What to Ask Your Wedding Caterer

What are your most popularly requested (and enjoyed) entrees and sides?

Asking this question will give you a good idea of what types of meals to include for your wedding dinner. Whether it's a sit-down meal with food selections available to each person, or a buffet where guests get to sample a few different entrees at once... you want to offer choices that will appeal to a variety of palates and preferences.

A good rule of thumb (which, if the caterer is a good one, will likely already have in place) is to provide options that include either fish, red meat, chicken or vegetarian meal/pasta.

What types of cuisine do you specialize in?

Many brides and grooms decide that they'd like the wedding-day menu to reflect their heritage. Do you both come from Greek families? Then you might search for a caterer who can create an authentic Greek wedding menu. Even if you are of mixed backgrounds, it still can be fun to offer cuisine from one specific corner of the world. Perhaps Spanish food, including favorites like tappas, chicken and seafood paella, and rodiccio are at the top of your list. Or maybe you'd like a menu with a fresh, Asian theme that includes sushi, spicy Thai, and other eastern elements. If you do go with an ethnic menu, just be sure that the caterer can also provide options for more simply prepared meals that can be enjoyed by picky eaters and people with special dietary needs.

This brings us to the next question: do you accommodate special dietary requests? 

Don't forget that some of your guests may have allergies, food intolerances, and medical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, which would limit options for what they can eat. A good wedding caterer will be able to take requests for these guests. Inquire as to whether the cost of specially prepared meals is included in the per-price plate, or if there is a fee for adding to their menu.

Do you offer wedding menu packages, and what is the cost of each? 

Our wedding caterer provided a list of buffet choices that we were able to pick and choose for each category (red meat, fish, chicken, pasta). A buffet meal typically costs less than tableside service, because it requires fewer employees.    

Is the food prepared in advance in your own kitchen, or do you require a kitchen on-premises? 

This question is important for DIY weddings where the caterer comes in from the outside (as opposed to the type of wedding venue that includes on-site catering). Ask whether their staff will require access to a kitchen that includes ovens, food storage facilities, etc. and then communicate this to the wedding hall people so you can be sure all your bases will be covered on the big day.

Do you offer a kids' menu, and if so, can the children be served first? 

Feeding the kids first is a win for everybody. You can't go wrong with a simple menu that includes kid favorites like chicken fingers, fries, and simply prepared pasta. Children get hungry quickly, and feeding them on time will certainly stave off potential meltdowns, which will be key during a formal occasion such as a wedding. Advance-serving kids' meals also allows all of the parents in attendance to oversee their children's dinner ahead of time. This way, by the time their own meal is served the responsibility is out of the way and the parents can enjoy their food without interruption.