New England Bride Magazine

Stations are various food set-ups where you order on the spot, and your chef cooks and serves. If you have a pasta station, for example, your attending chef will dip your quick-cooking pasta into boiling water while preparing a fresh sauce of your choice. These stations can be set up in different areas of your reception room. Usually, there is a minimum of 4 stations for a wedding reception.

Your dinner plates will be at the station and not at your dinner table. These plates are not dinner size - you don't want your guests walking around a ballroom carrying a large plate. They are bread and butter plate or salad plate size. Stations open after the cocktail hour, so be prepared to have some hors d'oeuvres available to your guests when they arrive for cocktails.

the Up Side

Chefs who cook to order and serve often give your guests fresh tastes and a live "show" to boot. Having stations allows for conversation while watching your chosen fare being cooked. Versatile and often

elegant in presentation, stations are becoming the most popular way to entertain and feed your wedding guests.

the down Side You may have to wait a little longer in line as the food is being cooked to order. So be sure to have plenty of stations for guests to saunter over to. A minimum of four, but five or six is a nice way to give plenty of variety and less waiting time. Also, there is generally not formal seating when having stations. That can throw some guests off.

annoUncementS &
preSentation
For a Station Reception, have your
entertainer make a brief announce-
ment that the food stations are now
opened. Then your guests will have
the option of choosing which sta-
tion they would like to try first. Since
the plates are small, expect your
guests to make multiple visits to the
stations. Even though this is not a
formal sit-down affair, you should
have seating available for all of your
guests for comfort and convenience.

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the banquet staff at andover country club, 978-475-1263, assists you with every step, from the initial planning until the last plate is cleared at the reception. here, a station chef prepares food for guests on the spot, and caters to their every whim.

diverge from the norm! have your cake and a dessert station for your guests.

having a chef cook your order to taste is one of the advantages of having a wedding reception comprised of fresh food stations. here our chef is cooking pasta into a requested cream sauce.