2009 seemed to bring a fun new trend for many of our wedding receptions – pre-set salads with buffet service.  Many wedding clients sometimes go back and forth on what type of service to provide for their guests’ dinner.  It is a myth that a plated meal is always less / always more expensive than a buffet service — but more about that in another post.

One way to have a higher level of service without breaking the bank is to offer a pre-set salad followed by a dinner buffet.

Pre-set salad can be in a vessel – like a martini glass as well as a traditional plate.

Lobster Martini Salad

Caesar Salad Martini

Hearts of Palm Salad by A Catered Affair

Avocado, Spinach and Daikon Radish Salad

Pre-set Salads

Garden Salad with Beet Curls

A pre-set salad allows the guests to find their seat and relax for a moment.  Once they have finished their salad, they are then welcome to mingle and visit or go straight to the buffet – they choose how to complete their meal.  The client does not have to incur lots of additional fees for additional waitstaff – because it is preset.

Obviously, this level of service is less formal than a fully served meal but a little more service than just a buffet.  We want to help our clients find the best balance for their guests and their budget.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 9:19 am and is filed under A Catered Affair, Corporate Catering, Weddings.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.