How to Choose a Wedding Caterer

If you are recently engaged and starting the wedding planning process, you may be asking around about how to choose a wedding caterer. To help you simplify the process, we have put together some of the key questions to ask yourself while researching your options!

What are the qualities of a good wedding caterer?

For good quality food at your wedding, you need a caterer who uses good quality, fresh food – nothing that’s cooked from frozen! When choosing a wedding caterer, make sure to ask exactly when and where they’ll prepare your food. Will it be done on the morning of your big day at the venue or the day before? You want the freshest and best tasting food possible for your guests. Presentation of the food for your wedding is another important factor. No matter what your theme, whether you’re  going for the ultimate gourmet fine dining experience or a modern cool and casual vibe, you still want the food to look irresistible as well as taste delicious.

When should I pick my wedding caterer?

Choosing a caterer for your wedding is one of the first things you should do in the wedding planning process, as good quality catering companies can book months in advance, if not years, and you want to be sure to get the kind of caterer you really want for your special day. Once you’ve set your wedding budget and know what you can spend on food and drinks, you can start contacting caterers to see what they offer in your price range.

Do wedding caterers offer tastings?

If a caterer you’re considering does not offer food tastings prior to your wedding, don’t book them! Caterers worth their salt (no pun intended) will be proud to offer you food tastings, as they realize that the proof of their product is in the tasting. They may not offer samples of their wares until you have signed on the dotted line, however, so here are a few ways to get around that requirement:

• Read reviews
• Attend another event they’re catering
• Ask about any public expos coming up that they’ll be participating in
• Offer to pay a small fee for a mini tasting (three to five dishes and a few cocktails)

If the caterer insists on having a signed contract before they will offer you a tasting, include a clause in the contract which gives you the option to terminate the agreement (preferably free of charge) if the tasting doesn’t meet your standards. Then be sure to schedule the tasting as soon as possible, keeping in mind the time you’ll need to secure another company if necessary. Just keep in mind that you may lose your deposit.

How do you choose a good wedding caterer?

As with many service vendors, word of mouth is one of the best ways to find a good caterer. Talk to your friends, coworkers, and relatives to find out who they used and who they recommend. If you’ve attended a wedding recently and loved the food and drinks and how they were presented, get a referral from the host for that caterer.

How far in advance should I book a wedding caterer?

Lots of brides book their wedding catering services a year in advance, so don’t think it’s too soon to start making those important phone calls. At a minimum, you should have your wedding caterer locked down six months in advance. No one likes surprises on their wedding day, so you need to know that the food and drink portion of your celebration is taken care of without question.

If you are a Kansas bride looking for catering in Wichita, Kansas, contact us to request a quote or ask a question about catering and hosting your wedding at The Olive Tree. We’ve been catering in Wichita, Kansas and feeding wedding parties and their guests for decades, and our on-site event planner will work with you to ensure that every detail of your wedding celebration is just as you dreamed it. If you’ve never experienced the Olive Tree, we invite you to join us on any Sunday for our chef crafted brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with last seating at 2:00 p.m. We hope to see you soon, and we look forward to hosting your next special event.