Find here a list of questions to ask to the caterers you consider hiring for your wedding
Catering is one of the most important vendors of your wedding day. The caterer can make or break yours and your guests' experience, and it's important for you to ask your vendors the right questions before contracting them.
About the experience:
How long have you been in business?
How many weddings have you done?
Have you worked an event at this venue before?
Any bad experiences/stories from previous weddings?
About the costs:
What type of deposit is required and what is the timeframe of payments?
How much is the service charge and what does it include?
For how long will you reserve our wedding date at no cost?
Are there any fees we need to consider? (corkage, parking, ...)
Will you charge us for the tasting?
How much do you charge for set-up and clean-up?
Do you need to rent extra equipement and if so, how much will that cost?
About the food and beverages:
What type of food items do you recommend for our budget, taste, style and amount of guests?
Do you cook on-site at the event location?
Do you offer organic dishes?
Do you take into account dietary requirements (veggie, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, ...)
Do you offer wedding cakes or desserts?
Will you cut and serve the wedding cake?
What drinks do you propose to serve?
Can you provide bottled water or a drink station for the ceremony?
Can you provide coffee and tea service?
Do you also cook children's meals?
Can you prepare crew meals for our vendors? (photographer, videographer, etc)
About the service:
How will the dinner be served? (seated, standing, buffet, tapas, family style,...)
How will plated meals be served? (synchronized service)
Do you help with set-up and clean-up of the tables?
How will the servers be dressed?
What is the ratio of servers to guests?
Do you serve the wine before the food is served or after?
Do you serve while family members are giving speeches?
When do you suggest we give speeches?
Do you set the table incl. the cutlery and cups for each course in advance or do you set it in between each course?
About the details:
When is the final guest count due?
When do you need the final list with dietary requirements?
When do you need the final payment to be done?
What happens if because of illness you cannot make it?
What information do you need from us and from the venue?
How much time do you leave between each course?
I hope these questions help you figure out the best caterer for your wedding.
If you want your weddingplanner to do this for you, make sure to contact me at nicki@souvenir-weddings.com
Love,
Nicki 🎀