How to Choose Your Wedding Catering Service Properly

A wedding is the biggest day of many people's lives, and the amount of time and energy that goes into planning a wedding is so great that there is even an entire career centered around it - wedding planner. With all of the suspense and the music, and cake, and fancy dresses, it is no surprise that setting up the catering service for a wedding could also be somewhat of a tedious task, if not downright difficult. You have to decide whether you would like it to be buffet style, finger buffet style, or just an all out sit down meal. You also have to make sure your catering makes sense for the time of day it is taking places. Obviously you would not want a lunch buffet if it is dinner time, so it would be wise to plan around the number of guests you are having and what time of day they would be showing up.

Also take into consideration that you do not need to cater to every single one of your guests during a wedding. Most professional catering services agree that seventy-five percent is a good percentage of guests to cater to. You also want to make the decision whether your meal style will be an informal buffet or a formal silver service type meal. It would also be wise to plan around how long your guests will be waiting to eat. If the weeding is going to take place at 3PM, and lunch is served at 2PM, then you are obviously not giving your guests enough time to eat lunch before the wedding ceremonies actually start.

It is also good to be sensitive to specific guest needs and preferences. If for example you know you will be entertaining a vegetarian guest, then it would be kind to serve vegetarian selections. It would also be kind to observe your guests allergies if you know of any, and to avoid having one of your guests stricken with an allergic reaction during the wedding ceremonies, after all that doesn't sound very fun does it? If you are having a good amount of children at the wedding then it would be good to have some sort of snacks for the children like crackers, raisins, appetizers, candy etc etc. Try to customize the catering service to the liking of the bride and groom. This means selecting the right colors for the banquet and the entire setup of the wedding.

Once you have made up your mind about these key issues then it is time to find a good, reliable and affordable catering service to meet your needs. It is a good idea to set a budget and to stick to that budget. Ask around the community or your circle of friends to see if they have anyone they can recommend as a caterer for the wedding. Be sure to make comparisons of multiple catering services in the area. Remember to shop around and to always think ahead, as planning is one of the most important parts in any wedding.

West Palm Beach Catering provided by Alexander Event Catering with over 25 years of experience in the hospitality field. We cater to weddings, as well as corporate functions in West Palm Beach, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and South Florida.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Praveen_Sivaraman

Posted: November 06,2009

Simple Ways to Save On Your Wedding Catering

Today's weddings are normally catered according to a particular tradition: canapés with the wedding drinks, a three-course, formal meal, and a hot buffet bar near the end of the reception. All these courses really drive up the cost of catering quickly. But you don't have to follow this tradition, especially when breaking it can give you loads more money in your budget for other things. The following tips will end up saving you tons of money. Be simple Footing the bill for a high-class multi-course meal for a hundred people is incredible expensive, but serving a simpler, more laid-back menu can really keep your costs low. Think about having traditional pub foods like fish and chips or bangers and mash (it's what Kate Winslet did!). These foods are crowd-pleasers, and they're better for your budget. Use a catering school Many bigger cities have a catering college somewhere, and their students often love to practice catering at wedding receptions. They may do it for practically free. Check with your local education office to look at catering schools near you. Even if the college doesn't hire out catering teams, you may find some students who will help you on an individual basis. Go through a local company Hiring a local restaurant or small catering company rather than a large, nation-wide catering company can save you lots of money. Many smaller companies won't charge as much for catering, and the service and food will still be great. DIY catering Find friends and family members who will help you cater your own reception. If each person makes a dish or two, you can easily put together a wonderful buffet-style dinner without much fuss. See it differently Worry more about what you want than about what tradition dictates. Instead of a full meal, provide a dessert menu with sweet wines, or simply serve canapés and champagne. For a fun feel, serve a spit-roast or BBQ at an outdoor wedding. Serve less food The tradition of serving a sit-down meal followed by a buffet later on is only a recent thin, and there's no rule you have to follow here. Following the same trends other brides are following will only cost you thousands. If you need to cut money from your budget, consider making your day less stressful by opting for a streamlines, simple reception dinner without the added extras.
About The Author
Nicola Ray writes for Cheap Wedding Success, a website dedicated to planning beautiful budget weddings. You’ll find hundreds of ideas on cheap wedding dresses, catering, venues, stationery and more at http://www.cheap-wedding-success.co.uk.

Posted: October 16,2009

8 Tips For Doing Your Own Wedding Catering

DIY wedding catering is a great way to feed a lot of hungry people. Although it isn't easy, it can be done if you plan carefully and look at all your options. Before you begin planning, though, look at the following ideas to create the perfect catered wedding reception.

1. Make it simple As you decide what to serve at your reception, take into account your talents and the time that will be available to you, and make the menu as simple as you can. Find items for your menu that you can make ahead of time and store until the day of your wedding, and don't use complex, difficult recipes that will only stress you out.

2. Ask for help You probably have friends and relatives who love to cook, so ask around to see if people can help with side dishes, salads, and even breads. Those who help might even take care of the cost of the dish they make too, helping you save a little more.

3. Think about health regulations It's essential when preparing your own food to follow health regulations just like a professional caterer would. Wash your hands often, and keep your work spaces clean. Avoid cross-contamination, especially when working with meats, and be sure that items are both cooked and stored correctly. If you're having a summer wedding, be sure you have plenty of fridge space to keep all the food cold. You should have more than enough space, even if you have to beg fridges from relatives or rent them from specialty stores.

4. Remember the utensils Don't forget to count how you will eat the foot and what utensils will be needed. Plates, bowls, spoons, knives, and forks will all probably be necessary, and you'll also need napkins and tablecloths to complete the ensemble. You can probably rent these items from a specialty shop, and the shop may even clean them up afterwards for a little extra money, which will be well worth it.

5. Find Free Service Help Even if you cook the whole meal, you obviously won't be the one serving the food and drinks, so get people to volunteer for these jobs, or hire a few local teenagers for a small fee. Before they serve, though, you or someone you put in charge needs to be sure they know what they're doing.

6. Think About Little Things Professional caterers have been doing this for years, but you might easily forget about salt and pepper, sugar, butter, storage containers, bottle openers, ice buckets, ash trays, and such. Make a complete list of everything you need, and double check it a few days before the wedding.

7. Find Good Deals You can look for deals on storable essentials like flour, sugar, and even butter in the months leading up to your wedding. Having these things on hand will be helpful later on, and you'll save lots of money if you shop around for them. 8. Shop Locally Local shops will have the best quality meats and produce, and they'll probably even deliver the food to your door for free, which makes for one less pre-wedding errand to run! Hopefully these tips will help you understand what goes into catering your own wedding, but you'll still need to think carefully about what to serve and how. Good luck!

*Nicola Ray

Wedding Service Providers - Why Choose Them?

Weddings are one of the milestones in many people's lives. It is not only a milestone for the couple getting married but in many cases, for their parents as well. Naturally, the persons involved in this celebration of the union of two people who choose and commit to share their lives together, want to make the occasion as meaningful and as memorable as they possibly can.

Most weddings still follow the traditional way but themed or personalized weddings are becoming popular. One reason why there is an increase in those choosing themed weddings is that there is also an increase in couples coming from diverse backgrounds or cultures that plan to get married.

Whether you plan to have a traditional or a themed wedding, both require a lot of effort to push through. Of course, it is already understood that money is needed. But, you get what you pay for so they say and spending out a little extra for a professional wedding provider can reap rewards not least of which is peace of mind.

In this age of smaller families, many brides have fewer relatives to ask for help from in the wedding preparations. Luckily, there are now professional weddings service providers to help the wedding participants with their expertise and experience in planning and coordinating weddings. Modern communications make it easier to search and contact these wedding services providers. There are also wedding expositions where you can meet a lot of wedding services providers exhibiting the services they offer.

They will take the weight off of your shoulders and take the strain of the preparations. This means that you can concentrate on other things and leave the important tasks to the wedding provider.

~Mark Clayson