4 Tips To Catering Your Wedding
Catering will form an important part of your wedding day and you should handle it with care to avoid disappointments. You don’t want some of your guests to miss out on great food because it was not enough or worse, have some not eat since they don’t consume the type of food served.
The tips below will help you to make catering your wedding a success.
- Decide What You Need
Your catering needs will determine the amount of money you will spend. You will need to answer questions such as; how many guests are you expecting? Which foods do you want to be served? Do you have any special food requests? Will you be doing your own catering or will you hire a caterer?
If you will hire a caterer, make sure you get quotes from at least three caterers so you can compare their prices.
Some wedding venues and hotels do not allow for outside caterers and may require you to use their services. Others may allow but you will need to pay corkage fee or surcharge.
If you want to do your own catering, look for wedding venues that allow it.
- Be Flexible
Will a particular item on the menu make the cost go way up? Then drop it and pick a cost-friendly ingredient especially if you are on a budget. For instance, you could be asking for an ingredient that is difficult to find and costly while there is an alternative that is in season and cheaper.
Have an open mind when discussing with the caterer. Don’t be only fixed on the type of food you want. The caterer could have great ideas which would end up turning out to be cost-effective.
You also need to be creative. For instance, you could go for simple yet enticing meals that will impress your guests or serve the cake as dessert.
- Have a budget
A budget will help you to know what can and cannot be served at your wedding. Therefore, before you start any discussion with a caterer, know how much you want to spend. This will allow the caterer to work around your budget and prevent any disappointments.
This is where you need a caterer, who is not going to overpromise, but one who is realistic and who can provide within budget.
If you are doing your own catering, make sure you budget for each requirement. Will you need to buy or hire the utensils and equipment? How many staff will you need to hire? Are you ready to take public liability insurance?
Ensure you buy commercial catering equipment and hospitality supplies from leading brands.
Remember that taking this option will need you to sacrifice a lot of time since a caterer normally charges for the time taken to prepare and cook the food.
If you find you don’t have the time, compare what it would cost you to do your wedding catering and what it would cost to hire a caterer. Are you willing to pay the difference?
- Don’t Forego the Tasting
You won’t know what a caterer is offering until you taste it. Don’t be satisfied with only the brochures or that great website. A good caterer should have something for you to nibble even on the first meeting. This can be followed up by a formal tasting to create the menu.