Let’s Talk wedding Caterers
‘People who love to eat are always the best people’ – Julia Child
The food and drink that you choose for your wedding is an important decision to make. Once you have your date and venue boked the next big decision is catering. Sometimes this decision is somewhat made for you when venues have a limited list of caterers that can be used. Other times this list is merely a recommendation. Whatever the case research is key.
Budget
As is the case with all things wedding, having a budget is very important. Something I chose to do, was email the list of caterers suggested by our wedding venue and told them exactly how many guests we wanted for the sit down, how many evening guests we had coming and what our budget was. I then said ‘what you can offer within this budget?' Of course there may be one or two catering companies that cannot offer anything within the budget. However there will always be someone who is happy to create at least one personalised menu within your budget. In my case 4 out of 6 were able to provide budget friendly options! In the end I chose the catering company that provided food I felt best suited the theme of our wedding and sounded most delicious. They also offered a tasting session within the budget!
Sometimes a venue will allow you to arrange your own catering, which may appear to be a great way to save money. Maybe you have an amazing family who love to help and their cooking is amazing. But remember a catering company does more than provide the food and drink, they will often provide tables, chairs, table covers, cutlery and glassware. So, although it may appear to save you lots of money, sometimes the hassle is more than it is worth!
Style
The style of catering you choose will likely depend on the budget as well as the time of year you that are getting married. Some companies provide lovely BBQ and hog roast options, but this isn’t exactly ideal in the UK between October - April. And although having a sit down meal can provide the elegant touch that your wedding deserves, it’s not always affordable. Alternatively a buffet can be laid out in a beautiful way, with hanging grapes and charcuterie boards on display.
Questions to ask the Catering Company
Your wedding will have different requirements to someone else’s wedding, but starting by asking the caterers the right questions will really help. Start by asking if they are available on the date of your wedding. There’s no point asking anything else if the answer to this question is no!
Ask if you can see a sample menu and what the most popular dishes that people request for a wedding are.
Another important question to ask from the start is do you charge a bulk fee or cost per head; you don’t want to get caught out by this one and find out you need to remove a few people off the guest list. You might even ask if they can send you some pictures of the food, after all you want the food to be displayed nicely. Check to see if they offer a complimentary food tasting, this is such a fun part of choosing a caterer but surprisingly not all companies’ do offer a tasting as part of the package.
Depending on whether your caterers are making your wedding cake or whether this is being done by another company you may need to ask if the catering company provides a cake cutting service. Some companies will not cut the cake if it wasn’t made by their catering company. At which point you’ll need to find a family member or friend who can do this for you, as well as check that you’ll have a big enough knife available.
Other questions to ask include: how do you cater for dietary requirements and allergies? More than often alternative foods for dietary requirements come at a different cost. However what you spend on alternative food options you could save on the children’s food; if you’re having children at the wedding that is. It’s your wedding so do what you want! In addition to thinking about the food you also need to ask about the drinks packages. And if there is no bar at your venue already, ask will the caterers provide a pop up bar. As mentioned previously, you should check if the company provides, table linens, glassware and cutlery as well as if they will require access to a power source (if working outside).
Although we hope you will never have to cancel the wedding! You should always ask is, what is your cancellation policy?
Planning a wedding should be an exciting time, especially when it comes to choosing menus and food tastings. But sticking within the budget, knowing your style and asking the right questions are vital to making sure the wedding day itself is everything you ever dreamed of and hopefully more.
Some of the catering companies I have had the privilege of working alongside include Bouquet Garni (as seen in pictures 1 & 4), Milsoms (as seen in pictures 2 & 3) whom I often work with and Splinters whom I had the pleasure of photographing a catering display event for (as seen in pictures 5 & 6).
Your Girl Laani at,
Capella Photography X