CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING CATERER IN 3 STEPS

Among all the steps you will encounter during your wedding planning, choosing the caterer is one of the most crucial. What are the most important criteria for selecting the caterer of your dreams? What are my tips and tricks to find the rare gem? Find your provider in 3 steps!

#1 ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS FROM THE START

Once you have chosen your reception venue following our advice, it is natural to start thinking about your search for a caterer. The choice of the caterer should not be neglected and should be studied with great attention because your meal, its quality, and therefore that of your wedding depend on it. Before starting to look through directories of caterers, I advise you to analyze your needs in order to provide a clear explanation to the future professionals you will meet:

· Is your venue open to all caterers? If not, you just need to approach your reception venue to get the name of the provider and the details of their service.

· What is your number of guests? Some caterers may not have the capacity to handle large groups of guests, so it is normal to ask this question and especially to keep in mind the number of guests at your wedding.

· What format of meal do you want? While it is sometimes easier to keep the traditional sit-down meal for weddings, more and more future brides and grooms are opting for cocktail dinners, cold buffets, or live cooking (such as grilling, etc.) which increase the conviviality of this special day.

· What is your budget? Many of you are waiting to have all the quotes from the caterers of your choice to set a budget, but doing the opposite allows you to save time (believe me, a year goes by quickly!) and especially to immediately rule out the providers who are unaffordable for you.

· Do you have any special requests? Do you want special services? A wedding cake or a centerpiece? Do you have a theme to respect for the meal? All necessary information to note down in order to inform the providers when you meet them.

My advice: Many caterers will offer you menus with "standard" dishes. If you have an idea in mind, a special request, or simply a dietary requirement (vegan, alcohol-free, sugar-free, etc.), do not hesitate to discuss it with your caterer, they can certainly adapt to your desires!

#2 CONDUCT WIDE AND RELEVANT RESEARCH

Once your desires and dreams are noted down in a little notebook, it's time to start your research to find the perfect caterer. While some people like to browse through directories without any help, some of my future brides and grooms sometimes admit to not knowing where to look for fear of coming across unreliable caterers. I will give you some tips to make an initial selection:

--> Word of mouth: Do you have friends who have recently married? Have you attended a wedding and been impressed by the meal? Grab your smartphone and ask your loved ones for recommendations in order to have providers whose quality and professionalism will reassure you.

--> Wedding fairs: real events bringing together several professions, fairs are perfect places to meet the caterers present on those days. In addition, you often have the opportunity to see examples of their service and taste some of their sweet or savory delicacies for the most gourmet among you.

--> Seek the help of wedding professionals: if you use a wedding planner for your wedding organization, they will support you in your research by presenting several trusted caterers who will undoubtedly be able to prepare a fabulous wedding meal. Your wedding planner always has a few tricks up their sleeve.

My advice: Do you already have your reception venue and it is open to all caterers? You can very well ask the venue managers for recommendations for the caterers they work best with. This way, you'll kill two birds with one stone!

#3 INQUIRE ABOUT THEIR SERVICES

Your shortlist is done: you even have a little idea of your choice but you are still hesitant. Hold your horses! Before choosing your wedding caterer, it is ESSENTIAL (yes, I insist!) to inquire about the quality of the services offered.

--> Check the reviews: in the era of social media, (almost) all professionals have their Facebook or Instagram pages with photos of their creations, but also reviews posted by clients. You can also check their profile on specialized sites like Zankyou which reward providers with the best reviews each year! (Pssss: I had the extreme honor of receiving the Award for the Wedding Planner category in 2020)

--> Compare prices: Does a price seem high or very affordable to you? Check the reasons for these prices and compare with others so as not to be deceived on this point.

--> Check the availability: Has a caterer caught your eye? Bravo! However, before signing the quote, confirm with them that their teams are available on the day of your wedding because at some caterers, years fill up very quickly!

--> Check the services included in the proposed rate: Is the tableware included in the rate or will you need to rent it as an extra? Is the service optional? Is the dessert mentioned in the quote? Until what time will the caterer be present on the evening of the wedding? Is the setup and cleaning up done by them?

My advice: some caterers charge extra for tastings, make sure that this is included in the proposed rate. During the tasting, be vigilant about the presentation of the dishes as well!