Not All Caterers Are Alike

It seems that over the last few weeks our Special Moments Event Planning team has seen social media posts and local discussions about the differences between caterers.

wedding dinner - working with wedding caterers- off premise catering for weddings

Unfortunately, in the world of weddings, the first question people ask is “how much?”.  It’s a good starting point as everyone has a budget they would like to work within. But it’s not the only question to ask.

 

Apples to Apples

One of the first differences people will notice when talking to caterers is pricing. We’re not talking the ‘how much”, but more about the what’s included.

Some caterers will offer clients a complete quote. This means that the pricing they share will typically include three components – food, staff, and rentals.

While others get you in the door by sharing a very low price, that typically is the price for your food and then staff and any rental items may be added in later.

Knowing what is included in your quote and what will be an additional cost, later on, helps you to compare apples to apples.

 

We Do Catering

More and more we are finding small restaurants and gourmet food shops offering catering. In their world that may mean that they offer large portions of food packages for your event.

While this may be awesome for a backyard bbq or corporate luncheon it rarely works well for a wedding reception.

Recently, our Special Moments Event Planning team heard a colleague in another market doing Wedding Day Management talking about a caterer for a large wedding.  The caterer, hired by the bride’s family, prepared and served food, but never cleared tables or cleaned up the kitchen or the venue after the wedding.

 

Off-Premise Caterers

As their name implies, off-premise caterers work remotely in social halls, historic sites, and homes all across the country.

Their business model requires that they come prepared to bring everything to you as most venues do not supply them with anything but space and maybe a small warming kitchen.

These companies bring their own serving equipment, staff, and are prepared to pack, haul and set up everything needed for your wedding day. Many are the exclusive or on a preferred vendor list at these venues and have proof of insurance available or already on file.

Because they are accustomed to catering for weddings, their staff understands the timing of service to accommodate things like toasts, special dances, and cake cutting.

 

Doing Your Homework

Our Special Moments Event Planning team has done our homework, we have researched the best of the best in the Tampa Bay region. We have tasted their food, worked with and have seen their teams in action at wedding industry events across the region.

We are here to help you compare apples to apples, talk to you about hidden costs and to make sure that you are trusting your wedding day to experienced off-premise caterers who will be a supportive part of your wedding day.

Be sure to talk to our Special Moments Event Planning team about your wedding day and the caterers you might be considering for your special occasion.

 

{featured image by Jasmine Baetzel for Delectables Fine Catering}

 

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