Questions to Ask Your Wedding Caterer
Thursday, February 11, 2016Your wedding caterer will probably take up the largest
part of your budget. Delicious food and drinks are a significant element of the
wedding! Make sure that you love your caterer’s food options, price, and
personality before making a final decision. Ask these questions before hiring
so you know exactly what you’re getting!
The Basics
Will you be
catering any other weddings on our date?
How many weddings
do you do per month? When did your company begin?
Can you
provide a list of venues at which you have worked before?
Do you have
a liquor license? Are you licensed by the state in which we will have our
reception?
Does your
catering service require any permits? If yes, will you obtain them?
Does your
company work only with a banquet manager to coordinate the servers and food or
an on-site coordinator who will help plan the entire wedding? Will one person
be in charge of planning with us?
Food & Presentation
I want a
food service that is delicious but also unique. With this budget, guest count,
and event style, do you have any suggestions? Does your company specialize in
certain cuisines? Tip: ask for sample menus!
Does your
fee include a pre-set menu or can we create a custom one? Do you make dishes
that you haven’t made before?
Can you
provide us with a complete breakdown of your packages?
Are the
ingredients that you use fresh or processed? Do you use organic or sustainably
farmed products?
We want to
be able to accommodate all of our guests. Can you provide us with food that is
kosher, vegan, gluten-free, etc?
If we wanted
to have a specialty item included, such as a chocolate fountain or an ice
sculpture, would you be able to accommodate us?
Have you
ever done a theme menu? Are you willing to do one? Would décor be included?
Where will
the food be prepared? If it can’t be prepared on site, is there a place
available to prepare it? Is there an additional fee for additional equipment?
How is the
food arranged? Can you provide pictures?
Pricing
Would passed
appetizers and appetizer stations have different costs associated with them?
What about a buffet vs. a sit-down meal? Are there any extra costs associated
with these prices?
Are
children’s meals the same cost as adult meals? What about vendor meals?
Has your
company made wedding cakes before? If yes, do you have pictures of the cakes on
hand? Would this be part of the per-person meal cost?
What is the
cost of a dessert display?
We may
decide to use an outside bakery for the cake. Do you charge a cake-cutting fee?
We will
definitely want to taste the food before the wedding. Is there an extra charge
for this?
Would you
take care of renting furniture for the wedding or is this our responsibility?
Are there
options for the types of linens, glassware, plates, and flatware that you
provide? Will anything be disposable?
If we would
like to make the furniture more aesthetically pleasing, would you be able to
provide chair covers or lounge furniture? Is there an additional price
associated with this change?
Can you
provide us with a complete breakdown of your cleanup policy in writing? TIP: It
will most likely be your responsibility to keep the venue clean–make sure that
the caterer knows that you expect them to clean up!
We don’t
want our food to go to waste. If there are any leftovers, will we be able to
give it to guests or donate it to a shelter?
Drinks
Will you
provide a bar and bartenders? Will they be able to make specialty cocktails?
Which brands
of alcohol do you serve?
If we wanted
to bring our own liquor, would you be able to provide bartenders? If we brought
our own wine or champagne would you charge a corkage fee?
Is there a
difference in pricing between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages? Is the
pricing per consumption or per person? Which one would you say is more
cost-efficient?
If we wanted
to have a champagne toast, would the champagne be included in the meal package
or would it come at an extra cost?
Is wine
included with the dinner pricing?
Will you
serve alcohol the entire night or during specified hours?
Is coffee
and tea included in the per-person meal price or does it come as an extra
charge? What brands are included? Are there decaf and herbal options?
Business Matters
Based on our
guest count, how many servers will you have?
What is the
dress attire for servers?
What is the
price breakdown for your services? Are tax and service charge included?
Is there an
extra fee for set up and break down? How long does this usually take?
Will you put
out place cards and favors at the tables?
Are you
flexible with overtime? What are the fees associated?
By when do
you need a final guaranteed guest count? Is there a minimum number of guests we
can invite?
What is your
payment policy? Do you accept credit cards?
Do you
require a deposit? How much is it? When
is the last payment due?
Are there
any additional fees that will not be in the contract?
If we decide
to use your company, how long will it take to see a written contract? If there
are changes to the contract, will we receive a revised estimate?
What is your
refund or cancellation policy?
Can you
provide a list of recent references?
Make sure that you feel comfortable with the caterer
and love and trust their ideas. Do these things and you’ll have your wedding be
the most unique one yet! Now that you know our suggested questions, comment and
share your questions about caterers below.
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