If you’re planning a wedding for later this year, you may be a little overwhelmed with all the decisions you need to make. One big task is contracting with a great wedding caterer. You want the best possible experience for your guests, yet need to stay within your budget. Where to start?
What are the Seven Steps for Choosing a Wedding Caterer?
Let’s explore the seven steps you can take to make the selection of your caterer easier.
Decide the Size and Style of Your Wedding Event
Before you choose a caterer, you need to estimate how many people you plan to invite. You should also consider what kind of menu you’re looking for, whether buffet, sit-down reception, passed appetizers or a combination of different services. You want to make sure that your caterer can handle the specific accommodations you want for your party.
Can Your Caterer Work With the Venue?
It’s rare, but some venues have a list of preferred caterers. You need to check with the venue to see if they allow outside caterers. Alternatively, select the caterer first and work with them to select a venue that will best meet your needs. We can recommend great wedding venues in the Bay Area. As part of that, you want to know what facilities are at the venue. If your venue doesn’t have a kitchen, for instance, the caterer will need to provide food preparation and serving equipment.
Know What Your Guests Need
Bay Area people are famously diverse in their culinary preferences and needs. You will want a menu that offers Vegetarian, Vegan, gluten-free, spicy (or not) menu options, among others. Your caterer needs to be experienced in meeting these needs with great menu options.
Read Reviews
Vet your Bay Area wedding caterer to see how trustworthy they are. Read their reviews. Ask if you can talk to previous customers. Don’t just ask if they were satisfied. Ask open-ended questions to really understand how the caterer works.
Discuss the Logistics with the Caterer
Discuss how the food will be made, delivered and served. It could be an option to have the food cooked offsite, but it doesn’t work for every type of meal. Getting a grasp on how things will happen will ensure that your food is the best quality when served to your guests. Plus you will understand how the food service will fit into your overall wedding schedule and the guest flow patterns within the venue.
Hold a Tasting with the Caterer
This is one of the favorite parts of our job here at Handheld Catering! We meet with our catering clients to stage a tasting of our proposed menus. You want to know that the food tastes as wonderful as it looks. We may also get some good catering menu ideas together during your tasting that you wouldn’t have thought of.
Choose a Wedding Caterer Who Values Transparency
As one of the best catering services in Silicon Valley, we are professional and up front with the contract, making sure you and we have discussed all the details. You don’t want any surprises on the day of your event. You should expect us to be on top of the details and to relieve you of some of the stress of such an important life milestone. Contact Handheld Catering for wedding catering in Santa Clara, San Jose, Palo Alto and around the Bay Area. We create culinary experiences your guests will long remember!
