Questions to Ask Your Wedding Caterer
Planning a wedding can be daunting and stressful, in particular finding the right caterer. Your wedding caterer should do far more than just preparing your wedding menu, but what do you look for when hiring a wedding caterer in Adelaide? Below are some questions that can help you find the right wedding caterer in Adelaide.
Does the wedding caterer have a license?
This obviously is important because it means the caterer has met local health department standards and has liability insurance. Also make sure they have has a liquor license. Anyone serving alcohol needs to have insurance. If your guests leave your wedding after injure themselves because of alcohol consumption you can be held responsible. Liquor liability insurance will minimise this if it happens.
Has the wedding caterer references from previous customers?
References can help with the wedding caterers previous experience. Get at least two references.
Is the wedding caterer working any other weddings or events on the same weekend or same day?
Sounds like a silly question, but sometimes caterers will book two or more events on the same day. This shouldn’t influence you not to use them but you want to be sure that if the caterer does have another wedding that yours will get the staff and attention it needs.
Does the wedding caterer specialise in different types of food, such as organic or locally sourced or gluten-free?
If you have a particular cuisine in mind, use a caterer who specialises in that. Not only will they have the right experience but the caterer will also know how to prepare the food, thus meaning better results. Let’s face it, asking a Indian chef to create a Greek menu isn’t going to end well.
Does the wedding caterer come with full service?
This means that the wedding caterer (in addition to food preparation) will handle everything from the setting the tables to bar service and even cleaning up. If it isn’t a full service, then you’ll have to find and pay additional costs.
When does the wedding caterer need your final menu?
Your wedding caterer needs to know your menu choices by a particular date so they’ll have everything ready to go for the day. This means you should decide on your RSVP date based on your caterer which will need a final head count.
Can the wedding caterer prepare vegetarian, gluten-free or halal meals for some guests, if so are there an additional costs?
A caterer may be willing to work with special dietary restrictions, but it could mean additional costs. If offering a special meal to certain family and friends is important to you, but the caterer’s fees are hefty, you might have to find room from elsewhere in your budget or look for another caterer.
Does the wedding caterer offer tastings before they are selected?
You need to taste the food by the wedding caterer yourself just to be sure. Do it beforehand — it allows you to make an decision and prevent you from getting locked in with a caterer you don’t like. Most caterers offer this, so don’t feel silly asking.
Will the wedding caterer provide waiters? How many are included and what’s the fee for additional waiters?
Most wedding caterers will use their own staff, even if the wedding venue has staff available, this is because they know the ins and outs of how the business operates, so they’re able to provide a better stress-free service.
How much time will the wedding caterer need to set up? When will the caterer need access to the wedding venue?
These details are pretty important in order to coordinate with your wedding venue and determine a time when your wedding caterer can start setting up. Something else you need to know how much time will the caterer need for cleanup, because some venues have restrictions on how late staff can stay after hours. Not all caterers will include setup and breakdown in their pricing, and this means you’ll have to pay the wedding venue or the caterer extra.
Where will the wedding caterer prepare the food? Are there on-site facilities or will the caterer need to make additional arrangements with the venue?
If the wedding caterer has to bring their own equipment there may be an additional costs. So make sure you know what type of facilities your wedding venue has.
Does the wedding caterer have extra charges?
Any extra charges from the wedding caterer are going to affect your budget, so it’s best to know ahead of time just incase.
