I’ll admit, I’ve gotten pretty spoiled over the last nine years working with an amazing catering company in my hometown.  They are the best of the best so it’s only natural that I, along with all of my clients want to work with them.  Not only is the food great, but the presentation is out of this world beautiful.  To top it off their service is impeccable every single time.

Recently I’ve had the pleasure of working with a few new caterers that are newer to the area.  I’ve had a few Wedding Day Management brides that were on a tighter budget and hired these caterers.  They are not actually new caterers, but they were new to me if you know what I mean.  I think they have all been in business for five years or more, but I had not had the chance to work with them yet.  I quickly learned not all caterers are created equal.

Here are very important questions you as a Wedding Planner should be asking caterers before hiring them for your client’s wedding:

• Do they charge a fee to cut the cakes?  If yes, what is the fee?
• Do they wrap up any leftover wedding cake for the client to take with them?  (Ex: saran wrap any leftover layers or box them up?)
• Do they have a few people designated to walk around throughout the reception to clear plates, cups and napkins if guests leave them on the tables?
• If there is any leftover food is the client allowed to keep it?
• If the answer to the above question is yes, do they provide disposable containers for the leftover food?
• Do they wait until the reception ends to leave and make sure all of the trash is taken to the dumpster or appropriate location?
• How long do they leave the food out if it’s a buffet style reception?
• Do they provide plates, napkins and utensils for the food buffet or food stations?
• Do they provide napkins for the cake tables?
• Do they provide plates and forks for the cake tables?
• Will they fix a meal for the bride and groom to take with them when they leave the reception?
• Will they fix the couple a plate of food to eat once they arrive at the reception; if desired?
• If the event is at a private residence, do they provide trash cans?  Or if the venue does not provide trash cans will they provide them?

The caterer I mentioned that I work with all the time does do all of the things on the list above, but I have found not all caterers are alike.  To avoid any mishaps or confusion, it’s so important to find out the answers to all of these questions before your clients hire a caterer.  I have always said you get what you pay for and this couldn’t be any more true with wedding caterers.

To get all of our vendor booking processes + questions to ask EVERY vendor CLICK HERE!

xo,

Terrica