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Your
catering or food bill is typically one
of your largest wedding expenses, so
take your time and choose your caterer
carefully. If you are considering
a caterer that is unfamiliar, check
references and go to a
"tasting". Ask about
service and what is included in the
price (dinnerware or china, for
example). Many caterers quote
prices based upon a minimum number of
guests. If your number of guests
is below that minimum, you may have to
do some extra negotiating. You
also need to know how many servers are
included in the price, and what would be
the cost for additional servers?
Depending on the type of reception you
have, one server for every ten guests is
usually a good ratio.
When
deciding on a menu, a variety of four
different types of food can be
enough. The main thing to consider
is to be sure that you give the caterer
an accurate head count . Don't
forget to include your entertainers,
photographer, and wedding day
coordinator. (Some caterers offer
a reduced charge for these
meals.) You don't want to
run out of food -- but you also don't
want to have to pay for food that has to
be thrown out! The more labor
intensive the food item is to prepare,
the more it will cost, and some foods
such as shrimp, salmon, lobster, and
beef tenderloin also add to the
price. Think about this when
choosing your main course as well as
your side dishes and hors d'ouevres.
The
couple might like to consider asking the
caterer to prepare a special
"sample" basket of all the
food at the reception. It's
unlikely that the bride and groom will
get a chance to eat unless it is a sit
down dinner, and even then the
"honeymoon" basket makes a
great late night snack to enjoy when the
hectic day has ended!
A
good caterer will have serviced many
functions, so ask a lot of
questions. They will have many
ideas to help you provide a wonderful
menu within your budget. |
