Plated vs family style

Plated: each guest served an individual plate per course. Family style: platters shared at the table.

How it works in practice

Plated service runs on a clock. The kitchen fires each course for the whole room, servers work in teams by section, and the banquet captain calls the next course when tables are cleared. A typical ratio for plated service is one server per two tables of ten. Choice-of-entrée menus add work: each guest needs a marker on the place card so the server delivers the right plate without asking, which is exactly what dietary codes do.

Family style replaces individual plates with platters for each table. Servers drop the platters, guests pass them, and the table refills on request. It feels generous and starts conversation, but it needs room on the table for platters, which is why a table that would seat ten plated usually seats eight family style. It also takes longer to clear, so the run of show needs more slack between courses.

Worked numbers

A 120-guest wedding compared both ways, using 72-inch rounds:

For per-plate pricing, the typical GTA range for 2026 is $65–$120 at a banquet hall and $95–$180 at a downtown hotel, before tax and service charge. Family style is often quoted at the upper end.

Questions to ask

• Can the kitchen do a duet plate instead of a choice of entrée?
• Are family-style platters refilled, and is there a cap?
• How are guests with allergies served at a family-style table?
• Does the room still fit the dance floor with the extra tables?

Related tools

Check the extra tables with the venue capacity calculator and price both options in the event budget calculator. The BEO should state the service style in plain words.