Wedding Catering: Sit-Down Plated or Stand-Up Canapés — What’s Best for You?

Choosing the Right Style for Your Day

One of the biggest decisions couples face when planning their wedding is how to serve the food. Should it be a formal sit-down meal or a relaxed, stand-up canapé-style reception?

Both create a completely different experience,  one elegant and traditional, the other social and easygoing. At Good 2 Eat Catering, we’ve seen it all, from long-table hinterland feasts to beachside canapé celebrations. Let’s look at what works best for each style and how to find your perfect match.

1. The Sit-Down Experience

If you’re dreaming of a classic, elegant wedding, a plated sit-down meal is the timeless choice. It brings structure to the day and allows guests to relax while each course is served with care.

The Benefits:

• Formality and Flow – Perfect for couples who love tradition and want a sense of occasion.

• Presentation – Each dish arrives beautifully plated, often with a touch of theatre as guests are served together.

• Predictability – Great for venues with allocated seating, speeches, and planned timings.

Things to Consider:

A plated meal requires more staff, more timing precision, and a bit more coordination with your MC. For larger weddings, service can take longer, so consider a shared platter entrée or entrée canapés to fill the gap before the main course arrives.

2. The Stand-Up Canapé Style

Stand-up canapé catering has become increasingly popular on the Sunshine Coast, especially for outdoor weddings and relaxed hinterland venues. This style focuses on movement, mingling, and fun, allowing guests to socialise freely while enjoying a steady flow of small, flavour-packed bites.

The Benefits:

• Flexible and Social – Guests can move between spaces, chat, dance, and enjoy more freedom.

• Perfect for Outdoor Settings – Ideal for garden, farm, and beach weddings.

• Cost-Effective – Can often reduce setup costs since full table settings aren’t needed.

• Endless Variety – Offers the chance to showcase a wide mix of dishes and flavours.

Things to Consider:

Canapés need to be designed to fill guests up not just nibble-sized bites. We recommend mixing lighter items (such as pumpkin & feta Arancini and Prawn skewers) with substantial canapés, like sliders, bao buns, and rice bowls, to ensure guests leave satisfied.

3. The Best of Both Worlds

Many of our couples combine both, a hybrid wedding menu that starts with roaming canapés followed by shared platters (Feast) or a plated main course.
It’s the perfect balance between formal dining and relaxed fun.

Example Hybrid Flow:

• Pre-reception: Welcome drinks + 4 welcome canapés

• Main course: Shared platters served to long tables (our Feast menu is ideal for this)

• Dessert: Petit four canapes or a dessert station for guests to graze from or we can slice your wedding cake and place it on platters. 

This setup keeps the day relaxed, visually stunning, and guest-friendly,  especially at venues across Maleny, Montville, and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

4. Matching Your Menu to Your Venue

Your venue layout and guest count often make the decision easier.

• Small, intimate weddings (under 50 guests) often suit plated meals.

• Outdoor or marquee weddings suit canapé or shared-plate service.

• Venues with limited kitchen facilities work beautifully with mobile catering vans, like our vintage fleet at Good 2 Eat Catering, designed to roll up and serve anywhere.

We can always assess the space before suggesting the best flow for service; it’s all part of making sure the day runs smoothly.

5. Budget and Staffing Considerations

Catering costs are influenced by more than food,  staffing, logistics, travel, and equipment all play a part.

• Sit-down meals require more staff per guest.

• Canapé-style receptions are lighter on service but need higher food variety.
  Both can be priced competitively depending on guest numbers, menu design, and the style of event you’re planning.

Our team provides transparent pricing and menu flexibility, so couples can focus on what matters most, celebrating their day.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re drawn to the elegance of a plated dinner or the buzz of a stand-up celebration, the best choice is the one that reflects your story.

At Good 2 Eat Catering, we help couples all over the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, and the Hinterland design wedding menus that feel authentic, beautiful, and effortless. From canapés to full-service feasts, we tailor every detail so your guests enjoy an experience as memorable as your vows.