Deciding on the food and drink to serve at your wedding event can be a huge decision, considering it often costs more than half of your entire wedding budget. There are a number of details that must be addressed in order for your special day to turn out exactly as you want.
You should plan to start meeting with potential caterers once you have chosen and booked the reception site. Make a mental assessment of what you want the reception to be like, in terms of the theme and subsequent food, beverages, deserts, and any other food necessities. Make a list of caterers that can fulfill your vision. You may also want to ask the reception center for catering recommendations; often, many places will even have a list of preferred caters they like to work with. A huge plus to that is the caterers will be familiar with your reception venue, making the whole process that much easier.
Try also gathering recommendations from trusted friends and family or if you have recently been to an event where you were impressed with the catering that was provided, find out the name of the caterer.
Once you have gotten a few recommendations, you should set up interviews to meet with the caterer in person. You should also request a tasting session as part of the interview so you know their culinary capabilities. Your ultimate decision should ideally be based on the taste and presentation of the food, the creativity of the caterer, the cost, and their enthusiasm and compliance to meet your needs.
