London Wedding Planner

Last month, as part of our Planning Advice series, we looked at some general points to consider when choosing your wedding suppliers . Today we’re going to take a closer look at the important things to consider when looking for a wedding caterer. Your wedding catering can make or break your reception – delicious food and exceptional service will ensure your wedding is remembered and talked about for months to come. It’s also an area where you’re going to be spending the majority of your wedding budget, so you need to know that your chosen supplier will meet, if not exceed, all of your expectations.

Your caterer should be one of the first suppliers you book after confirming your venue. Before you start any in-depth research, think about the type of food you want to provide at your wedding reception as this will help you focus and narrow down your searches. For example, if you want to provide a particular type of cuisine, such as Indian or Asian, you may want to find a caterer that specialises in this area.

Asking your venue, family and friends for caterer recommendations is a great starting point for your initial research, and online wedding directories, blogs, wedding fairs and magazines are also excellent sources of information. Most caterers will have a website that provides some background information about the company, as well as sample menus, so use this information to determine whether you feel they may be suitable for your wedding. Contact those that you feel meet your initial requirements, and discuss your ideas with them. Also ask them for a rough guide to their prices – you don’t want to waste your time meeting a caterer that is completely unsuitable for your budget.

Draw up a shortlist of 3 or 4 prospective caterers and arrange to meet them personally. This initial meeting will give you the opportunity to discuss your requirements in detail, find out more about the company and assess whether you feel comfortable working with them and are confident in their ability to meet your expectations. Ask to see their hygiene certificates and check they have adequate public liability insurance.

Some questions you might like to ask during your meeting include:

- For how long have they been professional wedding caterers? How many weddings have they catered for?

- Have they worked at your venue before? If they have they should be familiar with the onsite kitchen facilities. If not, or if you are having a marquee, find out what equipment they will need and how much space they require

- Will they provide their own kitchen equipment or do you need to hire this separately? Is this included in the menu cost or will it incur an additional fee?

- Can they create a bespoke menu for your wedding?

- Can they cater for special diets, such as allergies, vegetarian and children?

- Can they provide a bar service if required?

- Are they happy to serve alcohol that has been provided by you, or will they charge you a service fee?

- How many staff will they provide on the day? If you’re having a full waited service you should expect to have at least 1 person per table of 10

- How long will staff work for? Are there any extra charges after a certain time? For example, some companies will charge an extra fee to provide taxis for staff to get home safely late at night

- Will they lay your tables with china, glassware and cutlery on the day?

Make sure you know exactly what it is included in their prices, and check whether the quotation includes VAT. Some companies may quote to include staffing costs, table linen, glassware, cutlery and china, but others may charge for these items separately. Also ensure that you can arrange a tasting session nearer the time to finalise your menu.

Once you have chosen your caterer, be sure to sign a contract and make a note of the date you paid any deposit. Also record additional payment deadlines and dates by when you need to provide information, such as menu choices and final guest numbers.

Photo Credits: Karen Wise Photography via SMP here and here

 

For further planning advice and professional tools to help you organise your wedding day, including supplier management spreadsheets, please take a look at our DIY Wedding Planning Package . If you would like more hands-on assistance with your wedding arrangements, please check out our services page to see how we can help you. Remember, we’re offering 20% off all services booked before 31st January 2010 !

Next month : Finding Your Wedding Photographer

You might also find interesting:

• Planning Advice – Finding Your Suppliers
• Wedding Planning Advice – Finding Your Venue (Part 2)
• Wedding Planning Advice – Finding a Photographer
• Wedding Planning Advice – Finding Your Venue (Part 1)