Plated Meals at Indian Weddings- Yay or Nay?

At a wedding, a plated meal typically consists of three or more courses- an appetizer or salad or soup, an entree or main course and dessert. The meal is either wrapped up with dessert or a hot beverage like tea or coffee.

In India, most couples opt for the buffet-style catering system for their guests, however, with some couples going in for smaller and more intimate affairs, having a plated meal at the wedding ceremony is not a bad idea after all. 

If you are confused between whether or not you should be having a plated meal for your guests. Here are some pros and cons of the idea that will make you decide better:

1.Save you Money

Opting for plated meals could help you save tons of money!

Sans the innumerable cuisines and the food and beverage stations, your food costs can be reduced considerably. Also, the caterers have a better idea of how much food has to be prepared in advance on account of the numbers given to them, unlike in the case of a buffet-style catering system where there are a variety of options to choose from. Plated meals, in turn, help saving food as well.

2. Minimum Delays 

Unlike the buffet system, plated meals are served at a fixed interval to guests and most guests end up finishing their lunch or dinner approximately at the same time. This ensures that if you have any events lined up after the meal you can have them according to schedule.

3. Increased Efficiency

Plated meals are served faster by the waiters and the efficiency levels are higher!

Without guests having to wait in long queues at the buffet counter, it saves their time as well. Also, having a plated meal makes it more of a formal and elegant affair.
However, this system has it’s set of cons as well:

4. Limited Guest Interaction

In a plated meal system, guests are glued to their chairs and don’t get the freedom to walk around and interact with others at the wedding. This leads to lesser interaction amongst guests.

5. Meal Choices

This cannot be an on-the-spot a la carte menu, as the caterers have to be prepared with the food well in advance. Guests will have to RSVP their meal choices. This may become a hassle especially if some don’t turn in their choices on time, make last-minute changes in their decisions or find the options given to them unappealing as opposed to a buffet system wherein there are a plethora of food items. 

Now that you have a brief idea about both the options, I am assuming making a choice won’t be extremely difficult.