What Your Catering Company Wants You to Know

Your wedding guests are undoubtedly attending your wedding to witness and celebrate the love between you and your fiance. Nevertheless, and I hope this doesn't come as a surprise to you, but your guests are also realllllly looking forward to the food and alcohol that will be served at your reception. In fact, all of those things that you have planned down to the very last detail to make your day perfect will be overlooked if the food and beverage expectations are not met. 

When guests are surveyed about what they remember or didn't like about someone's wedding, it almost always comes down to the dinner and the bar. Frequent complaints usually include the time gap between the ceremony and reception, a late or disorganized dinner, poor food quality, and especially, no hosted bar or open bar. You could have imported rare and exotic flowers from Fiji for your centerpieces, but if guests have to sit around for three hours waiting for a less-than-amazing meal, unfortunately, that's all they will walk away remembering from your reception.

That can feel like an awful lot of pressure when it comes to choosing the right venue or catering company to deliver a flawless dinner and reception that impresses your guests from start to finish. Selecting the catering company that sincerely values guest satisfaction just as much as you, the bride, does is imperative. WeddingDay spoke with Vince Early, director of sales at Thomas Caterers of Distinction, a nationally recognized catering company out of Indianapolis, about what it takes to achieve excellence when it comes to the food and drink part of your wedding. Vince offers much-needed insight on how to work with your caterer to design and execute an impeccable menu and reception.

WeddingDay: What is one thing that brides don't realize about their catering company or catering contract?

Vince: We are truly on your side. Yes, this is our job and there are many more fees that our company is responsible for than what meets the eye, but equally so, we understand that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event for you. We want to ensure that your event is everything that you envisioned and even more. After all, that’s why we are in the business. Plus, most of them don’t realize how much caterers really do at the receptions.  From set up to tear down, we stay the entire time.

Concerning the contract, they should be aware that the cost on a contract is an estimate and the final invoice will reflect the decisions they make as far as what they decide in terms of food and décor. This, as well as the guest count, will determine if the price could go up or down. There is no way to have final numbers on the contract when it is booked so far out.   They also don’t always pay attention to how much responsibility they are taking on.  They are making a promise to us too that they will be responsible for their guests.  They also are agreeing to hit our deadlines. Some couples are better at that than others.

WeddingDay: Which do you prefer: buffets or plated meals?

Vince: Plated Meals. Your guests’ experiences are very important to us. In offering a plated meal, we have the ability to control the flow of your event throughout the dinner hour. To a seasoned professional, the benefits are limitless. Faster service, a prettier plate, hotter food and less waste are listed among our favorites. As an added bonus, less waste equals a lower price tag.

You have many guests who don’t attend events like a high-end wedding reception.  They aren’t sure what to do and when, so a plated meal gives the event great structure. It is the best way to ensure that the guests are where they need to be and doing what they need to be doing at the correct times for everything to flow the way the bride and groom want it to.  It also gives the guests a more formal dinner with service and being “catered” to instead of a serve-yourself feel.

WeddingDay: How should brides + grooms prepare for a wedding tasting?

Vince: Tastings are a fun part of planning a reception so they should have a good time. Relax and enjoy the process. They should talk about the service style and food selections that they think would go well with the guests attending.  They also need to discuss the “feel” of the event. What will reflect who they are?

And it is a huge benefit to give some thought to the big picture. Have an idea of the floor layout you would like, what kind of head table, when you would like to do formalities (toasts, dances, cake cutting, etc.). Communicate with your vendors on what needs they may need from the caterer in terms of food and beverage. Have as many details decided on prior to the tasting so that you can finalize as much as possible that day. That way, a lot of things can be checked off the “to do” list and you can feel more relaxed.

WeddingDay: What is one question that brides should ask their catering company? 

Vince: What sets your catering business apart from other catering companies? Often we are asked to match or even beat our competitors’ pricing. This isn’t always feasible as we offer completely different products. Yes, a steak is steak and potatoes are potatoes, but take Applebee’s and Ruth's Chris for example. The quality, presentation and service of what they are offering are completely different. If you went out to dinner, you wouldn’t expect similar price tags at each restaurant. The same holds true in the catering world. 

Also, from a design standpoint, how can you create a menu that reflects my fiance and I? How can the food be personalized to echo who we are together?

Are there any fees or charges that will come later on in the planning process?  We itemize things out so that clients see the charge for everything right off of the bat, but some catering companies have surprise fees that come out later on.

WeddingDay: What is one trend you've seen in catering this year or predict for next year?

Vince: This year seemed to be all about creating small plates at action stations. This service style makes for a more relaxed feel for your reception while still offering a polished look for your reception. This also gives the design team a lot of latitude to match the look and feel of the event space. We have used that to give the event a more personal touch.

In the coming months, I see a combination of service styles incorporated in a meal.  For example: Family-style salad//Plated entrée//Displayed desserts or cake.

And not just cakes, but alternative desserts, especially in the form of dessert display tables.  The grab-and-go dessert stations have been very popular this year consisting of everything from donuts to pies of every size as well as hand-made candies, some of which are savory instead of just sweet.

WeddingDay: What is the most popular catering item on your menu?

Vince: Candied Bacon spoon with a cheese Fritta.  It’s a beautiful passed hors d’ouerve that so many guests love.

If you are interested, you may also check wedding catering jobs on Jooble.