If you happen to be planning a special event, like a wedding, finding the right caterer is likely to make a huge amount of difference. It makes no difference if you are planning for a wedding, birthday, graduation, bar mitzvah, or anniversary – finding the perfect caterer will relieve you of a lot of pressure.
So, if you are thinking about booking a caterer for an upcoming event, there are a fair few factors for you to consider. This post will introduce you to a few great tips to ensure that you find the perfect caterer for your event or special occasion.
Compare
You should always be prepared to compare a number of different caterers before you decide on one particular service. To be honest, there are literally thousands of caterers for you to choose from, but this doesn’t mean they all have the same experience or offer the exact same service. You should be armed with a number of questions and never be afraid of delving a little deeper, and asking for recommendations or references.
You are in charge of creating a fantastic event and certainly don’t want to leave anything to chance. Therefore, you should ensure you have made the right choice of caterers before signing a contract or leaving a deposit.
Budget
It is more than likely that you have a very specific budget for your event and therefore you should keep this in mind when speaking to various caterers. In fact, if you haven’t yet decided on a budget yet, it is sensible to do this before you speak to anyone about the services they offer. This is probably one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to hiring caterers, as it can be extremely difficult to decide on a particular menu if you don’t know how much you have to spend. Many customers are completely at the mercy of catering companies by not setting an initial budget and this will simply see your costs increasing to possibly even more than you can afford.
Venue
Another important consideration before finally booking a caterer is a venue. Often, you will find that when you book a particular venue, they can provide caterers for you, although once again you should consider all the options available to you. Your choice of venue may also limit your choice of caterers, as many companies will only provide their services in specific locations. It is also likely that you will have access to many other services if you book a venue that is used to holding certain celebratory events, and this may include access to a bar, music and entertainment, etc.
One important consideration to your budget is to figure in the costs of hiring a specific venue. You may also find that if you require a caterer to an off-site venue, as in one they haven’t provided themselves, then there may be certain limitations to what is offered on the menu. The caterers will obviously need to consider preparation time and space, as well as coordinating how their menu will be presented to your guests. So, once you have a venue in mind, you will need to discuss these requirements with your caterer.
Laura Philips, the author of this post, is an avid blogger. She works for Prestige Catering and Event Hire, leading providers of wedding catering in Perth. She writes extensively on topics related to event management and weddings.
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