The Top Tips to Know When Hiring a Catering Company

Even if you’re having a smaller wedding, outsourcing a bar and/or restaurant to cater your wedding is a good idea. It can lighten a significant amount of stress from your shoulders and you’re guaranteed delicious food and a steady flow of drinks to party onwards into the night with! Catering and events companies who can come set up at wedding venues can be a huge godsend, especially if the catering companies are part of a restaurant you already like. Given that the average wedding party consists of 165 people, you need a lot of food to feed all those mouths and you don’t want your wedding to be the one where people talked about how bad the food was afterwards!

How Can Hiring Catering Companies Help Me?
Catering companies can take a lot of the stress out of your wedding. Sure, you have to decide on the menu, try the food, and pay the bill, but everything else is taken care of for you. All you’ll have to do the day of is walk into the reception hall and be served.

A catering company is also likely to be flexible in terms of creating the food you want at your wedding and you’ll likely also save time and money — you don’t have to make the food, nor do you have to buy all the ingredients and/or equipment needed to prepare and serve it.

And, you know that the food for your wedding party is left in the hands of professionals, who can offer a huge amount of experience to making sure the food at your wedding is top notch.

What Should I Think About With an Open Bar at My Wedding?

A bar can add another personal touch to your wedding, as 20% of couples are now selecting cocktails that show their personalities to be served at the wedding reception. However, keep in mind that about 20 to 25% of the average catering bill will go to alcohol if you go for an open bar reception. People are not shy about taking advantage of an open bar — and of course you want them to have a good time! It will, however, be an expense. Consider having an open bar for a limited amount of time — perhaps around 10 pm or so, switch to a cash bar, for example.

You can also customize your open bar. It can be a beer and wine only open bar or a full-service open bar. A truly customized open bar — one serving a select number of cocktails you’ve chosen or a certain type of wine or beer — can help add to the overall flair of your wedding and showcase your taste as a couple.

Keep in mind that if there’s no tip jar for the bartenders out on the bar, make sure that you tip them a significant amount at the end of the event to further compensate them for their work over the course of the evening.

What Should I Be Aware Of When Hiring Catering Companies?
You should know your budget for catering companies before you even start looking. That will help you narrow your search and will allow them to tailor what services they offer right up front. Don’t be afraid to get a number of different quotes from other catering companies to compare prices, services, and food. Make sure you’re keeping alcohol in mind as well, as you’re considering proposals. Check in to see if they provide linens and dinnerware as well.

You should also taste test at a few different catering companies to see what you like the best and don’t be shy about reading reviews. Be sure to review the contract carefully before signing — all that fine print can be a slog, but it’s well worth it, to make sure you know exactly what you’re paying for.

Tasty and aesthetically pleasing food that will appeal to guests isn’t hard to come by. With a little research and help from a catering company, you can serve you and your guests a wedding meal to remember!