The Great Wedding Buffet Debate: Splurge or Save?

The “typical” wedding set-up; early morning start, ceremony noon or early afternoon, canapes (tiny food) and cocktails after, speeches and finally the sit down meal or buffet.

What may slip your mind is after the cake cutting and first dance. Yes, there will be dancing, mingling with your guests, catching up with people you haven’t seen in a while and getting lots of photos to document your day but just because you aren’t necessarily thinking about food doesn’t mean your guests won’t be.

Especially if you’re having a bar or alcohol at your wedding, you may want to consider a late-night or evening buffet to help guests to soak up alcohol and stave off hunger pangs into the night.

Evening buffets take many forms; fully catered hot buffets provided by your venue, hog roasts, self-catered cold buffets or ice-cream and sweet carts.

All of these options would be a welcome addition to your big day for your guests but is the extra stretch in your budget worthwhile?

Let’s look at the pros and cons of the evening buffet;

Pros:

Food But For Less

Many of your guests, if you chose to have an early afternoon ceremony, may have forgone lunch in order to attend on time. This means your sit-down meal or buffet (if you’ve chosen to include these in your reception) were the first time they’ve eaten all day. Your guests will likely devour this meal and use it to power them through the rest of the afternoon into the early evening. After they’ve burned up those calories dancing and mingling, your guests are very likely to fancy some food to keep the party going.

Food But For Less

Most venues who cater for you will offer an evening buffet as part of their wedding packages at a much lower cost than your main meal of the day. A lower price means you can still satiate the hunger of your guests without breaking the bank. Sometimes, venues will also provide a range of options to keep costs lower or higher depending on your preferences. Make sure to ask your venue for their evening buffet options to choose what’s right for you.

Soak Up The Booze

If you have chosen to have a dry wedding, you can skip this pro! Many couples opt to offer their guests an open bar, a paid bar, or free wine or cocktails during their big day. Alcohol can relax people, make them more chatty and generally improve the experience for yourself and your guests. However, there is always the risk that some guests may take the opportunity of a big event to drink more than they usually do. An evening buffet can help guests to soak up some of that alcohol and keep the party going on longer.

Cons:

Wastage

Your guest list will include friends and family that you want to spend one of the most important days of your life with. However, you cannot guarantee that all of your guests will want to stay until the very end of your reception and some may need to leave early due to childcare or medical reasons. Most venues that offer an evening buffet for your guests will base the price on the number of guests you are expecting at your reception. Early leavers may mean that you have paid for food that just does not get eaten. Sadly, it is an expected consequence of paying for an evening buffet that it does not all get eaten.

Extra Cost

The most obvious downside to offering your guests an evening buffet is the additional cost. Most venues will offer an evening buffet for your guests included in the price of venue hire but some may charge extra on top. Depending on your budget, you may choose not to have a catered hot buffet but instead provide your own food and have a cold buffet. Usually, you can get large platters of food from restaurants or supermarkets that would suit many guests. Whether you choose to provide a fully catered buffet or provide your own, a good photographer will capture all of the best moments of your big day. If you’re still looking for the photographer for your best day, contact me here.

About Emma Lowe - Wedding Photographer

Hi, I’m Emma Lowe, a Warwickshire Wedding Photographer specialising in natural, elegant and timeless wedding photography across the Midlands. I hope you found this blog useful and full of helpful ideas, inspiration or advice for your wedding planning journey. Throughout my website and blog, I regularly showcase beautiful wedding venue photography from across Warwickshire and the Midlands, featuring elegant manor houses, countryside venues and stunning local locations to help couples discover inspiration for their own wedding day and photography ideas.

My approach to Wedding Photography is always tailored around you and your celebration. Whether you prefer a relaxed documentary storytelling style, natural couple portraits or a balance of candid and formal photography, I adapt my coverage around your personalities and plans. My editing style remains soft, natural and timeless, creating elegant wedding photographs that feel genuine and can be enjoyed for many years to come.

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