Unless you’re the type who prefers a home-cooked meal prepared by your nearest and dearest, you’re likely going to hire a caterer for your wedding. After all, you need a helping hand, and serving up dinner or hors d’oeuvres to your guests is a big job. Who better to help than the wedding caterer?
But just what can you expect your caterer to offer? Some folks don’t know what to expect, and that allows some caterers to get away with offering subpar service or skipping out on some tasks they usually perform. Here are five services you can and should expect from any caterer you book for your wedding.
5. The Food
It’s best to start with the basics: You hired a wedding caterer to look after the food, so you expect the company to provide this service! This means that your caterer will help you plan your wedding menu, as well as prepare and serve the food on the Big Day.
Prior to the wedding, the caterer should offer tastings; that way you can be sure what you’ve ordered will suit your guests’ palates (and you know what to expect the day of). You can also ask if the caterer will consider special requirements, such as dietary restrictions. If you need a kosher or halal dinner, your caterer should be able to accommodate that just as easily as its chefs can accommodate requests for gluten-free dishes or vegetarian menus.
You could even ask about a wedding cake—some caterers will be able to take care of this aspect of the food as well.
4. Wait Staff
You know your caterer will prepare the food and deliver it to your wedding venue. Did you know that most wedding caterers are also able to provide staff to properly and professionally serve the food to your guests? Almost every event will need waitstaff, and many venues partner with caterers to ensure that knowledgeable and experienced people serve any event. You want your guests to be served their meals in an orderly and efficient fashion, no matter whether you’re having a sit-down meal or opting for a buffet.
Your wedding caterer’s staff will take care of serving your guests so you can focus on other things.In addition, the caterer’s staff will be knowledgeable about the items they serve, meaning they can convey the ingredients to your guests, especially those with dietary restrictions.
3. Place Settings and Rentals
Most caterers can also supply you with tables and chairs, or other equipment you may need or want during the meal portion of your wedding. Many will decorate and take care of the place settings. They will also set up and take down things such as serving stations.
In some cases, renting tables and chairs, along with other items, will cost more; some caterers may include these items in packages. Always be sure to ask the catererif this service is offered and, if so, if it’s already included.
2. Bar Services
Is your wedding caterer licensed? If not, you might want to rethink your hiring decision—chances are your wedding guests will not want to go thirsty during the Big Day. Even if your wedding is dry and your caterer does not require a license, the company should still be able to offer you a wide selection of well-manned beverage stations.
If you do want bar services, talk to your caterer about your options—whether you need properly poured glasses of wine with dinner or bartenders who can pour a drink with unmatched flair, your caterer should be able to provide.
1. More!
Your wedding caterer does not need to simply be your caterer. Many will offer services that go above and beyond the food considerations of your wedding; some offer full-scale event planning services. Keeping everything with one organization can help ensure everything at your wedding works very well together—and that everything goes off without a hitch.
