What to Look For In a Wedding Caterer Part 1
From LoveToKnow Weddings
When it comes to wedding caterers, big names and fancy promotional materials don’t necessarily guarantee quality. Neither does a more expensive menu guarantee better tasting food. It is important to be able to look beyond promotional gimmicks to separate the glitz and flash from quality catering.
Here are some basic criteria that can help you narrow your search for a wedding caterer.
- Good wedding caterers are accessible and responsive.
- Good wedding caterers maintain a professional demeanor.
- Good wedding caterers volunteer information without being asked.
- Good wedding caterers are flexible.
Good Wedding Caterers are Accessible and Responsive
You definitely want a wedding caterer that returns calls promptly and is responsive to your questions. As busy as you are going to be, the less back and forth between you and your wedding caterer, the better. If your caterer takes a week to respond to a phone call and answers two out of four questions on your email, it is probably not a good sign.
Never accept, “I’ve been busy” as an excuse for poor follow-up. Professional wedding caterers should know how to balance their time and energy between clients. If they can’t perform this simple task, how can they be relied upon to orchestrate a wedding reception for 200 people?
Good Wedding Caterers are Professional
An employee is a reflection of the company that they work for. Your catering contact should be on time for your appointment, dressed appropriately and ready to talk business.
The initial meeting should be about discussing your wedding vision, rather than selling catering packages. A professional wedding caterer should take the time to get to know you a little bit before pushing menus. On the other hand, this doesn’t mean that the wedding caterer shouldn’t be prepared to show you a portfolio of her work during the first meeting. However, there is a difference between discussing options and pushing a catering package for the sake of a few extra dollars. In addition, good wedding caterers are always prepared to provide you with a list of professional references.
Good Wedding Caterers Volunteer Information without being Asked
Let’s face it. Wedding caterers run a business and need to make money just like everyone else. However, good wedding caterers will provide you with all of the information that you need up front, before you make your decision. This is simply good business practice. For example, if there will be certain additional labor costs associated with a package bartender fees, coat check fees etc.), you need to know this information before you sign the contract. Or, if there is a possibility that you won’t be able to have a certain ingredient in you entrée due to seasonal availability, you need to be informed prior to the close of the negotiation.
Good Wedding Caterers are Flexible
A little flexibility goes a long way. Your wedding caterer should be willing to customize your wedding package and make minor substitutions without significant alteration to the cost. While you shouldn’t expect to substitute filet mignon for chicken without paying a few extra dollars, minor changes such as switching a salad dressing or dessert garnish should be relatively easy to accommodate.
Please See: What to Look for in a Wedding Caterer: Part 2
- How to read a catering contract.
- Reasonable and unreasonable requests
- Putting together a catering menu.
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