Choosing your Chicago caterer is one of the most important aspects of planning a wedding not only because you want to make sure the food served is delicious and enjoyed by all guests, but also because the caterer is often involved with many other parts of the wedding such as the cake, venue and staff. We’ve prepared a list of 10 questions you must ask your potential wedding caterer to ensure that your big day goes off without a hitch. Some of these questions may seem obvious or intrusive but asking every single one is crucial to avoiding everything from legal to timeline issues. The caterer will do far more than simply provide you with a menu and drop of the food, so getting to know their business and past work can help determine if they’re a good fit for your wedding.
-Do you specialize in certain types of food such as organic, locally sourced, vegan or gluten-free?
-Do you have liquor liability insurance or offer beverage packages with licensed bartenders?
-What are the top venues that you work the most in? Have you worked in my venue?
-What staffing will you provide for the event?
-Is the food prepared on site or do you bring it fully cooked?
-Can you assist with other aspects of the wedding like selecting the venue and the event design?
-Do we have to work off a preset menu or can you create a custom menu for our event?
-Do you provide wedding cakes? If we bring one in from an outside vendor do you charge a fee to cut the cake?
-Do you handle rental equipment such as tables, chairs and linens?
-Do you offer food tastings and is there an extra charge for this?
[Photo by Fig Weddings at The Lakewood Chicago]