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Stony Point Hall
Choosing Your Catering
Whether you are serving a full meal or finger foods, hiring a caterer can save a great deal of time and stress. The food at your wedding is important, so you will want to take some time making this important choice. Catering is available from dedicated caterers, restaurants and some grocery stores. Weighing your options must take into consideration menu choices, budget and availability.
Taste testing is key, and frankly a lot of fun. We do not recommend hiring a caterer whose food you have not tried. Restaurants are easy – find out what they offer on their catering menu, go to the restaurant and give it a try. With caterers you typically will have to arrange a taste testing. Some do private tastings and others due regular tasting groups. Expect setting up a taste testing to take a bit of time to arrange.
As you narrow down your options, be sure to ask the critical questions. What services and equipment are included? Do they offer any guarantees? What is the timeline for guest count? What is the price per guest, and are there any general fees like delivery/setup or tips charged? Be sure to get a detailed, written quote that covers all of these details in writing. Some key points to discuss with your caterer are
• How many staff will they provide, and are they enough to meet your needs? Some caterers may just drop off the food and you will need volunteers to serve and clean up. Others may offer full staffing. Understand what is being offered.
• Do they offer any services besides serving the food, like clearing tables or keeping drink stations filled and cleaned? Dinner is not just about putting food on the table, there are a lot of other duties that need to be tended to. Who will do that?
• How will they ensure enough food is provided? Do they have a contingency plan if something runs out? A good caterer will have all this covered, their answers will tell you if they are indeed a good caterer.
• How are leftovers handled? Do they wrap and store them for you, simply cover them
and put them in the refrigerator or take them when they leave? If you don’t want to keep any leftovers, do they have a donation option? If the point above is covered there will be leftovers, what do you plan to do with them?
• What service ware are they providing – plates, tableware, salt & pepper shakers, all of this has to be provided. The more your caterer takes care of the less you have to worry about. Also check their options, many caterers have tiers of service ware available.
Catering is typically the largest expense of a wedding. Take your time to understand what you need and shop around for the caterer that best meets your needs for food, service and price. It will be time well spent.
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