Six Important Wedding Catering Considerations For Event Planning

BBQ catering is great for informal dining but you might want to consider some other alternatives when planning wedding catering. There are many considerations that should go into the catering selection for a wedding, and not all of them revolve around the kind of food you have.

Here are six determining factors that have a bearing on your selection of the caterer and the food you will serve at a wedding event.

1. Budget - As much as it hurts to think about it, a wedding is a very expensive event. By the time everything is budgeted, the amount available to be spent on food might not be that much per guest. Unless you have unlimited funds, the bottom line is a matter that must be dealt with.

2. Caterer's recommendation - Once you have selected the caterer for the event, find out what their suggestions are. If you decide on the type of food you are going to have before you select the caterer, you may be limited as to what cuisine you can expect. If your caterers have sufficient experience, they will know the better choices to suggest.

3. Timing and location - A beach wedding held at dusk presents an entirely different situation than a ski resort wedding. The seasons and location play a large part in the availability of some foods as well as the menus people might expect. Even though you do not have to follow the standards, things work out much better when you do.

4. Variety and desire - The two most important people at the wedding should have an input into the menu. It is their special day and the food should be something they enjoy. At any large gathering, there will be varying tastes allowing for diversification in the food. Some wedding planners actually ask the expected guests what they want based on limited choices so there is enough food without a great deal of waste.

If the caterers are known for some specialty that is based on a successful recipe, that usually makes a good addition. Something that is a little unusual, such as a unique dessert, adds to the enjoyment for everyone.

5. Consider it twice - When the menu is planned, and before it is set in stone, write it down and consider all the things that can go wrong if you stick with the selections you've made. Try to find any gaps in hors d'oeuvres and entrees. Ask the caterers if they see anything that does not make sense or if a menu item will be difficult to accomplish properly based on certain factors to do with time and place.

6. Taste test - No matter how good it looks in a picture or how great you are told it will be, you should have the caterers prepare a sampling of what they are to prepare for the wedding. You might want to have the bride and groom give their opinions as well. A good caterer should not take exception to a dry run, and it is for their own protection. A bad reputation in food preparation is the kiss of death in a caterer's line of work.