Wedding buffet - the most complete guide

An alternative to the traditional wedding feast, which lasts for many hours, is a buffet. Due to the fact that there are no specific places for guests, there is no need to pass around plates with portions, the tables are more compact and comfortable.

The name comes from the French name for a fork: most treats of this kind only require the use of a fork.

This method of serving dishes is used when it is necessary to focus on communication rather than on the absorption of food.

Buffet or banquet?

When champagne and canapés are served upon guests' arrival, followed by a traditional dinner, there is no question. But what if you are thinking about replacing the banquet with a buffet? This is worth doing if:

you want guests to socialize and have fun rather than sit at tables
There is no kitchen on site and you will have to order catering
you plan to serve unusual dishes that the site chefs do not offer
most of the guests are young people

Sometimes, on the contrary, a banquet will be the best choice - for example, if many older guests are invited or the venue has a kitchen where they prepare decent food.

Apron Catering

Why is it needed?

First of all, as we noted above, such an event will not let guests get bored and will help put them in the right mood. At a buffet reception, it is much easier for friends of the bride and groom to get to know each other, for example, by choosing appetizers. It’s even better for the host to handle this task by organizing small competitions or simply talking with those invited. He will also tell you about the timing of the event (when there is a cake and fireworks, for example), tell you where to look for the seating plan, and organize a ceremonial meeting of the newlyweds with firecrackers, rose petals or a loaf of bread.

Involving artists even before the main celebration is almost a win-win option. Videographers and wedding photographers are especially popular. Arrange congratulatory interviews that will be shown at the banquet, or set up a photo zone for memorable photographs. We are sure that your guests will be pleased to receive beautiful photographs and once again plunge into the atmosphere of your holiday.

However, you can arrange entertainment yourself. For example, prepare books and albums for wishes in advance. Or invite guests to fill out a wedding questionnaire, the questions in it could be: “What will the first-born child in the family be called?” or “How much percentage of their salary should a husband give to his wife?”

And, of course, don’t forget about pleasant music!

What should a wedding buffet look like?

Delicious. Despite the fact that the focus on food in this case is less, this format is unusual and will therefore attract more attention.
Unusual. Professional catering will offer interesting combinations of products.
Aesthetic. Serving and presentation are no less important than the taste and freshness of the food, so choose only those catering companies whose portfolio seems attractive to you.
Reflecting the couple's preferences and wedding style. You can put together a menu for any wedding style and preferences: from boho to classic, from vegan to low-calorie.

Catering by the Clean Plate Society

Treat recipe

To prepare the dough, you need to use flour - about 300 g, 2 eggs, a glass of honey, butter - 55 g, sugar - 60 g and baking powder - 1 tsp. You also need to take some cloves.

In order to prepare the glaze (prepared twice), you should stock up on 0.5 cups of powdered sugar, lemon juice, and egg white.

Dragee and sprinkles are suitable as decoration.

Place honey, regular sugar, vanilla sugar and butter in a saucepan. This mixture is heated over low heat. It needs to be stirred. After which it cools.

Add the spiced egg to the butter-honey mixture and mix.

Flour is mixed with baking powder and added to this mixture. Once the dough is kneaded, it is rolled into a ball and wrapped in film. It cools down within two hours.

All elements are cut out of paper. For the roof you need two products 12x14 cm, for the walls also two - 6.6x12 cm, for the facade - 16x12, the height of the wall should be 6.6 cm. A pipe is also made from the dough. After rolling out the dough into a layer, the products are placed on the very top and elements of the house are cut out.

Baking the dough takes approximately 10 minutes. The baking temperature should be 180 C.

Preparing the glaze

Add powdered sugar and lemon juice (1 tsp) to the protein.

Pour the glaze into a bag and use a nozzle with a small hole to trace the contours of the windows and each door. The house can also be decorated with colored sprinkles.

Apply glaze to the bottom and sides of the façade. To do this, use a nozzle with a huge hole and place the front on a base (in the form of cardboard).

After this, apply the glaze to the lower part of the walls and fix it near the facade - press the blanks with your hands and hold them a little until they are installed.

A day later, prepare another glaze from the protein and do not forget about the roof. First, place half of the roof on the glaze, press it with your hands and secure it with toothpicks. Do the same with another part of the roof. Using the same method, install the fence and attach the pipe to the roof of the house. Now the sweetness is “built”.

Ready gingerbread house

Today, confectionery professionals compete in the production of delicacies from gingerbread dough - large and small, containing a variety of ingredients. Only one thing remains constant: such a house is a symbol of true love and peace.

Wedding buffet menu examples

Although the format of the event suggests that anything can be placed on the tables, there are categories of dishes that appear at weddings most often:

Mini bruschettas (toasted bread with toppings - e.g. prosciutto with cream cheese), mini sandwiches and mini burgers
Canapes
Mini salads
Unsweetened profiteroles (for example, with salmon or roast beef)
Other snacks (cheeses, meats, vegetables, etc.)
Hot food - often these are mini-kebabs or julienne, but there can also be full-fledged hot dishes
Desserts in shots (mousse, panna cotta) or in the form of mini-cakes
Fruits
Beverages

There is a reason

Example of a basic menu per person:

Canapes 4-5 pcs
Cold appetizers 3-4 pcs.
Mini salad – 2 pcs
Hot snacks 1-2 pcs
Beverages

If a banquet is not provided, hot dishes are added and the number of servings per person is often increased.

You can also arrange an unusual buffet to complement the banquet, focusing on a specific type of dish. Most often they make sweet tables, but you can create a table with farm cheeses, vegetables and even oysters.

Colette Kulig Photography

Option one: sandwiches

Guests, of course, do not gather for a wedding walk to eat. But they certainly expect to drink. In addition, fresh air promotes appetite, even when you are excited. This is especially noticeable at a young age.

To snack on alcohol and satisfy your awakened hunger, the easiest way is to prepare a basket of snacks. Champagne is traditionally served with fruit (grapes are the best option) and chocolates; for other occasions, sandwiches are ideal.

Practice shows that it is quite enough to take a sliced loaf and add sausage and cheese to it. But if you want the celebration to be manifested in every detail, you should spend more time and effort and prepare festive sandwiches. However, remember that it is best to make sandwiches for a wedding walk small, “one bite”. This significantly reduces the risk of getting dirty for both you and your guests.

The menu must include both drinks and food.

Secrets of the organization

Even if you have invited only young guests, keep in mind that you need space so that everyone can sit down. Both regular tables with chairs and lounge areas with armchairs and sofas are suitable. If the wedding buffet replaces the banquet, give preference to tables - holding plates in your hands for several hours is very inconvenient.

Make different zones, for example, one table with appetizers, another with hot food, and a third with desserts. This way, guests will not crowd in line at one table, but will be evenly distributed at each table. Remember what buffet breakfasts look like at chain hotels? It should be the same for you.

Young Catering

To serve the event, waiters will be needed to replenish food supplies and clear plates. Typically, catering companies offer one waiter per 20 guests. He does not deliver food, but takes care of the tables on which the food is placed.

You will need dishes, tablecloths and napkins - usually the catering company brings everything for an additional fee. If you buy dishes yourself, take a lot in reserve, because people tend to put dishes anywhere and then forget about them. As a result, guests will take clean plates almost every time.

Allow time for serving and arranging dishes - this takes up to 2 hours.

Buffet table decoration for a wedding at home

If there is a budget constraint, a buffet can be organized at home. This does not mean that the event will be boring or that you do not need to think about decorating the table and room.

Guests should not be bored. Consider competitions, music and other entertainment

An important aesthetic component of a buffet table is beautifully decorated tables . Traditionally, they should be covered with a long tablecloth that hides the legs and the floor. This tablecloth is called “with a skirt”. You can sew a skirt for a wedding table yourself, order it from a studio, or buy it ready-made.

The number of guests must correspond to the area of the apartment or house where the celebration is planned. Of course, everyone knows the saying “in a crowd, but don’t be offended,” but it’s still better if those present are comfortable and can move freely .

Photo of the buffet at the wedding at the bride's home

Also consider the amount of dishes - there should be at least twice as much as there are guests. During the buffet, no one watches their plates and glasses.

It is advisable to remove everything unnecessary from the room to free up space for tables with refreshments. Set up a place for dancing. It can be arranged in the next room if there is no space in the same room where the tables are set.

It is extremely important that everything is aesthetically pleasing. Think about not only table setting (beautiful dishes, tablecloths, decorative elements, napkins), but also decorating the entire house. Arrange bouquets of flowers, hang posters, place balloons.

Warn neighbors in advance about possible noise and loud music.

Summary

The menu for an outdoor wedding is easy to prepare with your own hands. Future newlyweds, together with their family and close friends, can independently prepare and deliver meals - this will be more economical and tastier. Guests will certainly enjoy home-cooked food prepared by the heroes of the occasion, rather than the menu of a cafe or restaurant.