Your wedding day will probably be the biggest event that you ever plan for your entire life. Because of this, many people want to make it a day to remember. That’s why they will work hard organizing every single detail: from the dress to the venue, to even something as small as the table napkins. But even if you aren’t someone who sweats the small stuff, everyone can agree that the food is an important factor. Who doesn’t enjoy a good meal?
If you want to make sure that your food really hits the mark at your wedding, you’ll want to hire the best catering company around. Keep reading to learn more about wedding catering and what you should look out for when hiring a caterer.
How to Find a Caterer
You’ll have to start by first finding a wedding caterer, and there are two general ways you can do this: either do a search online or get a referral from someone you know. Reputable caterers will have their own websites or social media accounts where you can browse photos of their food to get an idea of what kind of service they can deliver. Many of them also offer sample menus on their websites but are also willing to work with you to create a custom menu.
Assess Their Reputation
Once you’ve found a caterer that seems to offer food you like, you’ll then have to determine what their reputation is like. Thankfully, with the internet’s help, this is fairly easy to do, especially with Google reviews. Simply Google search the caterer you are interested in and Google should pull up a company profile on the right-hand side that includes a star rating paired with user-submitted reviews.
When reading through these reviews, make sure you are checking out both the positive and critical ones, that way you can get a balanced viewpoint and are able to make a fully informed decision.
If Google doesn’t have any reviews, try doing a search for “[caterer] reviews” and see what comes up. You should be able to find a website that they’ve been reviewed on.
Sit Down and Chat Before Committing
A decent catering company should offer free consultations where you can sit down with them and get a better idea of what they have to offer. Don’t sign any paperwork until you feel confident in their services and have settled on a wedding menu that works within your budget. When meeting with them be sure to ask these questions:
- Are you available on [wedding date]?
- Can you service [venue location]?
- Do you offer full service (i.e. food prep, table set up and service, clean-up, etc.)?
- How are your packages priced and can you work within my budget?
- Do you offer alternatives for special dietary needs?
- Are your ingredients locally sourced? Is the food fresh or frozen?
For that last point, it’s always good to know the quality of the food you’re getting. By choosing a caterer who boasts about their food is locally sourced, seasonal, and never frozen, you’ll be getting the highest quality meals on your wedding day. Any alternative will just fall short in comparison.
