Questions to ask before booking your caterer

Questions to ask before booking your caterer

Your wedding day is all about the love, but having a delicious spread of food doesn’t hurt. I mean, who can pass up a good plate?

There are so many factors that go into determining your wedding menu but before all of that, you need to settle on a specific caterer. Before making your decision, make sure you ask them these important questions.

What does your schedule look like on the date of my wedding?

Occasionally, caterers will prepare food for more than one wedding per day or weekend. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t consider them, although you need reassurance that your wedding won’t be deprived of the time and attention it deserves.

If your caterer runs a large firm with an abundance of staff, they’ll more likely have the capacity to handle multiple weddings at once. If a smaller firm has another wedding to attend to at the same time as yours and you are doubtful of whether they’ll be able to accommodate yours as well as you would like, you best look at other caterers.

How do your preset packages work?

Caterers typically offer preset packages which could involve a variety of services apart from simply whipping up your wedding meal. These range from stocking the bar and baking your wedding cake to supplying waitrons and cleaning up.

It’s crucial that you take note of what they do and don’t offer. Anything that is important to you that isn’t included in their packages will have to be sourced elsewhere. This can be rather pricey, so if your needs are vast, try getting more bank for your buck by contacting caterers who offer all-inclusive packages.

Are all menus fixed or can you design a personalised menu?

Opting for a fixed menu can make your planning process simpler and less time-consuming as there are less decisions to be made. This can be ideal if you’re planning your wedding on a tight time frame or have many other commitments besides wedding planning.

On the other hand, having a personalised menu means that your precise requirements will be catered for. This will be a major advantage if your guests (or you!) are very particular about what types of food they enjoy. It might also give you the opportunity to match your food to your wedding theme.

Can you cater for guests with special dietary requirements?

Catering for guests with special dietary requirements is often possible, but will usually be done for an added fee. If you find this fee to be too high or have a large number of guests with a specific requirement, a caterer who specialises in meeting that requirement may be a more budget-friendly alternative. In the event that you can’t find such a caterer, costs will need to be cut in other areas of your wedding in order for you to feed all of your guests.

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