Featured Photo on Blog Post – Baker/Cake: Cakes by Blondie | Venue: Double Creek Crossing | Photographer: Cargile Photography
Picking a Wedding Caterer
One of the major decisions you will make during the wedding planning process is picking a wedding caterer. Wedding caterers range from full, plated meals to buffet-style self-service. Your wedding caterer can cook on-site at some venues, while others must bring the food in prepared. Finding a great wedding caterer is surprisingly easy if you know the questions to ask going in to your tasting.
First, you need to know your guest count and have a slim idea of the style of food you want. This will allow you to narrow down the many catering options you have right out of the gate. Some of your favorite restaurants might do wedding catering (hello, Fuego in College Station!) so definitely keep that in mind going into picking a wedding caterer. Check your venue’s preferred vendor list as well. Venues will choose caterers that have good presentation, good food, and who are clean and organized during wedding service. On the other side, caterers that know your venue typically are familiar with the kitchen and the flow of the guests throughout the day.
These are questions you should ask at your catering meeting:
- Do you have availability on my wedding date?
- How many servers are you able to send that day?
- Do you include bussing services?
- Have you catered at this venue before?
- How much space will you need for your setup?
- How much time do you usually take to set up and serve guest count?
- Do you bring your own linen?
- Do you have a specialized food permit (sometimes required by venue)?
- Do you offer cake cutting?
- Do you provide platers/dishware/cups/flatware?
- What do you do with leftovers?
- Can you help control portions?
- What is your cancellation policy?
Choosing a wedding cake and wedding cake vendor
Let us start by saying that you don’t need a traditional wedding cake. Dessert tables are really popular these days, and we are all for serving your favorite dessert. However, dessert is still expected by most guests at a wedding, so keep that in mind going into your planning! You can even use desserts as your wedding favor.
We suggest only getting 1 or 2 flavors of wedding cake. Most people only like white or chocolate, and when you start to get the less common flavors, you will have less people eat the cake. It happens all the time! Cakes are mostly priced per serving, but can be more expensive if you want creative designs or edible detailing. Fondant is more expensive than traditional buttercream.
When scheduling a tasting, ask for the vendor’s most popular flavors. If you are a dessert person like us, you can easily go down the rabbit hole in cake flavors! Bridal shows are also a great place to try several cake vendors at once. There is a Bridal Association of the Brazos Valley Bridal Show coming up in College Station, Texas on September 22nd, 2019. You should come!
Finally, be upfront about your budget to both your coordinator and your wedding cake vendor. We will guide you in the right direction to make sure you can serve your guests the best dessert!
Photo: Tyler Rebekah Wright | Venue: Olde Dobbin Station
