Your Caterer Should Give you Confidence on Your Special Day

Choose the wedding caterer who gives you the most confidence that they will deliver

• What you asked for
• On budget
• On time, and
• With ease

On your wedding day you need to focus on your wedding party, your family, greeting the guests, saying your vows and remembering everyone’s names. You do not need to worry about whether your vendors will deliver on time. You need that handled.

Choosing a recommended caterer from a friend or family member is a great start.

Feeling very comfortable with your caterer is next. It’s part of what gives you peace of mind. If you don’t feel comfortable talking with the caterer in your first interaction, don’t imagine it will get better, find another caterer. A lot is resting on their ability to work with you.

Are they paying attention to what you want? Do they have suggestions you find helpful? Are they hearing what your budget is?

Are they forthcoming about all the costs? Did you review the contract ahead of time and understand all the clauses? Are they giving you options, so you can make an informed choice?

And for the ultimate peace of mind, work with a Full Service Caterer so you can turn over all the coordinating of vendors to the caterer, and you can feel like a guest at your own party.

Catering by Design is a Full Service Caterer who can handle all the arrangements, simply deliver the food, or anything in between. Tell us your budget and what you’re hoping for and we’ll show you what is possible.

Most people choose their caterer through recommendations from friends and family; through referrals.

Ask the people you know who they have used and can recommend.

You can also get suggestions from other service providers or venues, your event planner or the hotel you are considering for your event.

Searching in Google for “Catering, Cary, NC” or “Catering, Raleigh, NC” you will find local caterers in the Triangle area, many in business directories.

Looking at caterer websites can tell you a lot about the business.

But, getting the names of local catering businesses to consider is just the very first step:

• Know your budget and an approximate headcount.
• Make a list of everything you want.
• Check with your intended venue whether or not they have a pre-approved list of caterers, if they do, you may have to choose from that list.
• Consider whether you want the caterer to coordinate the whole set-up, or just deliver the food, or something in between.
• Look at the website and learn about the caterer’s specialties, services,
  menus, policies and pictures.
• Find out if the caterer is licensed and insured.
• Make an appointment with the caterer to discuss everything you want,
  including dietary preferences, or special needs.
• Ask for references and call them.
• Determine if the caterer can handle everything you want. Coordinating with more service providers can add to your stress.
• Check out the contract, the amount for a deposit, the cancellation fees
  and related dates.
• When you think you know who you want to go with, ask for a tasting session. This should be no charge.
• Make sure you feel confident about your choice before signing the contract.  You should have a good working relationship with the caterer you choose and they should be flexible enough to give you what you want, not what they want:  you are paying them.