Questions to Ask When Hiring Your Caterer
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Questions to Ask When Hiring Your Caterer {Adobe PDF, 80k}
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Besides your location, the food and drink for your wedding bash will probably consume the largest portion of your wedding budget. Catering costs are usually presented as “per-person” charges, sometimes abbreviated in wedding brochures as “pp” after the amount. But be aware—the per-person charge often doesn’t include everything: Tax and gratuities (sometimes called “service charge”) might be extra, and there may also be separate per-person charges for the meal, drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and even setup. So your actual per-person charge might end up being considerably more than you expect. Bring your calculator along when meeting with potential caterers to help you arrive at the real bottom line.
There’s more to consider. Nowadays, many caterers offer a range of services in addition to catering. Some are actual “event producers,” providing props, special effects, décor—in other words, complete event design. They might also be able to assist in finding a location, coordinating your affair, or lining up vendors. One thing a caterer can’t do, however, is cook up a 5-course Beef Wellington dinner for $20 per person. When planning your menu, be realistic about what you can serve given your budget and the size of your guest list.
A lot of factors come into play when selecting a caterer, so don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to. You can refer to the following list, whether your potential caterer works at your event facility or you’re hiring them independently.
The Basics
- Do you have my date open?
- How many weddings do you do per year, and how long have you been in business?
- Have you done events at my location? TIP: If you haven’t chosen your location yet, ask the caterer if they can help you select one.
- Are you licensed by the state of California? Are you licensed to serve alcohol?
- Will I need any permits for my event? If so, will you handle obtaining them?
- Will you provide a banquet manager to coordinate the meal service or an on-site coordinator who will run the entire event?
- Can you assist with other aspects of the wedding like selecting other vendors, event design (e.g. specialty lighting, elaborate décor, theme events, etc.)?
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