Choosing your Dinner Service Style

As soon you get engaged, it seems like everything is a whirlwind! From looking at venues, to booking your vendors, to finding the perfect dress, there are A LOT of decisions to be made. As you search for the perfect venue, one of the biggest questions a venue or catering company will ask you is

“What kind of dinner service were you looking for?”

Most answers are along the lines of “Huh?”, “What?”, “I have no idea!”. It’s really a common question that not a lot of couples think about in the beginning stages of the planning process.  That’s why I’m here to tell you all the options you have here at Sand Springs!

Plated Style

A plated style dinner service is by far THE most popular dinner style there is. Plated dinners consist of providing your guests 2-3 entrée choices prior to your wedding day. This information is usually provided in the wedding invitation and your guests will make their selection and send back with their RSVP. A plated style dinner is served to your guests at their tables by their own personal server. No need for your guests to walk around to fill their plate, it comes right to them! It’s the most convenient option of all the dinner styles and the most formal. Plated is also one of the most cos- efficient styles since food is portioned out for each meal.

Buffet Style

A buffet style dinner service is a system of serving your guests’ meals at a one large station area and your guests serve themselves. Usually, each guest table is released by a server one at a time to help themselves. While this dinner style requires a little bit more effort on your guests’ part, it does allow for your guests to serve themselves seconds and to eat as much as he or she would like. A buffet is a great option if you’re looking for a more casual dinner atmosphere for your wedding and especially if you think you may have a lot of picky eaters! Buffets allow them to pick and choose what they want instead of only having 2-3 entrees to choose from prior.

Family Style

A family style dinner service is a hybrid between plated and buffet. If you’re undecided in choosing a plated or a buffet style, this may be the perfect in-between for you! Your guests will remain at their tables while servers bring out bowls of food options you chose prior to the wedding. The bowls consist of entrees and side selections for your guests to choose from. The great thing about this style is your guests don’t have to leave their seats for dinner and the buffet is brought to them! So, if you don’t want to bother with your guests carrying their own plates and trying to fill them to the brim with food, the food can come right to them with family style! The perfect hybrid…

Station Style

A station style dinner service is a buffet on steroids. While a buffet style is one large station filled with food, stations are simply described as multiple buffets. Your guests can go to several stations that offer all types of different food. There could be a sushi station, a pasta station, a potato bar, carving station, etc. This list could go on and on! Most stations will have an attendant as well to serve your guests. Stations are a more interactive dinner style for your guests and allow for more food choices as well.