Food for Lovers - Banquet or Buffet?

Out of all the arrangements for your wedding day, the choice of food is often the most controversial. Naturally you will want to please all your guests, but your choice should always reflect what you enjoy eating as a couple. 

The first thing you should consider is how restricted your selection of food will be at your chosen venue. Unless you love the menus on offer, you don't want to feel pressurised to settle with something you're not entirely happy with at an eye-watering price tag!

Think about whether you prefer the formality of a sit-down wedding breakfast or a more relaxed buffet style which allows your guests to mingle and chat during the meal. Your choice will also affect the time schedule as the formal dining option will take longer.  

Here's a few pointers to help you decide... 

Wedding Banquets 

Wedding Banquets are generally much pricier but form an integral part of the celebrations, often taking up to 3 hours. 

If you want to keep costs down as much as possible, you will need to restrict the meal choices you offer your guests. This means that it will be almost impossible to feed them all with food they enjoy. 

As you will be seated for a few hours, you will only be able to enjoy the company of the guests on your table (hopefully you all get on!). Young children often become very bored and more likely to disrupt their parent's meal so perhaps think about a goody bag to help keep them entertained - colouring book and crayons, a book, sweets - this will all depend on the ages of the children!

Tables set up with silverware and crockery for a banquet look very impressive. 

Buffets 

Depending on what is included in the buffet, the cost is generally much less than that of a wedding banquet. 

With a greater variety of food on offer, your guests will always find something that pleases their palate on the buffet table, even the fussiest of eaters and tiny tots. 

It's easy to integrate vegan and vegetarian food plus any other special dietary requirements. 

Buffet style food will afford your guests more freedom to socialize with friends and family during the meal (and to stay clear of anyone you're not so keen on!). 

Consider that normally a buffet will take less time out of your wedding reception. 

Grazing tables are on trend right now and provide a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach! 

At Great Yarmouth Town Hall, we give you the choice to bring on board your own choice of caterer depending on your budget, taste and ethnicity* and are happy to recommend businesses we have successfully worked with.  

Contact our dedicated wedding coordinator for more information