Understanding Your Wedding Catering Options
As much as brides plan their weddings down to the detail, the main thing that guests remember for years to come is the food. They might not remember every single detail about the food served at your wedding, but they'll remember if they felt satisfied or hungry, and if the food was good or bad. So it's safe to say that the one thing you can do to provide a great wedding experience is feed your guests well. The best way to do that is hire a caterer. But if you've never worked with a caterer before, here are a few things to understand before you meet with one.
Catering Considerations
Your caterer can make any of your catering dreams come true. But you need to provide specific parameters for them to work within. For example, you'll need to know the answers to the following questions:
- Is the event in the morning or evening, and how long will it last? You will have to plan more hors d'ouevres and a main course if it lasts into the night.
- What season do you plan to get married in? The caterer can plan a seasonal menu accordingly.
- How many people do you expect to attend? It's important to get a good idea of headcount with RSVPs before finalizing numbers with the caterer.
- What is the tone or theme of the wedding? Food can complement a wedding's theme if planned correctly.
How Much to Feed One Person
In order to feed each guest properly during your wedding, you'll need to multiply your guest list by the amount of food expected for one serving of food. For a dinner event, this includes at least 4 hors d'ouevres, 7 ounces of protein, 8 ounces of side dishes, one piece of bread, a dessert, one non-alcoholic beverage, and one cup of coffee. You should also decide if you're going to have an open or closed bar, or no bar at all. Factor in 2-3 open bar drinks per person. You can use this estimate of food to determine how big your food budget needs to be.
Ideas for Hors D'ouevres
Now that you know which catering questions to be prepared for, and how to determine an amount of food, it's time for the fun part! It makes a great statement to provide one or two signature canapes. You can serve a miniature gourmet cheeseburger bite on decorative toothpicks. Miniature grilled cheese bites with tomato soup shooters put an elegant twist on comfort food. Or individual stemmed chocolate covered cherries give off a romantic vibe.
Whatever you choose to go with at your catered wedding, understanding these considerations before meeting with a caterer will help your first meeting go spectacularly. Go to sites locally to find the right caterer for your wedding.