Questions I Would Ask My Caterer If I Were Planning My Own Wedding—-And by the way…………I’m Not!
I’ve catered well over 10,000 weddings, and they go all the way back to 1968 when I ran the Officer’s Club at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Many thousands for sure.
I’ve catered in numerous Miami wedding venues, outdoor Miami wedding venues and so many wedding locations in Miami.
Although I’ve been happily married for 37 years and counting, have no wedding plans on the horizon, I’m putting myself in your shoes as a couple, and here’s what I would want to know?
- Does your price include everything, and will you guarantee me there will be no last-time surprises at your Miami wedding venue?
- I must come to see one of your weddings and promise to stay out of sight. If possible, can I sample some of the actual food being served at the wedding venue?
- Will you guarantee there will be no lines at the bar and that the wait for valet will be less than ten minutes?
- How will you assure me that your passed hors d’oeuvres will make the outskirts of the cocktail area rather than be devoured by my guests closest to the kitchen?
- Tell me about how you dish up the plated meal. What is your standard time from start to finish? How can you assure me that hot food will be served hot and cold food be served cold?
- Do you train your own staff, or do you rely on outside staffing agencies who may not live up to my standards?
What is your ratio for servers and bartenders per guest at your venue? - What is your ratio for servers and bartenders per guest at your venue?
- Tell me about your bread service. When, where, and how do you replenish? Same for wine and water at the table.
- When can I meet my event manager and event chef at my Miami wedding venues prior to the event to review details?
- How can you assure me that what I tasted at the tasting will be modified to my specs and served with our agreed-upon changes?
- What type of sparkling wine/champagne and house wine does your serve? Can I bring my own wine to your venue? What do you charge per person for corkage?
- How will you serve the onslaught of guests who attack the bar immediately after the ceremony? How will you serve guests cocktails quickly when they arrive by bus?
- Who are your favorite vendors to work with? Why? Should I work through you or go directly to them? Why?
These are great questions to start with which will lead to others. They will let your caterer know you know what you’re talking about. Use them wisely and hopefully with my firm, or one of my catering partners at our over 200 Miami wedding venues in Florida.
