Hiring outside caterers

Use a caterer who has cooked in your chosen venue before or , in the case of an at home wedding, one who is reccommended to you. Other suppliers, such as photographer and florist, work closely with caterers and private dining companies and may be able to offer a reccommendation. Always see more than one company and ask for testionials and a menu tasting. You will need to have an idea of guest numbers and the style of meal you'd like to offer.

If you are constructing a temporary kitchen, adjacent to a marquee for example, be realistic about what can be achieved in it. A six course meal for two hundred guests is not a viable option for a chef working in a small area with limited catering equipment. Consider too that the more complicated the meal, the more equipment you'll need to hire, which adds to the costs. Also, temporary kitchens do not have the same facilities as purpose-built ones, such as large warming plates to get the food out piping-hot. An option when you want a marquee wedding dinner for large numbers of guests is to create a menu that requires little pre-plating in the kitchen. This also reduces the number of waiting staff required and therefore staff costs. We can for example serve joints of beef or lamb, individual Beef Wellingtons or salmon-en-croute to each table. In this case one guest at each table could be allocated as carver and provided with a chef's hat (search on-line for reasonably priced linen aprons and paper chef's hats). This also breaks the ice and encourages cross table talk. If the idea appeals to you, than ask your caterer what other similar dishes could be served at the table.

When hiring outside caterers, etsablish exactly what is and isn't included in the price. The majority offer a flexible service allowing you to tailor-make your event. Most provide the cooking and catering equipment, crockery, linens and glasses. But many will require you to source and hire tables and chairs. Ask if waiting staff costs are included and whether they can provide chiling equipment and ice. Companies have different ways of charging, so you need all the information up front in order to make a like-for-like cost comparison. As already stated, corkage will make a significant difference to the overall catering costs, so establish early-on if there is a charge and what it is.

An important consideration when hiring crockery ans glasses is whether you can return them unwashed. Always go for this option if catering at home, because it will only be a few cents more per item. Also establish that your caterer will lay and clear tables and pack the dirty crockery and linens after the event. It's worth paying extra for them to do so because it's hard and time-consuming work. When hiring furniture and linens ensure the cloths are larger than the tables and the same shape. Always place a lining cloth on each table that reaches almost to the floor. Remember to order a smaller table and cloth for the wedding cake. Don't lay tables up in a marquee the day before an event in damp or cold weather because linens will crease. If the budget allows, hire linen napkins.