Your Guide to Hosting a Family-Style Wedding Dinner Your Guests Won't Forget

If you've been toying with the idea of a family-style wedding dinner, you've landed on the right page. As with any wedding food and beverage ideas you're considering, it is important to think about the pros and cons to decide what will best cater to your preferences, budget and guest satisfaction. We tapped wedding experts throughout the US and Caribbean to learn more about questions to ask your wedding caterer and the logistics that go into planning a family-style dinner wedding reception.

After gaining more of an understanding of what a family-style wedding dinner menu entails, how much it can cost and how it is typically served, review our wedding catering page on The Knot Vendor Marketplace to find caterers in your area who specialize in family-style wedding dinner menus.

In this article:

• What Is a Family-Style Dinner at a Wedding?
• Family-Style Wedding Dinner Cost
• What Is the Difference Between a Buffet and Family-Style Dinner?
• How to Find a Family-Style Wedding Caterer
• How to Serve a Family-Style Wedding Dinner
• Family-Style Wedding Menu Ideas

What Is a Family-Style Dinner at a Wedding?

To know whether a family-style dinner is suitable for your wedding, having an idea of what a family-style dinner entails is key. "Family-style refers to a type of service where each place setting has an empty plate and food is brought out in platters with utensils and meant to be passed around the table similar to a Thanksgiving dinner," explains Bryan Thoman, executive chef at World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida.

Family-Style Wedding Dinner Cost

The cost of a family-style wedding dinner typically varies depending on the type of food and the amount you plan to serve. Thoman adds that a family-style wedding dinner menu with braised short ribs and vegetables is more expensive than one with chicken and vegetables. With this in mind, many of our experts note that the typical price per person of a family-style wedding dinner ranges between $60 and $80. However, some family-style wedding dinners can be accompanied by higher price tags between $150 and $200 per person when celebrating at destination wedding locations.

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What Is the Difference Between a Buffet and Family-Style Dinner?

There are a couple of key differences between a family-style and buffet wedding dinner with the main being that "a buffet is a self-service format, while family-style involves sharing dishes directly at the table," explains Florian Dürre, culinary and service director at Karisma Hotels & Resorts. Thoman and Mimi Overman, director of catering at Hotel Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, add that the advantages of family-style wedding dinners are that they tend to be quicker and guests can stay seated instead of waiting in long buffet lines. That said, guests share plates with others (and potentially strangers) which may not be the most comfortable.

How to Find a Family-Style Wedding Caterer

Once you've decided upon a family-style wedding dinner, it's time to find a wedding caterer to help you bring your wedding meal to life. The Knot Vendor Marketplace makes it easy to search for catering vendors in your area or marrying location who specialize in family-style catering when you select the "family style" option under the "food and catering" tab.

How to Serve a Family-Style Wedding Dinner

There are logistical details that need consideration when serving a family-style wedding dinner. "Before the guests are seated, the opening appetizers and salads should be pre-arranged on the tables," explains Ivonne Cardoso, senior events experience manager at Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort. "Once guests are done with the first course, the shared serving plates and individual dining plates should be cleared by the staff and new tableware set for the next course and this process should continue for each course of the dinner." Thoman adds that a benefit of family-style dinners is that they offer more flexibility when it comes to flow, control and organization. Just make sure to have enough servers who are trained to engage in the proper food passing techniques during the dinner service, adds Dürre.

Family-Style Wedding Menu Ideas

When planning your family-style wedding menu, David Gooch, executive chef at Swallows Eve in Fredericksburg, Texas, notes that "couples can build the menu based on having two protein options, two vegetable options and two starch options, as well as a selection of bread and butter." From salads to pasta, we've compiled some family-style wedding dinner menu ideas to discuss with your wedding caterer.

1. Salads

Photo: Megan Love Photography

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Caterer: Busy Bee Catering

Starting a family-style wedding dinner with a salad can be a great way to begin the meal on a tasty (and nutritious) note. "For salads, fresh and bright options can include a tuna crudo salad with mango and bell peppers, a seasonal seafood salad for summer weddings or a simple marinated mozzarella and cherry tomato tossed salad," Cardoso says.

2. Meats

Photo: onelove photography

Meat can be a great way to pack some protein into a family-style wedding dinner menu. Overman recommends pairing meat with fingerling potatoes and zucchini.

3. Pasta

Photo: LauriPatterson / Getty Images

Overman recommends Gnocchi or another pasta dish be included in a family-style dinner. Not only is pasta palatable for most, but carbohydrates provide your guests with the energy they'll need to celebrate with you (and dance the night away). Serve a portion of pasta in a bowl (or two) and place them on each table for your guests to share—don't forget the serving spoon.

4. Fish

Photo: Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images

If you're looking for a heart-healthy wedding food option, a salmon-focused meal is a solid option. Gooch suggests offering baked salmon with chimichurri alongside roasted potatoes, squash saffron rice, green beans and a squash medley.

5. Brownies and Cookies

Photo: Michelle Walker Photography

If you want to offer your guests extra dessert in addition to your wedding cake, brownies and cookies are great family-style options. Bring two separate trays with each treat (or combine them) and leave them at the center of each table for your guests to pass around and enjoy.