Your caterer is a very important wedding vendor – maybe the most important one. Guests may not remember your flowers or your signature colors, but they ALWAYS remember the wedding reception food.

If you got here by searching “questions to ask wedding caterer” or something like it, here’s a big pat on the back for smart shopping. You need to ask a lot of questions to ensure you get a good caterer and that your wedding catering costs are reasonable for your wedding reception food and drink.

Here’s how to choose a wedding caterer wisely:

• Get references. This is even more critical than having a tasting because cooking for a small group of people is far easier than cooking for a crowd of 100+ wedding guests. Ask to talk to past clients for the most unbiased reviews – don’t simply rely on the positive testimonials they’ll supply you with.
• Get a budget breakdown. It’s important that your quote is itemized so you know exactly how much a caterer wants to charge (or overcharge) for certain items. They should be transparent about the cost per head as well as hourly staffing rates, dinnerware rental, cake cutting fees, etc. Most caterers do expect a gratuity, as well, so find out if that’s been pre-charged or if you’ll have to add it on after the fact.
• Meet your site manager. The salesperson you speak with is trained to be friendly, helpful, and customer service-focused… but is she going to be the one running your actual reception? Ask to meet with the person who will be in charge of your wedding on the day of to get the best sense of how competently things will be handled.
• Inspect rental items. If your caterer will be providing your dinnerware, glassware, chairs, tables, decor, or anything else, you should be given an opportunity to see these items firsthand. Watch out for damage or shabby-looking items and insist that everything for your wedding is like new.
• Go through service details. Does your caterer know what you expect them to do? Have they told you what they normally do? Keep the lines of communication open and don’t assume your caterer will handle anything you haven’t explicitly discussed.
• Communicate. Is it easy to get in touch your caterer? Do they return emails promptly? Do they answer questions to your satisfaction? Are they available for in-person meetings when you need to go through things in detail? If you’re having trouble talking to your caterer, it could be signs of trouble ahead.