Check out this article on choosing the best wedding catering services as well as wedding furniture hire for your special day.
When it comes to your wedding, the chances are that catering will be high on your list of priorities to organise. Why? Simply because the wedding breakfast is a highlight of any wedding reception, and so you’ll want to get it right. We understand that wedding furniture hire, wedding equipment hire and other elements of your planning won’t rank as highly in your priority list, and so let’s take a look at how you hire the best catering services for your wedding.
We’d suggest that you take a look at our suggestions below, which should help you when the time comes.
Define your style
We don’t all like the same things. When it comes to catering for your wedding, whilst you need to cater for the majority of your guests, remember that (a) you want to have some personal touches within your menu offering, and (b) you will need to ensure that you are catering for the specific dietary requirements of some of your guests, such as vegans, vegetarians and those with allergies to certain ingredients, for instance. You will need to ensure that the wedding company you choose is able to be flexible with their menu, so that they can accommodate all these requirements.
Work local!
We all know that it’s important to work locally and support local businesses, but there’s certainly an element of cost saving in here as well. Any caterer will build into their quote the transport charges to and from the event. So, if your favourite wedding caterer is based in London, but your wedding is in Manchester, then you might want to think carefully about this!
Ask for recommendations
There’s no better form of advertising than word of mouth, so ask friends and family members if they can tell you about their experiences with wedding caterers – it’s amazing, as everyone will have an opinion! Think of friends who have recently got married and approach them to find out who they used. Also, approach your preferred wedding venue, as some will have exclusive wedding caterers who they work with at the venue. You may or may not HAVE to use these caterers, so ask well in advance.
Work within budget
Your wedding caterer of choice needs to work within budget. Yes, we all have budgets to work to, and it’s important that you calculate your budget, and stick to it. Hopefully, there won’t be a load of hidden costs associated with your wedding catering that you haven’t accounted for, so make sure you ask the right questions! Does the caterer need you to organise extra wedding catering equipment hire for them, or do they supply everything themselves? And what about wedding furniture hire? Do they supply the tables and chairs? And the linen such as tablecloths, napkins and table runners? Never assume anything!
Build a relationship, early!
And last, but by no means least, build a relationship. Whether it’s visiting the caterer’s premises for a food tasting in advance, or perhaps doing a joint site visit, there’s no substitute for a great relationship with your suppliers. You’ll never cease to be amazed at how this will help you, especially when you need something at the last minute, want to make a small change or when things don’t go 100% according to plan.
So, hopefully, these tips will help you when the time comes for you to choose the best catering services for your wedding. In the meantime, all that is left is to do is for us to wish you CONGRATULATIONS, in advance!
