So back to that holiday party I went to last week.

I was at a cocktail party with passed hors d’oeurves and a buffet. Now there’s nothing wrong with a buffet, but if you decide to have one at your wedding – for the cocktail hour or dinner – there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. If you are having a lot of people – more than 50 – have more than one line of access to the buffet table. You can allow people to reach the buffet from both the front and back of the table, or from the right and left, ending in the center.
2. Try to control the line so it doesn’t snake across the room, and around the reception tables.
3. I’ve been to weddings where several tables are called up to the buffet at one time, and those not called have to wait their turn. Make sure you have entertainment - music for dancing – while people are waiting to get their food so they aren’t just sitting around the table for 20-30 minutes or more. Have the band/DJ keep the party going.
4. Similar to rule number 3. Once the last table is called to get their meal, the first few to get theirs are finishing up. Make sure the band/DJ keep the party going – you want to make sure your guests are entertained, and don’t get bored. (I'll tell you another story where this happened, and lets just say that the bride and certain guests don't speak much anymore.)

The buffet line at the holiday party was so long that it snaked across the room, and was so deep that you had to wait 30 minutes on the line to get your food. They should have set up a second buffet in another area of the restaurant, or allowed partygoers to access it from 2 ends.

A bride recently posted a question on the Ask the Bridal Expert Message Board about the pros and cons of a buffet and sit-down meal. Click here to find out what I thought, and post your own opinions!