Wedding catering is probably going to be one of the more pricey expenses you will be paying for your wedding, particularly if you require quite a bit of food for a large number of people.  In this post we will discuss how to look for a good wedding caterer while doing your best to stay within your strict budget.

The ironic thing I have found in my research about caterers so far, is that most of them estimate their per-person pricing on parties of 75 or more people, and any LESS than that, incurs extra charges.  Kind of puts a kink in trying to stay on a strict budget, now doesn’t it?  So far I have only checked out prices online, so I am not sure how much extra a wedding caterer (or for any other function) would require for smaller parties, so I would venture to guess than an extra $5-$10 per person is probably going to be about average.  That may be a bit steep, so if you’re aiming to hire a wedding caterer for your reception, make certain that is one of the questions you ask up front if the maximum number of your guests is under their minimum number of guests for their regular prices.

When searching for your wedding caterer, be sure to look up several different potential catering companies. Their prices and surcharges may vary.  So far that I have seen when investigating wedding catering, the buffet dinners with minimal staff are showing to be the lowest cost options available.  Many caterers also can provide bartending services, so be sure to inquire about this when calling around shopping for your wedding caterer. If you can get both with one company, that will save you time and sometimes money depending on their packages.

Many wedding caterers offer tasting services – this is where you schedule a time to taste a sampling of their offerings to determine if you like what is on their menu.  These often cost a small fee per person, but usually the wedding caterer will deduct this fee later should you decide to book their catering services for your wedding.  Be sure to ask if this is something that your potential wedding caterer offers – you certainly would not want to hire a caterer without knowing whether their food is utterly scrumcious or if it is little better than eating dirt!

Another thing to consider when searching for the right wedding caterer, is to check with the Better Business Bureau for any complaints about the catering company, not only for customer service concerns – have they had complaints about rude wait staff? – but also for health concerns.  You would not want to hire a wedding caterer who has had previous problems with poor food quality or food that has made their patrons ill!

I did not use a catering service myself, but that does not mean that you should also not chose this route.  If you want to go with a wedding catering company and can afford it, by all means do so, but shop carefully. Be prepared to set aside around $800 or more depending on how many people you have attending your reception.  As I stated earlier, wedding catering is one of the pricier expenses that you will encounter when planning your wedding.