3 Things to Consider when Planning to Hire a Caterer

By Catering Staff | August 9, 2016

Finding the right caterer is one of the most challenging parts of event planning. With so many options available, you can easily get overwhelmed and confused with who to hire. First timers might also feel daunted by the task of talking to caterers because they don’t know what to ask or expect from these professionals.

So how do you go about finding a caterer that can help you make your event a success? Here are some factors you should consider before you sign a contract with any caterer.

1. Have a good picture of the kind of your event you’re planning. Is it a corporate party or a birthday bash for a loved one? Is it a wedding? Maybe you’re preparing for a high school reunion? It is very important to have the information about the type of event you’re planning as it can determine the kind of food you’re looking for. More formal events might require multiple course meals, while you can easily turn other celebrations into cocktail parties.

As various caterers have their own specialties, you should draft the kind of party you’re having before you start searching for possible caterers. This way, you can easily share what you have in mind with your potential caterer and they can easily help you out with what they can do.

2. Your event’s guests are also a major consideration you should never disregard. For example, if you’re hosting a yoga gym opening, you might want to serve a good spread of vegetarian and other healthy food. It’s not really about stereotyping your guests, it’s more of making sure that they’ll enjoy the food you’ve prepared and paid for. Especially if you’re trying to impress the people who’ll come to your party, you have to step up and prepare accordingly.

This matters in choosing a good caterer because if you have health buffs coming over, you need someone to help you prepare delicious vegetable-based meals to fill everyone up. Catering the event with Arby’s meat platters and salad bowls may seem like a good idea for a wine and cheese party, but it might not be the best choice for those who like greens and veggies more.

3. Your budget. Most events have a working budget, so you should always consider that before anything else. Your finances will definitely dictate whether you can afford a full service catering or you should opt to rent out furnishings and get catering from Safeway.

Keep these three things in mind and you can already have a good place to start when looking for a caterer. They might not be enough to make a decision, but these are the major factors that will really make a difference in how you can move forward with a catering company.