You wouldn’t ask your mechanic to cut your hair, so you shouldn’t enlist just anyone to handle your wedding catering. Work with a caterer that offers more than delicious food, and choose a caterer that makes wedding and event planning the core part of their business.
Taste and Quality
A great wedding and event planning caterer brings the freshest ingredients to the table. Inquire whether the caterer considers local options and sustainable choices when creating the meal. Seasonal menus truly enhance a dish’s flavour, and these small decisions have a big impact on taste.
Most wedding caterers offer a tasting session, so you know what to expect before the big day. The tasting lets you understand the style and quality behind the menu, while exploring any necessary tweaks. Getting an actual taste of what the caterer has to offer ensures it works not only for you, but for your friends and family too.
Serving Styles
The wedding and event planning caterer you choose understands the guest-to-food ratio and will incorporate their wealth of experience into your ideas. You might only have 75 guests and would prefer a family-sharing style menu, or you might be throwing a massive evening party where you’d prefer DIY tables and passed hors d’oeuvres.
Wedding caterers have seen it all, and they know the right steps to see your meal through.
Presentation
Food presentation plays an important role in the wedding dinner. Caterers take the time and care to achieve each couple’s vision in every element of décor, from the table linens to the appetizer spread. It’s an important factor, and wedding and event planning businesses see that it all ties in together.
Accommodating Needs
Wedding and event planning caterers understand that no two guests’ palettes are the same, and they’ll design a menu that everyone loves and can enjoy. Confirm they’re able to accommodate every dietary need or tasty alternatives that don’t create unnecessary restrictions. You can serve vegetarian meals that keep carnivores happy with the right caterer, for example.
If you want to serve an old family recipe or you’ve envisioned a themed cuisine, inquire whether the catering company has the flexibility to fulfill your requests. Current wedding caterers present menu choices that reflect the times while allowing room to play. They understand that a wedding brings together a variety of eaters, but it’s no challenge that can’t be overcome.
Service
The caterer you book for work lunches shouldn’t be the one you call for your 200-person guest list. Expert wedding and event planning caterers do more than prepare and cook the food; they provide their own wait staff, linens, and cutlery, and handle the prep work and clean-up. You can rest assured these tiny details are handled.
Not only should they fulfill these services, they should also exude great customer service. Their energy, enthusiasm, and pure passion for the job is what makes you want to work with them, laying the groundwork for a strong working relationship all the way up to the big day.
Experience
How many weddings have they worked? Do they specialize in bigger guest lists or are they experts at intimate receptions? This knowledge is invaluable for gauging their expertise. You don’t want to stress over last-minute problems. Check their social media accounts, websites, and testimonials to get a feel for their industry presence.
References
It’s hard to make an informed decision without conducting background research. Talk to past clients, read online reviews—go outside the caterers’ circles. They’re trying to sell you, but you need full disclosure to make the best choice.
A reputable caterer will have no problem providing reviews and testimonials. Do your due diligence to pick the right wedding and event planning caterer with the necessary wedding experience.
