45 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Caterer

The Essentials

• Is my wedding date available?
• How many weddings will you cater for on that day?
• Have you worked at my venue before?
• Do I need to acquire a special food/alcohol/event permit for my venue and can you assist? (This question is important if you’re choosing to have your wedding at home or in a private estate that isn’t an event venue).
• How many weddings do you cater for each year?
• How long have you been catering for?
• Can I see your license/permit/insurance?

Food + Service

• What kind of cuisine do you specialise in?
• Can we create menus with you or are there set menus to choose from?
• How do you do food tastings – private, at our home, in groups?
• Will you be there on our day, or will you have a designated coordinator?
• Will you provide the necessary waiting staff? If so, what is the ratio of staff to guests?
• What will the waiting staff wear?
• Can we work with you on our schedule or do you have your own we need to follow?
• Do you provide the tableware, linens and chairs? If so what are our options?
• Are you happy for us to hire in our own tableware, linens and chairs?
• Will your team be responsible for setting the tables (Think about who will place your favours, light the candles, add the table numbers and place-cards etc).
• Can you provide menus for children/guests with dietary requirements/on-the-day suppliers?
• When do we need to confirm menus by prior to the wedding?
• When do we need to confirm guest numbers by prior to the wedding?
• What brands of water/tea/coffee do you use and can we specify?
• Can I see pictures of previous weddings you’ve catered for?
• What happens to the leftover food? What are the options for leftover food?
• What information do you need from me before the wedding day?
• Are you responsible for the clean-up and returning the venue?

The Money Stuff

• Do you work on a set fee or a cost per head?
• What is your average cost per head?
• Do you charge for food tastings or is this part of the price?
• What does your price include? (Think about VAT, gratuity, hire of tableware, linens and chairs, refreshments for guests such as water, tea and coffee).
• How much do additional meals cost for your on-the-day suppliers?
• Are there additional costs for guests with dietary requirements?
• How much do you charge for children’s meals?
• If we use our choice of cake-maker, do you charge a cake-cutting fee?
• What are your payment terms?
• How much of a deposit is required?

Alcohol

• Do you provide alcohol or can we bring in our own?
• What brands of alcohol do you serve?
• Can you guide us on quantities per head?
• Can you create signature cocktails? If so, is there an additional charge?
• Can we use other suppliers during the reception? (If you would like to bring in a separate bar supplier such as a Prosecco van or gin specialists, then check this is OK with the venue and the caterer, there may be an additional fee).
• Will your staff serve alcohol during the wedding breakfast?
• Will you provide bartenders for the evening reception?
• Do you include a Champagne toast?
• Are we charged for the number of bottles ordered, or the number of bottles opened?
• Can you operate a cash bar?