One of your most vital wedding decisions is the food you serve at your wedding and/or reception.  Making the event successful in the eyes of the guest is largely based on what goes in their stomachs.  The best way to get a good caterer is use a references from a friend, coworker, family member…anyone!  No one will recommend a bad caterer and getting an opinion is far better than shooting in the dark.  Many venues require you to use their caterer, however others are lenient and have you choose the caterer that you prefer.  If you plan on serving alcohol at your event(s), make sure that you review the venue’s rules and regulations on alcohol before inquiring with the caterer.

Type of Food

You and your fiancee should decide what type of food you would like to be served at your wedding and/or reception.  Take into account the diets of most of your guests.  Is anyone vegetarian?  Do people stay away from foods that aren’t Kosher?  Do the majority of your guests enjoy fish?  Take into account the most common diet of all your guests.  Depending on what type of food you choose, it may give your wedding/reception a more or less formal allure.  Steak, Italian, or French food are generally fancier and served in a more formal matter than other types of food.  On the other hand, Korean, Chinese, and Mexican food generally give off a more relaxed feeling.  Make sure you let your caterer know how you prefer the setting and feel of your event to be.

Buffet-Style vs. Full Service

Buffet-Style serving is a dinner style in which there are generally buffet tables at the back of the venue.  You guests will move to the buffet when dinner is announced and servers at the tables will serve them whatever and however much of it they ask for.  This allows guests to have a variety of food and choose what they would like and their own portion size.  Many types of food in which this serving style is common are Indian/South Asian, Korean, and Thai.

Full Service dinner style is a meal in which guests remain seated while their plate(s) are brought out in front of them by waiters.  Dinner is served in different courses (generally salad, main meal, and dessert) and each guest gets only one serving of their food exactly.  This allows guests to comfortably remain at their tables and be served without having to get up at all.  The option here is that if you are serving dinner during the reception program, you can plan speeches and entertainment between serving courses.

The rest of choosing a caterer is pretty simple.  Just stick to your budget and go out with your fiancee and try a bunch of food.  Set up and appointment with a propective caterer, request the caterer to make trial-sized versions of the dishes you would like to serve at your wedding, then chow down!  Don’t forget to take notes and watch out for hidden fees!  If you have a wedding planner, they can set up taste-testing meetings for you and ensure that the caterers chosen will meet your budget and are professional at weddings.