Your wedding should be one of the happiest days of your life so don’t let anyone constrain your imagination or talk you into settling for anything less than perfection. We’ve put together a list of the four biggest myths people believe about wedding catering. How many have you heard?
Myth #1. You Must Use Your Venue’s Caterer
Reality: Some people choose their venue precisely because they want to use the list of recommended suppliers and take advantage of their preferred rates. For example, banquet or conference centers are typically among the cheapest of wedding venues and will have strong ties with a range of vendors such as catering firms, photographers and florists. In other cases, however, venue management can pressure you into using their suppliers when you don’t want to. If you have your heart set on one venue but don’t like their catering options, you shouldn’t be forced to use their caterer. Always negotiate hard to get your own way.
Myth #2. Book Ahead For The Lowest Rates
Reality: For some people, no amount of savings could compensate for the peace of mind they get from booking ahead. With some parts of the wedding such as the dress, you need a lot of planning and plenty of time to address minor problems. For other aspects, such as the catering, floristry and photography, making last-minute bookings is a good route to low rates, if that’s your priority. This strategy does mean that you may not get your first choice caterer but many caterers will be more open to giving discounts than risk not getting a booking at all.
Myth #3. Food Accounts For The Biggest Chunk Of Your Reception Budget
Reality: There are no real rules when it comes to catering a wedding and you can choose anything from a buffet to a barbeque. Although many people believe that food is the greatest expense, this needn’t be the case. BBQ caterers that can bring the barbeque to you are a good example of how to lower your costs. They can bring their own power, water and serving tables and really keep costs down. Last year, 2013, also saw the ‘bring a cake’ trend where brides asked friends and family to bring their favorite homemade desserts to the wedding. By forgoing the usual dessert menu and adding a personal touch, the cost of holding a reception was much less yet all the guest had a great time.
Myth #4. Pre-Prepared Food Is Cheaper Than Food Cooked On-Site
Reality: With the recession having caused more brides than ever to cater for their wedding guests on a budget, many couples have discovered that this myth simply isn’t true. Many people believe that for catering to be cost-effective it has to be prepared off-site in bulk and then delivered on trays and in Styrofoam boxes to be served at the venue. The BBQ catering mentioned above is a good example of why this isn’t always true. According to one such wedding caterer in Calgary, some cuisines such as barbeque lend themselves to cost-effective on-site preparation. With a little planning, guests can enjoy freshly cooked food for the same cost as delivered food.
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