People plan their wedding anywhere from 1-2 years in advance. Many couples are comfortable with “seat-of-the-pants” planning. Then there are the uber-detailed planners. Notes, folders and pics abound! The perfect planning process lies somewhere in the middle.

There is a guideline that projects that roughly 20% of the number of guests invited will not attend. If you invite 150 guests, anticipate a final headcount of approximately 120. Work with a caterer willing to initially contract for a conservative guaranteed minimum and then allows you to increase the headcount up to 14 days in advance.

Having an idea of your overall budget is crucial prior to starting wedding planning. I often get the question, “What does it cost to cater a wedding?” That is like asking, “What does a car cost?” There simply is no one-size-fits-all amount. The question is truly irrelevant. Decide how much you are able to invest in your wedding, and then plan accordingly.

In the initial conversation with our clients, we ask that they give us a range of investment exclusive of the facility fee. This is not so that we base our estimates on the top of the range, as is often a concern. Rather, it is to honor their range to the best of our ability. Once we know what they’d like to invest, event time of day, estimated number of guests, food preferences and bar preferences, we’ll determine if the investment range is commensurate/realistic with the budget. If not, we are candid and will certainly try to adjust expectations with cost realities. Every client makes concessions!!!

Note: The cost for tents and other rentals ideally is determined after the meal is well fleshed out. That is because what will need to be rented will be contingent upon what is included in the venue rental fee and what is being served. Required rentals are often costly and potentially may cause other budgeted items to be reevaluated.

It is important to know where the wedding will be held before speaking with caterers. Knowing your sites’ requirements helps you to be more informed decision makers. You and your potential caterer might spend a great deal of time coming up with a perfect menu only to find that you ultimately choose a site that will not allow you to hire that caterer.

If you are going to a full-service venue (everything is done and provided in one place,) you will still have to provide other items that are not included or result in additional fees. Examples: Linens/China/Glassware/Coffee Pots/Chest Coolers for the Bar/Kitchen Equipment, etc. The advantage to one-stop shopping is fewer planning decisions. The downside is that it is typically costlier and there is less opportunity for creativity and self-expression in menu, set-up, decorating, etc. You are given a package of options, and any changes are ala carte and charged at a premium.

If you go with a private venue that allows caterers to be brought in, the site will have specific rules/requirements for that caterer to honor. It is wise to determine those requirements in advance. When choosing a caterer, you may determine quickly if the caterer is able to meet the requirements.

Some venues will allow caterers in, but only those from their preferred list. That venue is most likely getting a referral fee from that caterer. That is certainly an acceptable arrangement but should be disclosed to you.

NOTE: It is our experience that most venues will allow a new caterer to work at the facility as long as they meet the venue’s insurance requirements, have excellent testimonials and are willing to visit the site for a walk-through. Ask the venue coordinator if they are flexible provided those conditions are met. Venues do not want to lose a rental and will often consider “outside” caterers. Experienced caterers will work in any environment. Not having worked at a site before is no impediment to doing so successfully!

Our initial consultation with a client is done in a phone chat. It makes no sense to send a client a proposed menu if we are not familiar with their preferences! What we think will appeal in a “cookie-cutter” menu is irrelevant. 99% of the time, the client will see the proposal, think, I really don’t like these selections, and assume they need to move on! When we create a proposal, it truly represents and reflects what we heard from the client. It’s an initial proposal, but it is much closer to the finish line than bidding blind!

We love doing tastings. We have a tasting policy that is fair and equitable to all parties and is designed to separate “lookers” from motivated “buyers.” Tastings are time-consuming and costly if done correctly. We are delighted to share our tasting policy with prospects right up front!

We do not bundle our products. We never approach the event as an “all-or-none” proposition. Bundling benefits the bundler and not the client. We want our clients to be able to make well-informed decisions. To achieve this, we break out all the components of the proposal: food, staff, rentals, alcohol, bartending, gratuity, etc. There are no hidden costs!

We have partnerships with outstanding vendors: rentals, flowers, entertainment, etc. THERE IS NO OBLIGATION TO USE OUR SUGGESTED VENDORS. We are happy to work with any vendor. However, when you provide a vendor with dozens and dozens of events annually, they tend to treat your clients with “kid gloves.” If the clients want to move forward with one of our partners, we assist with the arrangements.

With the gorgeous upscale disposables being made today, using them may be a wonderful way to save a considerable amount of money over renting. With a typical wedding headcount of 90-100 guests, the number of dishes/glasses/utensils used is astounding. The rentals need to be bused, scraped, rinsed and re-stacked for return. That may require an extra staff. We purchase lovely disposables in bulk and sell them to our clients at little over our cost. Many of the disposables are environmentally friendly!