While some vendors like photographers, venue, and planner are often the first on your list of wedding professionals to book, caterers should be near the top of your list-- after all, they're responsible for a huge portion of your wedding day and wedding budget! If you're planning on feeding your guests-- whether with canapes and cocktails or a full sit-down dinner and dessert-- finding the right caterer for your wedding style and your personality is one of the most important parts of your planning to-do list.
But how do you find the caterer of your dreams? A few tips to get you started:
1. Ask around-- or be inspired.
Word of mouth is a common way for brides to connect with caterers, but what if you're planning a destination wedding? A new way brides are finding caterers is through styled shoots and real wedding features in magazines or on blogs! If you see a wedding reception that inspires you, take a peek at the vendor credits at the end of a post or article and take note of who the caterer is.
2. Check with your venue first.
Some venues have a list of approved vendors they require their brides to work with-- before you sit down with a caterer, make sure they're on that list! It's important for vendors and venues to sync up, especially when it comes to finding space and equipment for cooking and prepping food!
3. Consider working with a planner.
The Catering Outfit likes to recommend that all their brides work with a planner, even just a Day of Coordinator-- a planner will relieve much of the "wedding planning stress" and help to smoothly execute a flawless wedding day! A planner will also have a handful of favorite caterers they've worked successfully with and will be able to point you in the right direction when you start your caterer search!
4. It's all about personality.
If you thought finding the right One for you was hard... we promise finding the right caterer won't be as taxing! But working with a caterer who shares the same passion and energy you and your groom share is important too. Some caterers are large operations with several point people for you to work with, while others (like The Catering Outfit) are more intimate teams. The people you work with to plan your menu will be the same ones whipping up your meals on your wedding day!
Kelsey Carter, director of catering for The Catering Outfit, says, "It’s all about personalities! We want to create something beautiful and unique and the couples that come to us with an awesome vision and creative ideas are the ones we truly connect with. We custom design every single menu so it’s awesome when couples or event planners come to us with some whimsical ideas that we get to give life to."
5. Book early!
As soon as you book your venue and wedding planner, focus on your caterer. Caterers are being booked earlier and earlier in the planning process and for good reason: the process of having consultations, menu planning, tastings, and making final tweaks to a menu happens throughout your entire engagement-- getting this key vendor in place early will check off a major part of your planning to-do list!
Happy Planning!
