Tips & Tricks for your Wedding Catering

Organizing your thoughts, ideas and budget for your wedding reception is a must. You want to start meeting with caterers as soon as possible, as some of the best caterers can be booked up to a year in advance. A lot of venues have their own catering so make sure to check with your reception venue about it, especially if your venue doesn't allow outside catering companies. You'll spend more money on food and your reception than on any other aspect of your wedding, so you want to be certain you are working with a professional who sees eye-to-eye with you and your wedding plans.

The most common reception meal is a dinner reception but you aren't limited to that. A brunch or breakfast style will cost less, and tea or cocktails are quite stylish. What kind of style is your wedding? Formal or casual? Use your wedding theme to decide what type of service and meal plan you want. You can do simple cocktails and hors d'oeurvres, a seated meal or buffet style.

For the food itself, let your mind and taste buds control here (with reference to your budget of course!). Seasonal items are always cheaper but you can do an exotic meal plan with some ethnic flair.

Consider your guests' needs and preferences as well. A large roast beef may cause you to start drooling but your guests should be top priority. Think about vegetarian, kosher or allergies when coming up with your meal plan.

Make sure to keep a list of other items you might want to include. Is a beautiful ice sculpture for the middle of the table in your plans? Or do you want your grandmother to make her famous nut-fudge brownies? Discuss these options when meeting with your caterer. Dessert is always a nice treat for guests. Will the wedding cake suffice or do you want so other pastries and treats for your guests to nibble on?

Alcohol is always a big factor at weddings. You can have a full bar, beer and wine only, or just a champagne toast. Whatever you decide, make sure you have this firmly in place when talking with your caterer. Cash bars are a hot topic as well. If you don't feel right about charging people for drinks, you can simply do a toonie bar to cover the alcohol costs and donate the money to you and your fiancé's charity of choice.

When you set up your appointments to meet with prospective caterers try to make sure tasting is included in the meeting. Have the caterer bring sample menus for you to review and how involved are they with the reception. What is the average cost and how do they figure it out? Is it based on the food you choose or is there an all-inclusive rate? Don't forget to check about taxes and gratuities and you should be able to get a price list from them.

You want the person you meet with to be the same person you have contact with throughout the entire planning stage, as well as your contact for the actual wedding day. Does the caterer handle the place settings, the place cards and favours? What about wait staff and clearing the food? Where will the food be prepared? Is there on on-site location or will you need to make additional arrangements with the site manager?

These are just some points and questions to think about when planning your catering. Make sure you have a complete list of all your questions when you start meeting with caterers. This is your day and the food is a major part of it. Happy Tasting!