You want your wedding to be the perfect celebration of you and your spouse’s future together. You want every detail to be perfect, no matter how big or how small. That’s why choosing a wedding caterer can be such a huge decision for a bride-to-be, because having the right food at your wedding is crucial to you and your guests’ overall experience. We’ve put together our top tips for for you to learn when and how to choose the right caterer for your wedding:
- Ask your friends – A personal reference can go a long way and really tell you about the quality of the caterer. Think back to a wedding when you were really wowed by the food, and contact that friend to get in touch with her caterer.
- Check online reviews–What did we do before the Internet? Make sure to run a search on caterers in your area and use online review sites like Yelp to help narrow your search. Bridal magazine websites can also be helpful. Try typing your location + catering to find a local catering directory with lists of all the options in your city.
- Keep a list – Begin by gathering the names of 5-10 catering companies you have heard positive things about, and keep room on your list for price comparison and notes.
- Schedule meetings –Meet face-to-face with the catering company to talk budget and availability. The attitude of the caterer can make or break the experience for you, and you want to make sure this is someone you can negotiate and work with to make your wedding perfect.
- Ask for references –Often people forget this important step, but after meeting with a caterer, make sure to ask for references and contact them to ensure the caterer isn’t overselling his or her talents.
- Schedule a tasting – Now is the time to determine the details of the food and service – will wine be provided? What vegan or vegetarian options do they have? And most importantly, how good does the food taste? If you don’t like it, no one will. Make sure to ask the tough questions now before you find out the big day that the company doesn’t provide bartenders.
With these tips, it should be smooth sailing when you set out to choose a wedding caterer!
