Wedding Catering: Buffet vs Plated, Taverna Catering London
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Wedding Catering: Buffet vs Plated

A caterer's honest guide to cost, atmosphere and guest experience.

Wedding Catering: Buffet vs Plated by Taverna Catering
Guide

Wedding Catering: Buffet vs Plated

The wedding breakfast is the meal that follows your ceremony, and one of the first big decisions is how to serve it: a plated three course dinner, a flowing buffet, or a family-style sharing feast. There is no wrong answer, only the one that fits your day.

A plated menu is the formal, elegant choice. Guests stay seated, each course arrives with full waiting service, and the pacing is easy to control around speeches. A buffet is relaxed and generous, gives guests the widest choice, and keeps the room sociable. A family-style sharing feast sits between the two, with platters brought to the centre of each table to share, which feels warm and abundant.

Practical things to weigh: plated needs more staff and a little more time, buffets handle large numbers and mixed appetites well, and sharing feasts suit long tables and a convivial mood. Whichever you choose, we build in vegan, vegetarian, halal and gluten-free options, and for seated meals we track each guest's dietary needs by name. Tell us your venue and numbers and we will talk you through what works best.

Wedding Catering: Buffet vs Plated by Taverna Catering
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★★★★★ 5.0 from ~169 reviews

What our clients say

★★★★★

"The team was amazing from start to finish, super friendly, professional and easy to work with. The food was delicious and the service smooth."

Alex L.
Corporate event · Oct 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Taverna were the caterers for our wedding and we couldn't have asked for better. The canapés went down an absolute storm! Professional, flexible and easy to work with."

Martha M.
Wedding · Oct 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"The food side of the party went totally smoothly, not one hitch and only praise for the lovely food. Faultless. I'd recommend them with confidence."

Nick T.
Private party · Aug 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"We booked Taverna for our wedding and I am so over the moon that we did. The food was full of flavour, unique, authentic and so delicious. All the guests praised the food and a lot of people had seconds!"

Verified client
Wedding · Jun 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"I just wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible job you did hosting our Town Hall lunch at the office. Your communication has been outstanding, and the professionalism of your team is truly commendable."

Verified client
Corporate event · Feb 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Great BBQ and service — we had lots of compliments on the food. The team were super professional, sorted everything discreet and left no trace. Would highly recommend!"

Verified client
Celebration · Aug 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Taverna were absolutely great. Giordano is fantastic, very accommodating and the service from his team was first class. They even brought their own flowers, which was a great touch. The food was flavoursome, and there was plenty of it."

Verified client
Corporate event · May 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"The team from Taverna Catering were second to none! Excellent street food both in quality and quantity. From arrival, during set up, service and tidying up, they were cheerful, helpful and professional in all they did."

Verified client
Birthday · Sep 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Just brilliant — we had a birthday BBQ with 40 guests and the range of food was superb. Utterly delicious and really made the event. They were courteous, friendly, professional, and a pleasure to deal with."

Verified client
Birthday · Jul 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Thank you Taverna Team for making our garden party a success! A family team cooking great food, reaching out to guests to make sure they got the right food, and providing a friendly and efficient service."

Verified client
Garden party · Jul 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Hired for a 60th birthday and nothing but good things to say. They were on time, really polite and the food was incredible, very good at replying and accommodating your needs. Would 100% use them again!"

Verified client
Birthday · May 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"The food provided by Taverna was delicious, everyone at our event was really impressed. The team arrived on time, set up quickly and discreetly, and left us to enjoy ourselves. Excellent value for money."

Verified client
Corporate event · May 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Taverna were fabulous for our event! The food looked, smelled and tasted absolutely lovely, we had many comments from guests. Very efficient, friendly and professional — shout out to Giuseppe who was particularly good!"

Verified client
Corporate event · Dec 2023
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Our food supplier had let us down at late notice and Taverna Catering saved the day! Reasonable prices, super professional, friendly service, and absolutely delicious food that all our guests loved."

Verified client
Wedding · Sep 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Fantastic caterers! The food was the best we have ever had at an event. They were extremely professional and exceeded all our expectations."

Verified client
Corporate event · Apr 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"We used Taverna for a big event at our offices. The recommended food was spot on and delicious, the communications were clear and easy, the team set everything up quickly and we had a lot of great feedback from everyone."

Verified client
Corporate event · Nov 2023
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"The team was amazing from start to finish, super friendly, professional and easy to work with. The food was delicious and the service smooth."

Alex L.
Corporate event · Oct 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Taverna were the caterers for our wedding and we couldn't have asked for better. The canapés went down an absolute storm! Professional, flexible and easy to work with."

Martha M.
Wedding · Oct 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"The food side of the party went totally smoothly, not one hitch and only praise for the lovely food. Faultless. I'd recommend them with confidence."

Nick T.
Private party · Aug 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"We booked Taverna for our wedding and I am so over the moon that we did. The food was full of flavour, unique, authentic and so delicious. All the guests praised the food and a lot of people had seconds!"

Verified client
Wedding · Jun 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"I just wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible job you did hosting our Town Hall lunch at the office. Your communication has been outstanding, and the professionalism of your team is truly commendable."

Verified client
Corporate event · Feb 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Great BBQ and service — we had lots of compliments on the food. The team were super professional, sorted everything discreet and left no trace. Would highly recommend!"

Verified client
Celebration · Aug 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Taverna were absolutely great. Giordano is fantastic, very accommodating and the service from his team was first class. They even brought their own flowers, which was a great touch. The food was flavoursome, and there was plenty of it."

Verified client
Corporate event · May 2025
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"The team from Taverna Catering were second to none! Excellent street food both in quality and quantity. From arrival, during set up, service and tidying up, they were cheerful, helpful and professional in all they did."

Verified client
Birthday · Sep 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Just brilliant — we had a birthday BBQ with 40 guests and the range of food was superb. Utterly delicious and really made the event. They were courteous, friendly, professional, and a pleasure to deal with."

Verified client
Birthday · Jul 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Thank you Taverna Team for making our garden party a success! A family team cooking great food, reaching out to guests to make sure they got the right food, and providing a friendly and efficient service."

Verified client
Garden party · Jul 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Hired for a 60th birthday and nothing but good things to say. They were on time, really polite and the food was incredible, very good at replying and accommodating your needs. Would 100% use them again!"

Verified client
Birthday · May 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"The food provided by Taverna was delicious, everyone at our event was really impressed. The team arrived on time, set up quickly and discreetly, and left us to enjoy ourselves. Excellent value for money."

Verified client
Corporate event · May 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Taverna were fabulous for our event! The food looked, smelled and tasted absolutely lovely, we had many comments from guests. Very efficient, friendly and professional — shout out to Giuseppe who was particularly good!"

Verified client
Corporate event · Dec 2023
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Our food supplier had let us down at late notice and Taverna Catering saved the day! Reasonable prices, super professional, friendly service, and absolutely delicious food that all our guests loved."

Verified client
Wedding · Sep 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"Fantastic caterers! The food was the best we have ever had at an event. They were extremely professional and exceeded all our expectations."

Verified client
Corporate event · Apr 2024
Verified · Togather
★★★★★

"We used Taverna for a big event at our offices. The recommended food was spot on and delicious, the communications were clear and easy, the team set everything up quickly and we had a lot of great feedback from everyone."

Verified client
Corporate event · Nov 2023
Verified · Togather
FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Is a buffet or plated meal better for a wedding?
Plated suits formal weddings and controlled pacing around speeches, buffets give the widest choice and handle large numbers, and family-style sharing feels warm and sociable. We help you pick what fits your venue and guest list.
Is plated wedding catering more expensive than a buffet?
Plated service needs more staff and time, so it usually costs more to run than a drop off buffet. We quote both clearly so you can compare and choose.
Can we mix styles, like sharing starters and plated mains?
Yes. Many couples combine styles, for example sharing antipasti to start followed by a plated main. We build the format around your day.
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