{"id":3493,"date":"2011-11-06T22:07:08","date_gmt":"2011-11-07T03:07:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/?p=3493"},"modified":"2014-03-28T11:19:36","modified_gmt":"2014-03-28T15:19:36","slug":"questions-to-ask-your-wedding-caterer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.topweddingsites.com\/wedding-blog\/wedding-planning\/questions-to-ask-your-wedding-caterer","title":{"rendered":"The 30 MUST-ASK Questions For Your Wedding Caterer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"questions

Congratulations! You’re getting married!\u00a0\u00a0 After you’ve set your wedding date, finding a place to hold your reception and speaking to a caterer is one of the very first things you should do. Many popular hotels and reception halls are booked well over a year in advance.\u00a0 Before you meet your caterer, you should have a list of questions prepared.<\/p>\n

Below is a guide to help you get started:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What are the menu selections?<\/li>\n
  2. Does wine come with the menu? Is there an extra fee for the wine?<\/li>\n
  3. Can we schedule a tasting and if so, when?<\/li>\n
  4. Is there a minimum that has to be spent?<\/li>\n
  5. What is your cancellation policy?<\/li>\n
  6. What is your payment schedule?<\/li>\n
  7. How many appetizers do you prepare per guest? What is your appetizer selection?<\/li>\n
  8. How many servers walk around to serve the appetizers?<\/li>\n
  9. Where will the cocktail hour be held? Will the bar remain open after the meal is served? Is there a fee for that?<\/li>\n
  10. How many people can each reception & Cocktail Hour table seat?<\/li>\n
  11. Is there a cake cutting fee? Do you provide the wedding cake?<\/li>\n
  12. Is the gratuity added on the bill? What additional fees are added on the bill? Is the gratuity amount subject to increase before the date of the event?<\/li>\n
  13. When do you need the final guest headcount?<\/li>\n
  14. Do you provide extra tables for gifts, guest name tags and the guest sign in book? If you are at a hotel, can the gifts be taken to our room for security purposes?<\/li>\n
  15. Do you provide all the napkins, tablecloths, tables, chairs, plates, silverware and glasses?<\/li>\n
  16. What color linens do you provide?<\/li>\n
  17. In what style are the diner napkins folded?<\/li>\n
  18. What time do you recommend serving the meal? What is a typical reception like? How does it flow?<\/li>\n
  19. Do you serve salads pre-set on the plate or are they served after guests are seated?<\/li>\n
  20. When do our meal selections have to be complete?<\/li>\n
  21. Can you handle additional meals such as a brunch the next morning for<\/li>\n
  22. out of town guests? If so, what is your brunch menu?<\/li>\n
  23. How many guests can the banquet hall accommodate?<\/li>\n
  24. Can you mail us a contract? When does it have to be signed and returned?<\/li>\n
  25. What deposit do we have to put down to hold our date?<\/li>\n
  26. Can you provide vegetarian or kosher meals if they are needed? Can you handle other special dietary requests?<\/li>\n
  27. If you are serving different entrees, how does the caterer determine which guest gets which entree?<\/li>\n
  28. Do you have a kids menu?<\/li>\n
  29. If you plan to have different stations like a pasta station or a prime rib station, is there a serving fee per station?<\/li>\n
  30. Are your evening prices more than your daytime prices?<\/li>\n
  31. Who will be in charge of my party and be my point of contact?<\/li>\n
  32. How far in advance of the event do you set up the dining room?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

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