Wedding Caterer Questions to Help you find the Right Caterer

Whether you are looking for a company that does catering for weddings in the West Coast, catering for weddings in the East Coast, catering for weddings in the deep South or catering for weddings in a far away land, your choice of a wedding caterer may well be the most important decision you make. A good wedding caterer can cope with emergency situations, such as unexpected guests, or electrical outages (yes, they can happen), or on-the-spot requests for specially prepared foods.

The job of a good wedding caterer is to make you feel like you’re a guest at your event. What can you do to ensure against a bad, mediocre or uninterested caterer? Actually, you can do quite a lot. Be prepared, know what to expect and expect what you want. We suggest the following wedding caterer questions that also include “thoughts” for yourself before signing any contract or making any commitments. We welcome these questions and so should any other reputable wedding caterer.

The following Wedding Caterer Questions cover the Most Important Things to Determine When Hiring a Wedding Caterer:

• Is the caterer licensed? Does the caterer possess a current permit from the Health Department for catering for weddings in your city? Ask to see it!
• Is the caterer insured? What if his staff spills gazpacho on that new white sofa? Is the staff insured if they injure themselves in your home or on your property? Ask the name of the insurance company.
• Does the caterer work out of an approved, inspected kitchen or commissary? An approved and certified workplace is regularly inspected and meets Board of Health standards. The water supply is also regularly tested.
• Is your caterer a “full service caterer?” Can he/she take care of all your party needs, from tables to tents, chairs, glassware, linens, flatware, china, steam trays, bar, paper and plastics, etc.? Can the caterer assist you with arrangements for flowers, liquor, music, sites, photographer or video crews? Which aspects of the wedding will they not assist with?
• How long will the caterer remain on the job? Is it in writing? What happens if you wish to extend your party longer than originally planned? Will there be an overtime charge? If so, how much?
• Will there be enough food? Exactly how much food will there be? How large are the portions? Make the caterer be specific. Will the chicken breast be four, six or eight ounces? Will the sirloin be prime or choice? What happens to leftovers?
• Ask how long they have been catering for weddings in your area. This helps to determine not only their longevity but if they would be familiar with the other vendors you might be using.
• If you are not familiar with a caterer’s work, will he give references? You should ask for three recent events. Don’t be afraid to call these people and ask how they feel about the caterer’s work and attitude.
• Will the caterer help you create the ambiance you want and assist with other non-food-related aspects of your party? They might not all do this, and that is fine, some want to focus solely on the food and no other details, which does not make this caterer a bad choice, it’s just something you should know.
• Will the caterer sign a written contract, specifying any and all charges? Make sure you have a signed copy.
• Does the caterer seem enthusiastic about your party?

Once you have discussed these wedding caterer questions with the different wedding caterers you are interviewing, you should have good idea (other than knowing their pricing at this point) of which wedding caterers you would feel comfortable working with.  And then you need to schedule a tasting!

By Debbie Young, Owner & Event Coordinator, Classic Catering, Monterey, CA
If you are planning a wedding in Monterey County, California, Classic Catering will be happy to work with you to create a menu that appeals to your tastebuds AND your pocketbook.  You can find out more about our services at www.montereycatering.com.

Country Themed Weddings are Easy on The Budget

Themed weddings are in! And wouldn’t it be great if the theme actually helped your budget?!

Well, if you and your fiance are a country couple at heart, or REAL horse-riding, cow-herding country folk, then you’re in luck!  An old fashioned BBQ wedding reception will help save on your menu price and be major fun, and who wouldn’t like a Cowboy Wedding Reception?  It’s a chance to get out those cowboy boots we all so love.

At the end of this article are a couple menu ideas that might help inspire your inner country soul to create a unique and fun experience for your guests – all without paying a fortune for your meal!  Often, the receptions that offer the “plated chicken dinner” lack style and leave guests feeling a bit bland about your reception food.  I encourage you to spice it up!  Add some color and unexpected “flavor” to your wedding day meal… make it memorable!

As for affordable country BBQ décor ideas – have fun!  Most brides tend to stick with the traditional white & ivory color schemes — don’t!  Get creative! Use bright linens like the colors in a beautiful country sunset, or earth tones of blue and green like the mountains and pastures, or traditional checkered tablecloths for a more casual daytime event.  Mason jars with wild flowers, fresh herbs or wheat would be great.  Put beer bottles and soda in galvanized tubs for a western feel at the bar or placed around an outdoor reception.  Hay bales, Cowbells and wagon wheels will add to the look as well.

Remember the more “formal” feeling the reception, the more it is likely to cost you.  Over-the-top buffets with expensive cuts of beef, seafood’s and elaborate floral arrangements are pricey, so think about a bit more casual feeling themed reception.  Casual style receptions end up being a unique way for couples to express themselves and their likes without breaking the bank and a BBQ Wedding Reception is a perfect example of this!  Here are a couple great menu ideas for a Country Barbecue Wedding Reception — and it’s not just chicken. Yum! Yum! Yum!

BBQ Wedding Reception Menu Idea #1

Barbecue Chicken * Country-style Pork Spareribs  * Sweet & Smokey Baked Beans * Corn on the Cob * Traditional Coleslaw * Watermelon, Honeydew & Cantaloupe Skewers * Cornbread with Honey-Butter

Barbecue Wedding Reception Menu Idea #2

Sliders! (Petite style Burgers) * Apricot-Honey Glazed Chicken * Red Skinned Potato Salad * Watermelon and Fresh Strawberry Display * Farmer’s Market Green Salad with homemade Dressings * Biscuits & Honey

And instead of traditional Wedding Cake, how about a display of glorious and delicious pies!

By Debbie Young, Owner & Event Coordinator, Classic Catering, Monterey, CA
If you are planning a wedding in Monterey County, California, Classic Catering will be happy to work with you to create a menu that appeals to your tastebuds AND your pocketbook.  You can find out more about our services at www.montereycatering.com.

5 Wedding Catering Budget-Busting Ideas

Negotiating on everything from the wedding cake to the bride’s attire doesn’t come naturally for most Americans. As Dorothy Maras-Ildiz wrote in a recent article for The Carmel Pine Cone, learning the fine art of negotiation can easily reduce wedding costs by 10-20%, and it helps to know a few insider tips on where, when and how you can negotiate.

Be Sure you are truly comparing apples to apples when you have multiple quotes for the catering of your wedding reception food!

The cost of the reception will usually eat up (pardon the pun) 50-60% of your overall costs. Dean and Debbie Young, owners of Classic Catering (www.montereycatering.com) share their best budget busting ideas:

1. Be flexible with reception dates and times. Saturday night is going to cost more than a Sunday Brunch or Friday evening cocktail party.
2. The notion that hors d’oeurves are less expensive than plated meals or buffets is just not true. Those tiny bite-sized goodies require two to three times the labor to create. Price wise, you’ll get the best bang for your buck with a buffet. The ‘small plates’ trend is also a great way to add flexibility to your menu. Serving numerous small plates throughout the reception frees up your guests to move about and mingle instead of being glued down to a table for hours on end.
3. When you are getting multiple quotes from caterers, be sure you are comparing apples to apples. This is crucial! One quote for $2000 and another for $2350 does not make the $2000 a better deal! They may be using pre-prepared food, chicken instead of beef, taking a chance on the quality of service by cutting their staff, etc. And sadly, some caterers don’t lay everything out in their first proposal in order to entice you. Ask questions and read the small print!
4. Price isn’t everything. If you have a good working relationship and feel comfortable with your caterer, you can negotiate the price. Don’t sacrifice your comfort level for a couple of dollars less per plate. More often than not they will find a way to meet your price.
5. At your initial meeting with your caterer at least have a ‘ballpark’ estimate of what the range of your budget is. This will give everyone a good idea of where to start.

Weddings can be very costly, but knowing the right questions to ask and finding a caterer that is understanding of your budget will be a big help to your honeymoon budget!

Dorothy Maras-Ildiz — AIWF Board of Directors, Monterey Bay Chapter;Les Dames de Escoffier, member; Pebble Beach Food & Wine, Chef Liaision/Coordinator; Culinary Journalist/ Columnist