Your caterer is one of the most important vendors you'll need to hire for your wedding. Not only will they be responsible for feeding all of your guests, but many caterers these days provide a number of other services for your big day, including bar tending, table/chair rentals, and even centerpieces and decorations. If you're in the process of shopping around for caterers, there are a few things you'll want to do before you sign a contract with any of them.
Inquire About Dietary Restrictions/Allergies
Even if you don't know of any food allergies or dietary restrictions within your invite list, it's a good idea to find a caterer that can provide special menu options if the situation arises. For example, if you have a vegetarian at your wedding and you were planning on serving chicken Alfredo, why not see if your caterer can serve the noodles and Alfredo sauce separately from the chicken? Or, if somebody attending your wedding has a serious peanut allergy, ask about the precautions that the catering company will take to ensure none of the food comes into contact with peanut products.
Find Out When Final Head Counts Will Be Due
Whether you're having a buffet or a plated meal, your caterer will most likely charge per-person. As such, your catering team will need a final head count at some point close to the wedding. Make sure you find out exactly when your final head count will be due so that you can plan accordingly with your RSVPs. You may also want to find out if your caterer will be accommodating of any last-minute changes, as these do tend to happen with even the most carefully-planned of weddings.
Ask About Staff Dress Requirements
Depending on the type of catering company you're working with, it may also be worth asking the catering manager about the type of attire the staff will wear to your event. For example, a catering company that specializes in BBQ food and typically caters to informal parties and family reunions may not usually have their staff dress in formal attire. In most cases, however, a simple request to the catering manager to have staff dress formally or semi-formally for a wedding is not a big deal and can easily be accommodated.
By taking the time to look into these important things before booking catering services in your area for your wedding, you'll ultimately be able to make the right choice.
Share15 May 2016
Party planning is not my forte. I can do a lot of things, but putting together an event of any kind is not one of them. When it is my turn to host the family gatherings or put together a birthday party for my kids, I always struggled with the menu. I never knew what to serve my guests, so I started looking into hiring a catering service to prepare the food for me. After I eliminated the menu problems, planning parties became much easier. There are so many options of food services to use, so I created my blog to help others that share my lack of menu planning abilities get through their party planning a little easier.