Contrary to what one would like to think, the guests do not come to admire your incredible Calais lace wedding dress or the perfect gradient of flowers of your bridal bouquet . No, what they look forward to is the wine of honor, the cascade of champagne, the tasty petits fours and of course, the dinner, which also occupies most of the evening.
Aside from, perhaps, the wedding DJ , it is obviously above that largely relies the success of the D-day , placing the choice of caterer at the top of your priorities. A short guide to choose it without making a mistake or getting tired.
1. Choose a menu that makes you want
Your sister-in-law is allergic to gluten, your vegan bridesmaid and your mother swears by kale ? To hell with the manias and eating disorders of each, what matters is what you want, and incidentally your future husband. A lobster-foie gras-caviar menu worthy of Fouquet's ? A buffet around the flavors of the world? A bar to suhis ? A giant tartiflette? Once your desire is defined, the choice of caterer will be easier.
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2. Set a budget
We are not going to lie to you: a wedding caterer is expensive. So set your maximum budget and go to the quest of the caterer who will respect it, preferably 8 months minimum before the date fateful. On average, the French provide 40 € per person, with a hundred guests. You should also know that we tend to exceed 10 to 20% of the budget, but also to see some of his guests cancel at the last minute. All you have to do is make your calculations.
3. Have him questioned
Because bad surprises are never welcome, do not hesitate to bombard your suitors with questions about their experience, how they cook, their team, but also about more practical details. Is the price of the service included? If so, until what time? Can we change the number of guests without supplement? So many small areas of darkness that can sometimes hide important expenses of money.
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4. Ask for a quote
Once the questioning is over, ask the identified caterers to prepare a quote, just to scrutinize the amount of their benefits for food, drinks, but also staff and equipment. Keep in mind that absolutely must be mentioned, cocktail shrimp cocktail reception with mini macaroons of gourmet coffee, through the number of servers, the type of dishes provided or the corkage.
We also think about the cost of delivery, travel, installation of the buffet or overtime costs. Do not forget to read the Times New Roman size 7 entries that most often include the terms of payment, cancellation and refund. We are never immune to a change of heart.
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5. Ask for a test dinner
A good dinner is better than nice promises. Before signing the final quote, ask to taste the proposed menu story not to spend your wedding drinking a bad champagne or stringy meat. This will also allow you to adjust your menu, some associations of theoretical flavors hardly passing the test of practice. Once your choices are defined, the caterer will establish the final quote and you will only have to decide ... and negotiate!
