13 Things to Consider Before Hiring a Wedding Caterer
Caterers play a major role when it comes to any event—debuts, weddings, baptisms, and even kiddie parties. This is because caterers make these events so much easier for the coordinators and the hosts by giving catering companies the job of handling food services. Wedding food catering, for one, is special and should be prepared well in advance. This is because it does not only concern one family but two, along with close friends of the bride and groom.
You should aim for caterers who could meet your demands, your specifications; the way you want everything to be ‘perfect’. But is this all the standard to look for in caterers? Is good food the measurement for hiring catering services per se? Here are some of the other considerations you should take—other than their menu options—before you hire caterers for your upcoming wedding event.
Personal Attention
The first consideration you should think about before hiring caterers is their time, and how much of that time they can give to you. You always want updates; you always want to hear from them for changes. They should be readily available when called upon.
Attitude
Take into account the caterer staff’s attitude. When you first make contact with the caterer, you can easily sense if they have a good air about them. Did they greet you with a smile? Are they polite throughout your whole inquiry? If so, proceed with the consideration of hiring them. Otherwise, it’s better to turn to someone else.
Communication
Personal attention isn’t enough to consider the uprightness of a catering service. You also have to note how much time you need to make contact with them to get your point across. The standard contact time between a caterer and a client should be 10 times, up until the wedding day.
Food Preparation
You are hiring a wedding food catering service not just to provide a buffet to serve your guests. Rather, you are hiring them because you want a sense of class and professionalism even when it comes to your wedding fare. Consider caterers who have this respect towards food as much as making them taste good.
Quality Ingredients
You don’t want to spend a fortune on a caterer only to get complaints that their food tastes dull, dry, or stale. Ensure that the caterer uses only quality and fresh ingredients for their recipes to avoid negative comments on the wedding day itself. You may even ask to sample their food for confirmation before hiring.
Cost Per Plate
Find out how much they charge per plate served. This does not only concern the plates alone, but also the cost of linens used, tables, chairs, and other miscellaneous fees. Simply put, ask them for their package rates before closing deals. Do not hesitate to bargain with your caterer.
Menu Rates
Other than the utensils used and the set-up for tables and chairs, scrutinize the menu and the rates for dishes that will be served. Usually, it comes in sets (set A, B, and so on), but you can bargain for what to include or not. This way, you can reduce unnecessary items if need be that may cost more.
Willingness to Help
You can judge if the caterer is merely there to “do their job”, or if the caterer really shows passion and willingness to be of service. The caterer will give his/her all out from the point of your inquiry to the end of your wedding ceremony. They should support you (giving suggestions and taking criticisms) to the point you want to recommend them to friends and family, or re-hire them in the future.
Flexibility and Experience
It’s not that you should avoid caterers that are new to the business, but if you truly aim for a top-notch, class, and high-performance caterers, go for those who have enough experience in the field. You can find that by browsing through their website and reading about their background and accomplishments. Flexibility also means the ability to handle any event, not just weddings. This often indicates a worthy caterer with enough experience.
Knowledge of the Venue
A good caterer to consider is not only praised for their craft when it comes to food (and table) preparation but for their knowledge of the venue that you would want as well. It’s a huge advantage to know what the venue looks like, so they can have an insight of how to set-up their service to make it appealing. They can also measure their travel time from their catering area to the venue on the day itself.
Complete Contract Details
Up until the point of signing the contract necessary to make the deal official, you have to ensure that everything that was explained to you. In addition, everything that was discussed should be in written form on the contract. Read the terms carefully to avoid any points which might have been left off in the discussion.
Cancellation is Possible
Should an anomaly arise or should you decide that you have a different option other than catering, there should always be a cancellation option. If this is not stated in the contract, then it should at least be allowed by the caterer. They are not to hold you hostage and be aggressive towards cancellation as long as your reasons are valid.
Check For References
Just like reading book and/or movie reviews to find out other people’s thoughts about this particular title, find out what previous clients have to say about your caterer. This isn’t because you distrust their services, but you want to feel a sense of security when you look into the experience of other people by hiring this or that caterer.
Key Takeaway
If you are searching for the right, fair, and quality catering service to be provided for your wedding event, we at Juan Carlo assure you that we practice professionalism on everything we do.
At Juan Carlo, we cater with love, sheer hard work, and an unrelenting dedication to delivering you the best catering experience. Click here to learn more about what we can offer you!
