Before you start shopping around for a wedding caterer, you should first choose the reception venue. Most reception halls come with their own catering staff that you may be required to use for your wedding. This will make things much simpler, for you as well as for the vendors. By utilizing an onsite staff, you can be guaranteed that the servers and cooks will be well-versed with the kitchen and reception room area. This is very important as it ensures the successful execution of dinner and dessert in addition to the serving of the beverages.
You may even want to consider choosing a reception venue for the simple fact that they can supply their own wait staff. In the long run, it could be much cheaper to get a package deal than trying to hire an external vendor. Whether you decide to go with the reception hall’s caterer or someone else, try to hire a company who takes pride not just in the dishes they provide but also in their appearance. You don’t want sloppily-dressed servers waiting on your guests at your wedding, even if the food is the best in the world. Make sure that you specify an appropriate dress code so there are no surprises in that department.
When shopping for a caterer, taste-testing is a must. Never go on just reference and hearsay alone – taste a sample of everything that they are going to serve at the wedding so you know what to expect well ahead of time. Before putting together a menu, a good idea is to survey all of the attending guests for food allergies. This way you can work with your caterer and come up with an alternative menu that can accommodate those that have special requests.
One of the most important – and most expensive – parts of the catering comes down to the bar station. You have the choice of either hiring an external vendor who can provide the bar service, or else hiring a caterer who can take care of both. Either way, count on spending a few thousand dollars on champagne and other beverages throughout the night. If you can’t afford to pay for two bottles per every invited guest, consider closing the bar after a certain time. Drinks can still be served at this point; however, guests will be responsible for paying for their own. If you decide to go this route, make sure that you spread the word via telephone or word of mouth so that everyone can make sure to bring an acceptable form of payment to the festivities.
Picking the type of food that you want to serve can be a tough call. Some classic choices are variations of steak and chicken, paired with a nice salad and potato dish. If you’re having the wedding at the beach and have a predilection for fish, word to the wise – be sure to have a tasty alternative for the non-fish lovers. A few green faces at your reception may just in fact ruin the evening. Also, select a dish for vegetarians. You can’t expect them to eat solely salad as their main course meal. The wedding will last for many, many hours and you want to make sure that everyone gets their fill.