A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
by Five Star Events Corporation

You said "Yes". You set the date. You even made an appointment with your minister to talk about the ceremony. As they say "the fun has just started." Many brides will then start looking for a venue and a caterer for their reception. What could be difficult about picking a caterer, right? Food is food. Since your reception will swallow up approximately 60 per cent of your total wedding budget, and the meal alone more than half of that, careful consideration needs to be given in choosing a catering company.

NOT ALL CATERERS ARE CREATED EQUALLY
It's true food is food, but not all caterers are created equally. The food is among the top three highlights for your guests and it is something they will always remember. So, how do you go about selecting a caterer? The deli down the street that delivers sandwiches for your boardroom luncheons may not be the best caterer for the job.

Find the caterer that is best for you and for the occasion. If you are having an ethnic wedding, then you need a caterer who can provide you with an authentic ethnic menu. Best thing for you to do is to ask get referrals from your wedding planner, or from others who have successfully hired caterers in the past. Next thing you could do is to go online to the wedding sites and take a look at the listings there. Of course, there is always your local phone directory as an option. However, never, never, never hire a caterer until you have interviewed them, tasted their food, and checked references.

TASTE TEST
Taste the caterer's food and talk about different menu options. Does the caterer offer vegetarian meals, diabetic meals or even a children's menu? What about guests with allergies? Most catering companies will provide substitutes, usually without an increase in price, if they are given enough time. Ask if they can do this, if there is a cost and how much advance notice they require. Also ask what they serve as a vegetarian meal (remember, a vegetarian meal is not simply "more salad").

Keep in mind the quality of ingredients as well. If the catering company makes its own home made desserts and salads, for example, you will be able to taste the real whipped cream, the real butter. If the company buys its tortes and desserts from a local supplier, it may look pretty but it might not be as tasty.

HAVE A MEETING
Meet privately with the caterer at their place of business or kitchen. Do not agree to meet with the caterer while he or she is catering someone else's wedding or event. Why not? Sure, you want to see him or her in action, but this means the event or wedding at hand does not have the caterer's full attention. And, if they make a habit of schmoozing prospects at other events, this caterer will certainly do it at your wedding. When you pay top price for a caterer, you deserve their full attention on your wedding day. Settle for nothing less.

TALK TURKEY, ER, PRICING
What does the price include? Does your quote include food only? Is the meal served on disposables or does the price include full place settings? These are important questions to ask. You wouldn't want to have the caterer wait to serve the prime rib meal because the best man was out buying plastic forks and knives at a nearby convenience store.

THE MEAL’S DELICIOUS, BUT WHO’S GOING TO SERVE IT?
What about staffing? If the price includes the cost of the meal and your place settings, does it also include staff for the event? Or do you need to pay an extra hourly rate? Different catering companies price their services differently, so be sure to ask.

Make sure your caterer has experienced staff. Ask them how long their servers have been with the company. You might be surprised. Quality caterers will have staff with more than five years of experience, and the difference in service will show.

Catering staff should also be properly attired so no one mistakes them for guests. And last, but not least, staff should look like they are enjoying themselves. A simple smile goes a long way.

If you hire a caterer for the meal and can’t afford to pay for staffing, make arrangements for the removal of dirty dishes from the tables. You might not think about it, but those tables need to be bussed and you shouldn’t expect your guests to clear their own tables.

BUFFET VS. FULL SERVICE MEAL
If you are having a buffet meal, is the buffet going to be served or do guests help themselves? These days, served buffets are very popular.

There are a lot of pros to having a buffet. People can take as much as they want of the foods they like. They can go back for seconds (and thirds) without being considered impolite, and less food is wasted. The con to a buffet is that guests can have as much as they like of what they want. The football players in the crowd might take five chicken breasts each and there might not be enough food to serve everybody. The caterer should come prepared with an extra 10 per cent of food.

And don't forget to ask about all the little extras. Will each table have salt and pepper shakers, or are guests expected to take small individual envelopes of salt and pepper at the end of the buffet? Will there be butter, cream and sugar on each table? Will there be a water jug on each table?

Don’t expect the reception venue to supply these items, but always check. Assuming that there are water jugs or salt and pepper shakers at your community hall will surely lead to heartache when you sit down to your dinner and your guests have no water, butter for their buns, or salt on the tables. And, if the caterer doesn’t provide that, you will need to know in advance to make alternate arrangements.

THE FINAL WORD
Quality catering companies will offer delicious food with reasonable menu prices. They will serve their meals on place settings and will have quality, experienced service staff to take care of all of the details for your wedding reception. They will also come equipped with enough food to feed your confirmed guest list, plus a little extra.

Remember, it’s not rude to ask questions. The caterers you interview have heard it all before, and they expect to be asked. They know what it takes to get the job done properly. And ALWAYS to ask for references!

Five Star Events Corporation