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Catering Tips from the Pros
Written by: Lisa Kobs
 It’s one of the most anticipated days of your life, yet potentially one of the most nerve-wracking. Will it be everything you dreamed it could be? Did you make the right decisions?
Wouldn’t it be great to get the inside scoop on wedding catering, complete with those special tips that most brides only learn about after the fact? Well, you can. Here area caterers offer their insights on planning your wedding reception.
You’re not expected to be a catering expert
Party planning at this level is probably new to you. And with so many choices available, developing a meal can seem overwhelming. By-design catering—with no set menu—can be especially intimidating. But relax: you don’t have to do it alone.
A great caterer will walk you through the process, offering guidance and inspiration along the way. Between your dreams and visions and their tried-and-true expertise, you’ll develop the perfect menu together.
You can certainly do some homework, and flipping through magazines such as this one will give you a jump start. Bring in photos that convey your style, or ideas from weddings you’ve attended. But don’t think that creativity is your responsibility. That’s the caterer’s job. So is keeping up with the ever-changing trends. “We keep our eyes and ears open to ‘what’s hot and what’s not,’” says Lisa Hopkins, director of catering and conferences at The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa.
Don’t worry if you find it difficult to express your wants and needs clearly, especially if food is an unfamiliar subject. Your caterer will draw out the details and help give voice to what it is you’re really looking for.
Caterers want your event to be personal
Contrary to what you might think, caterers get tired of cookie cutter weddings and preparing the same menu over and over. Most enjoy complementing their signature dishes with plenty of fresh ideas. “We love to sell what we do best, but it’s up to us to add that little twist to make each client’s event slightly different,” says Gary Baumann, director of catering and event services at the Houston Marriott Westchase.
Caterers actually encourage brides to think outside the box. ”Our clients have a vast knowledge of ideas and I love having great brainstorming sessions with them,” says Baumann. And great caterers will happily go the extra mile to accommodate unique requests. So serve mom’s lasagna if that’s what you love. “I enjoy working with family recipes,” adds Baumann. “It challenges our culinary staff.”
Choose a menu that reflects your unique tastes and personality. “For one of my favorite wedding receptions, the couple picked their favorite restaurants from New York and duplicated the look, flavors and ambiance of each in a series of vignettes around the room,” remarks Margery Reinheardt, director of catering at the Hilton Houston Post Oak.
Your caterer has just about seen it all
If you think your ideas are too off-the-wall, don’t! Caterers get lots of inventive reception requests, so nothing seems unusual to them. In fact, most have an “If you can dream it, we can do it!” attitude.
“If you have a secret desire about your wedding event, don’t be shy,” says Reinheardt. Do Christmas cookies bring back your favorite childhood memories? Then serve platters of them with dessert – even if it’s July.
“We’ve created several special memories, including a waiter’s parade of hot French fries, complete with house-made roasted tomato catsup, and also a midnight snack of sliders and macaroni and cheese,” adds Hopkins.
Keep in mind that extreme ideas may cost more or present logistical challenges. Something cute and clever for six people might not work for 150. If your idea turns out to be unrealistic for whatever reason, don’t lose heart. There’s often a good substitute or solution.
“We were asked to duplicate a salad from a restaurant that the mother of the bride really liked,” explains Hopkins. “The salad was fundamentally wrong for a large group, and not indicative of our food style. We took the best elements of the salad, infused some of our own ideas, and the result was terrific.”
They appreciate planning
The more your caterer knows early on, the more smoothly your reception will run. “Almost anything requested in advance of your event can be accomplished with ease,” says Reinheardt. “We ask our wedding clients to finalize their catering contract four to six weeks out,” adds Hopkins.
Advanced planning is especially important for unique requests. “Working ahead allows vendors to put a solid, fool-proof plan together,” says Hopkins. “It gives them time to research and rehearse the elements.” But that doesn’t mean everything’s carved in stone. “A good plan can be subtly changed as new needs and opportunities arise.”
On the-spot requests can often be accommodated, but they’re usually more difficult to pull off than if they’d been planned from the beginning. Last minute changes also increase the chances for error.
No detail is too small to discuss
Do you fancy a meal that’s made from scratch? Love fresh squash in the autumn bisque and bakery-style breads and sauces that don’t come from a frozen bag? Do you love basil but despise oregano? What are your thoughts on garnishing? These little details can make a big difference when it comes to your satisfaction.
“The more we know about what you like, dislike and have always dreamed about for your wedding day, the more we can help you accomplish this dream,” says Reinheardt.
Caterers want to give you the meal you’ve envisioned, not an apology after the fact. Reception disappointments can often be traced back to brides who were unclear about their wishes during planning. Bring questions and a checklist to your meetings with the caterer to ensure you’ve covered everything, especially items most important to you.
Non-food elements can be just as significant. Let your caterer decide what’s important and what isn’t. Gold and silver ribbons are certainly an elegant way to designate entrée choices, but could be difficult to tell apart in a dimly lit room, leading to confusion. Oversized centerpieces may look magnificent, but if they make conversation across the table difficult and end up on the floor, they’re sure to get in the servers’ way.
Be honest about your budget and realistic about food costs
“Everybody has a budget, so don’t be shy about yours,” says Jackson Hicks, founder and CEO of Jackson and Company in Houston. Hicks is a master at entertaining at the magnificent venue The Corinthian as well as at clients’ choice of venues all across Texas. If your budget is limited, then say so. It’s easier to design a menu knowing that up front rather than shaving things back later.
Food is expensive, so be prepared for culinary sticker shock. Menu prices also include extras like serving pieces, labor costs, insurance, taxes, etc. And not all food is created equal. Out-of-season ingredients, for example, come with a premium price tag. “Special presentations and ingredients will typically cost more than the pricing in a facility’s promotional brochure,” says Hopkins. Caterers may even have contractual clauses to cover potential food cost increases. A quote in 2007 for beef tenderloin in 2008 may include the right to a price increase based on beef’s future market value.
If you find that your expectations are unrealistic, don’t despair. While you can’t have lobster on a hot dog budget, there’s always a delicious solution. “A good caterer will help you spend your money wisely and help you to get great value for whatever you do,” says Hicks.
DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF TIMING
If you foresee a picture perfect wedding, than get serious about scheduling. “Timing is a very critical part of making a reception seamless, comfortable and memorable for wedding guests,” says Hopkins.
“Don’t be surprised if you are asked for a concise timeline for your entire event, from the minute your guests depart the ceremony to the time when the bride and groom depart for the evening,” adds Reinheardt.
Keep in mind that a timeline is of little value if you don’t stick to it. Sure, an extra spin around the block in the limo would be fun, but that little romp might just spoil your meal. Some dishes can handle an extra-unplanned hour of waiting, but that’s not always the case. “That beautiful filet mignon that was ordered medium-rare could be almost well-done if you are one half hour late,” says Reinheardt.
Once food preparation is in motion, it’s difficult to stop. A kitchen should have hours of notice regarding changes. “I always recommend that someone in the bridal party carries a cell phone for last minute communications,” says Baumann. “They can relay information to culinary and banquet staff to hold back on plating, etc.”
CATERERS HAVE A REPUTATION TO MAINTAIN
“Integrity and reputation are everything in the wedding industry,” says Reinheardt. “If you’ve selected a caterer based on their standards and ethics, don’t expect them to be compromised.”
Most caterers will not do anything that lessens the quality of their food. If they don’t think Aunt Alice’s meatball recipe is up to snuff, they may not be willing to use it. Venues are also particular about outside vendors. “We allow designated companies offering special ethnic foods to work with us,” says Reinheardt. “We select them based on their standards of service and quality of food. Do not expect that because your cousin owns a restaurant that they will be able to provide food for your event in our venue.”
Reputation is often a sticking point during budget negotiations. You’re thinking about dollar signs, but the caterer is thinking about disappointed guests. And some cost-cutting measures are simply non-negotiable. For instance, many caterers will not cut down on servers. Extra hands are important for an event’s flow and to keep guests from feeling neglected. A staff trained to serve 300 people in 10 minutes is like a well-oiled machine. Eliminate a few servers, and the meal can fall apart.
Skimping on food, assuming that not everyone will eat, is another no-no. If the food runs out, caterers know people look to them as the source of the problem, not the couple that didn’t order enough.
THINK ABOUT YOUR GUESTS
Yes, it’s your big day, but don’t forget that your guests should enjoy it too. Whatever the party size, planning a reception is about being a good host.
Start by developing a menu guests will enjoy. “The ideal menu will have something for every taste and palate, and is interesting and delicious,” says Hopkins. With any large group you’re not going to know everyone’s tastes, so work towards the middle. Don’t underestimate your guest’s palate by keeping things simple, but refrain from getting too exotic either. Identify foods with a description and even a list of ingredients, so people know what they are choosing.
Make sure there’s something there for everyone. You may not want to offer a vegetarian option, but as all caterers will tell you, there’s always someone who wants one. Try to provide for special needs when possible. “Don’t embarrass your guests by not accommodating known food allergies or dietary requests,” says Reinheardt.
Lastly, try to envision your reception from the guest’s point of view. Example: would you enjoy waiting with 300 other hungry guests at a buffet table with only two serving lines? Probably not, so if you’re going buffet, plan multiple serving lines or several food stations instead.
THE RULES ARE THERE FOR A REASON
Life’s full of rules, but your caterer’s rules aren’t there to intentionally make life difficult. “Rules exist to ensure that you have a grand experience in our hotel,” says Reinheardt. “Our company has considered every aspect of a private event including city and state legalities, business ethics and safety issues to protect you, your guests and our hotel at the same time.”
Many caterers have policies against bringing in outside food; they’re liable if it makes people sick. Also for food safety reasons, buffets may have set time limits. Or you might not be able to take home leftovers if the caterer thinks the food has been sitting out too long. For insurance reasons, many facilities require that the wedding cake come from a licensed baker, rather than cousin Mary.
“The guidelines set up by a facility are sometimes created from the nightmares of events past,” says Hopkins. “I believe you can still achieve an event’s goal by following the rules with creative thinking.”
CONTRACTS ARE FOR YOUR PROTECTION TOO
Signing on the dotted line can make anyone leery. And phrases like pre-pay schedule, guaranteed minimums and refund policies can be more than a little unsettling. But vendors aren’t “out to get you” with them. Contracts are actually to your benefit so try not to view them with suspicion.
Contracts let you know exactly what you can expect from your vendor, not only what they can expect from you. You’re also protected from suddenly finding yourself without a caterer one month before the wedding.
To get the most from a contract, however, you have to read it first. “Examine your contract closely,” recommends Reinheardt. “‘Inspect what you expect’ is corny, but guarantees that details you have discussed will happen. Don’t assume anything and ask for an explanation of anything you do not understand.”
Remember, until you’ve signed a contract, you don’t have a caterer. Verbal agreements aren’t in anyone’s best interest and the possibility for errors and oversights are very real.
KNOW THAT YOUR CATERER ENJOYS CATERING YOUR WEDDINGS
A caterer may seem like just another vendor, but know that many of them feel blessed to be a part of your special day. And the pleasure they take in your happiness is genuine. “There is nothing better and more satisfying than to see the ecstatic look on a bride and groom’s faces when they enter the reception room,” says Baumann. “And all the planning has paid off in creating a memory for them that will last their lifetime.”
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