There are more considerations to make than just the taste of their food (although that is very important) when your goal is hiring the perfect caterer. You’ll want to think out the entire experience. Here are some things to think about when you’re meeting with your top choices.
What style of food, service, and degree of formality are you looking for and what caterer is best suited to ensure that your vision is a success? Let’s work on hiring the perfect caterer!
FORMALITY OF YOUR EVENT
A multi-course plated dinner tends to be the most refined guest experience, but it also is the most expensive due to rentals, additional staffing requirements, and bigger food components. Not all catering companies are experienced in plated meals, as it takes a lot of staff and planning to ensure that the meal arrives to your guest warm – make sure you hire a capable caterer, or your wedding dinner could be a disaster.
Choosing a buffet or stations can deliver a more casual feel. Find a caterer that can not only create a unique culinary experience within your stations or buffet but also can set the food tables to be just as beautiful as your guest tables. Buffet and stations allow you to save on the extra service staff and rentals that is needed for a plated meal.
Passed hors d’oeuvres are the go-to for a mingling cocktail party. While servers are needed the evening of the wedding to pass the food or set up displays, most of the work lies in the prepping. Imagine making hundreds of the same small bites – or for heavy hors d’oeuvres (which is to appease a full dinner appetite) imagine being in the count of thousands of pieces. If you are looking for stylish bites, that are as appealing to the eye as they are to eat, make sure you find a caterer with the creative capacity to turn food into art.
BUDGET
What portion of your overall budget do you have set aside for catering? Hiring a catering company is more than just about the food. They’ll also be providing service staff, chefs, and several of your rentals (tablecloths, plates, utensils, glassware, barware, etc.). It’s important that your budget reflects room for the extra items needed to service the food at your wedding.
ADAPTABILITY
Caterers are in the service industry and take it very seriously. From professionally trained chefs, experienced wedding planners, friendly service staff and bartenders, a good catering company can execute all the moving parts with ease. Unexpected things can happen at events, it’s how your catering staff handles them behind the scenes that counts! Look for caterers with experience, strong relationships with your vendors and cool under pressure attitudes. A strong team works together so you enjoy the day.
If you’re still on your mission of hiring the perfect caterer and still have questions, you can join the Kansas City Wedding Collective group on Facebook and get connected with other brides and vendors that can help you along the way.
Marisa Roberts
COMPANY: Olive Events
Marisa is the proud owner of Olive Events. Along with her team, Olive Events emphasizes creative American cuisine, impeccable service, and innovative event concepts that set the mood and spirit for memorable events. They offer everything from hors d’oeuvres to plated meals and have continuously been voted as the best in Kansas City. To read their story or get menu inspiration, visit oliveeventscatering.com
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