pricing and logistics. It doesn't make any sense to do a sit down dinner for 250 people with just 5 servers and no carts to deliver the dinner on. Make sure that if you do go with a sit-down dinner that they will have enough help to get the meal served quickly and efficiently.
I hope those insights help. Check back tomorrow for the last and probably most important post in this series.
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