Wedding Catering Services Savers

If you are having your reception at a hotel or a restaurant, you have to use their services. One of your reasons for choosing that location is presumably because you want to serve their food.
By: Kay C. Marie Kravchuck
 
Aug. 30, 2011 - PRLog -- Catering Service Savers
If you are having your reception at a hotel or a restaurant, you have to use their services. One of your reasons for choosing that location is presumably because you want to serve their food.
If your reception is at a location that does not have food service and you don't want to prepare the food yourself, you will need a caterer.

Ask Questions
Don't be intimidated if you've never dealt with a caterer before. Here are some questions to ask to make sure you get what you want for what you want to spend:
•   What can you offer us for our budget?
•   What about substitutions for special diets?
•   Will we need to provide our own dishes, silverware, napkins, and so on? If you provide them, may we see samples?
•   How many servers will there be, and will they do cleanup?
•   Is there a charge to cut the cake? To serve it?
•   What is the deposit schedule?
•   When do you need a final count?

How do I find an off-site caterer?
Get a list of caterers from your reception site or from other vendors, such as your wedding coordinator or florist. See whether there's a culinary school or an educational institution in your area that provides catering services; you'll save and also help students launch their careers.
Some reception sites charge the caterer a fee that is added to your bill. Ask both the site and the caterer about their policy on this type of charge.

Cruise Those Menus
Regardless of who provides the food, you can save money by asking a lot of questions and carefully looking over menus so that you receive the most for your budgeted dollars. If either the on-site or the private caterers tend to feature very gourmet entrées, ask whether you can substitute something less expensive.
Being careful with your dollars doesn't mean serving an institutional chicken dinner. Think creatively: Certain herbs, spices, and other fairly simple touches can transform a bird into something quite elegant and less expensive than coq au vin.

Alert   
Take advantage of food tastings. Make an appointment with a caterer to taste some samples of your menu choices. Ask to see photos of the caterer's work, too. Ask for references and follow up on these. And always get everything in writing to prevent misunderstandings.

Even if you want to splurge and have prime rib, not all guests eat beef these days, so you want to provide something different for them anyway. Thinking outside the box with your entrée choices can mean a delicious meal for less money.

When Denise and James found they'd save money by holding both their ceremony and reception at the marina country club, they could afford to order pricier dishes. Nevertheless, they have kept their fancy reception menu of island favorites relatively simple: seafood salad, fresh lobster, stir-fried vegetables, and ambrosia served in pineapple shells.

After they picked the menu, they were told they could also save by allowing the chef to substitute different seafood and fruit (with their approval) if he hears of a better price or better in-season quality. They quickly agreed.

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Source:Kay C. Marie Kravchuck
Email:***@enhancevents.com Email Verified
Zip:21901-2033
Tags:Wedding Catering SAvers, Puerto Rico, Wedding Planner, Event Planner Cecil County Maryland, North East, md, Baltimore
Industry:Business, Event, Family
Location:North East - Maryland - United States
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