Choosing A Catering Service
By M Johnsona, Fri Dec 9th

It can be overwhelming when you begin to plan any large event.How can you feed so many people? It will be a nightmare. Luckilythere are people who will happily feed your crowd. Some willalso happily take all your money and deliver less then desirableresults.

Word of mouth is the best way to find a good caterer. Start withyour friends and family, look up someone who recently gotmarried. Find out if they had a good caterer. If that doesn'twork you can ask at your company, someone may be able to giveyou recommendations. You can also ask some related businessesie. florists, DJ's or the equipment rental shop. Your scheduledvenue may also be able to recommend someone good.

Ask anyone who has been to a catered event recently.

Next hit the phone book or internet for local caterers and checkthem out. Give them a call and ask some questions to get a feelfor the company. Narrow down the results and then ask a few ofthem for estimates.

Compare the estimates and make sure they are detailed enough togive you a good idea of the total expense. You will want todiscuss what exactly you want and an initial budget number. Justlike mechanics, they will spend it all if you let them.

There are several types of meals you may want to consider:

Luncheons - simple food with a limited selection

Gourmet - More specialized/custom food options with creativityand a choice of cocktail, buffet or table service. More cateringstaff.

Full Service - Planning, decor, food and services withadditional staff.

Your contact with the service will typically be through yourcaterer consultant. Be sure they listen to your ideas and knowexactly what you expect for your money.

Once your event is booked you often will be entitled to atasting of

the scheduled menu. It is meant to be a final stepbefore the event goes on. Not all caterers will offer this, itis expensive and will be figured into your bill.

Be sure and listen to your caterer, they do this full time andhave a lot of experience with large events. They canassist you in putting on a great event. It is not all about thefood, but excellent food service can really make your eventsomething to remember.

About the author: M Johnsona operates the www.cateringtipscentral.com website

Your source for Tips online.

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