Finding the perfect caterer for your wedding reception is one the most important decisions you'll have to make when planning your wedding.
Before signing catering contract, make sure you ask your caterer all the right questions to avoid any unpleasant surprises along the way.
1.
Before you get into any discussions about menus and pricing for your wedding reception, inquire if the catering company you're interested in is available on the day of your wedding.
Popular weekends get booked up pretty quickly.
Try to be proactive and start searching for a caterer as soon as you have your wedding date confirmed.
Also, ask if they have any other events planned that day.
Ideally, yours is the only wedding they have that weekend, so you'll get all the attention during the time leading up to the event.
2.
Make sure that the caterer you consider for the job is a professional licensed food provider.
While it doesn't promise you that the food will taste good, it will guarantee you at least one thing - food safety.
3.
Ask for references.
There's nothing wrong about asking a catering company for references.
They might be great folks, but you don't want your wedding reception to be the first one they cater.
It is also a good idea to read through their clients reviews - and not just on the company website but in other sources as well.
Yelp.
com is always a great tool.
4.
Ask your catering company if they offer food tasting.
Is it complimentary? How many options do you get to try? You don't want to commit to a $10,000 catering contract without making sure that the food is exactly what you're looking for.
5.
Does your caterer provide alcohol? Does your contract allow you to provide your own alcohol for your wedding reception? If you decide to bring your own alcohol, is there a corkage fee? How about service charges? You caterer might not charge you a corkage fee but will charge gratuity on the estimated cost of the beverages served.
6.
Does the catering company provide china, cutlery, linens, and napkins? Is it included in the price of the dinner? If not, how much is the rental fee? 7.
What is the payment schedule? There's really no standard here.
Most catering companies will charge you a deposit at the time of the booking to guarantee the date.
The amount of the deposit varies.
It can be a fixed number or a percentage of the total invoice.
8.
Cancellation policy.
What happens if your need to cancel your wedding reception? Usually it's a sliding scale and the cancellation fee will depend on how close to the event date the cancellation occurs.
Be very clear of the cancellation policy and get everything in writing.
9.
Cut-off date.
When is cut-off date for making the changes to the menu and number of guests? Normally a catering company will require all the information 72 hours prior to the event.
At that time you will have to provide "guaranteed number of guests".
10.
Ask about all additional charges.
Don't just look at the menu prices - get the full picture of the total cost.
The items to ask about are: · rental charges for lines, napkins, china, glassware, and cutlery · corkage fee · labor charges (servers, bartenders) · gratuity (don't mistake it for the labor charges) · taxes 11.
Make sure that there is a price guarantee.
There's a chance that you sign your catering contract way in advance of your wedding date and the cost of some food ingredients might increase.
This should not be your problem.
You want to make sure the price you sign today will be the price you pay.