Module 16: Wedding Catering
What type of catering
should a couple opt for How to find caterers
that match the budget About arranging the wedding cake
About drinks
packages
By the end of this chapter,
you will have learned about:
What type of catering should a couple opt for
How to find caterers
that match the budget
About arranging
the wedding cake
About drinks
packages
16.1 : Introduction
There was once a time when happy couples everywhere insisted on having
the traditional wedding breakfast.
Today, that's no longer the case. More and more couples are choosing alternative options, such as hog roasts, barbecues, and simple finger buffets.
In the course of helping
couples find their ideal catering
option, resist the urge to make them plump for something generic.
Instead, you need to explore what they really love, and help them find an option that satisfies
their culinary desires.
16.2 : What Type of Catering
should a Couple Opt For?
Before you begin looking at caterers,
you need to find out what the couple
likes.
In many cases, this will be the traditional wedding
breakfast. You may, after a little exploration, find that some would rather choose another option.
In addition to finding out what the couple likes, you might also want to explore
dietary requirements. Some may have chosen requirements, such as vegetarians and vegans. Others may have strict requirements, such as allergies,
coeliac, and those with diabetes.
Using the information you obtain from what a couple likes and what a couple needs, you can begin narrowing down their various options.
Start looking at caterers in the local area that tick all the right boxes. Then you need to move onto the really challenging part:
16.3 : Finding Caterers
that Match the Budget
Even when you find a caterer that seems ideal, you may find that they are way beyond the bride and groom's budget.
Here is where you need to get inventive. There are two ways you can negotiate
as a wedding planner. First and foremost,
you need to negotiate with service providers
over their prices, as well as the type of service they can provide.
This means you might find a caterer who can work within budget, but doesn't offer everything the bride and groom wants. Using your powers of negotiation, you can try and convince
them to factor in those missing services.
The second way you can negotiate is to liaise with the bride and groom. Only do this when you've
explored your other negotiation avenues.
Put forward ideas to them that almost meet all of their expectations, and see how they feel about them.
If the bride and groom are on a really tight budget, you may want to consider the idea of a buffet. Buffets often draw negative connotations, as there was once a time when they were made of soggy sandwiches and lacked inspiration. However, with the catering world becoming more and more competitive, buffets are often more inspiring.
16.4 : Arranging the Wedding Cake
A spectacular wedding cake was once an essential for all weddings.
However, times have changed, which means that happy couples are now placing less emphasis on the cake and more on other aspects of the wedding catering – such as drinks packages.
This means the cake can act as a great opportunity for you to save money. With the bride and groom's agreement, you can cut down on the number of tiers and stay within budget.
However, this doesn't mean you should skimp on quality.
Make sure you know which bakers in your local area create different types of cakes and how much they charge.
You also need to find out how long each one requires
for individual wedding
cake orders. Some need very little time at all, while others literally need weeks or months.
16.5 : Drinks Packages
Drinks packages
can be a bit of a contentious issue as far as weddings
are
concerned.
While the bride and groom may feel as though they're guests are expecting
something fully comprehensive, this is one way they can easily eat through their budget. This isn't an issue if the budget is large, but if there are 100 guests in attendance with a $35 per head drinks package,
$3,500 is quite a lot of money when high importance
is being placed on other things.
The simplest way to cut down on the cost of drinks packages is to make it so that the guests buy
their own drinks. However, you might find that many couples perceive
this as being 'tight'. An alternative is to hire a dry bar and purchase drinks from elsewhere.
This saves on drinks packages,
providing the wedding party isn't capable of consuming everything the couple provides.
A happy halfway point is to ensure that
the tables feature wine, but ask couples to purchase their remaining drinks at the bar. Doing this
ensures the couple do not feel as though they're skimping, while giving guests the chance to diversify
what they consume.
16.6 : Canapés
Finally, canapés and fun little culinary
extras are no longer a must-have at
weddings.
They can, however,
make the party seem more fun. They're
also handy if there's a large gap between the end of the ceremony
and the start of the wedding breakfast.
Alternatives to canapés
include popcorn trucks,
mobile ice cream carts, and other cute extras.
Module Summary
Catering is sort of a big deal when it
comes to weddings. In this module, you learned how to help a couple choose their caterer. This includes
likes and dietary requirements. You also learned how to manage budgets, and whether cakes,
drink packages, and canapés are an absolute
necessity.
 |
.svg)
