Why you want to know: If you have a particular type of cuisine in mind, use a caterer who specializes in it. What are your recommendations based on my budget? If they do not, either you or someone you appoint will need to take care of this task and depending on the amount of guests, help and details you may have, it isn't always a quick job. 10 critical questions to ask your caterer before signing by the “X”. We broke the questions down into four sections: The best event planning questions to ask corporate and wedding clients. How will you measure the events' success (ticket sales/ profit/online reviews/ social media engagement?
A proposal from us will show more than just food expense. Is the caterer working any other weddings or events on the same weekend or same day? Sign up to access our event planning questionnaire template and save yourself lots of time prepping your own. But, just because a caterer has a crap-tastic website, doesn't mean they have bad food or service. Not enough variety could hurt your event, though. 20 Catering Questions to Ask Clients Before a Wedding Event. What's the expected number of guests? We hope the questions and tools in this post have given you some helpful guidance on how to put together an event planning questionnaire to improve your pre-event discovery.
Here are all the event planning questions you'll want to have handy at your next corporate event or wedding planning kickoff meeting. Make sure the caterer also has a liquor license if you're going to be serving alcohol. Be honest about what you currently offer or if you have alternative options available (like a list of specialists you can recommend or more flexible pricing for partial event planning rather than full). What Will Happen to Left Over Food. 13 Not-So-Obvious Questions to ask a Caterer. What Types of Food Are You Looking At? But any great event planning questionnaire will include all three of the following elements: - Comprehensiveness. Here are some budget-friendly ideas to get you started. Our suggestions below cover most event types but you might want to tweak or add some as you go along. How many staff members will be able to assist with set up and break down?
They might also want to consider setting up an event registration website, sharing social media event pages, and buying some hard copy mailers. Rentals - tables, chairs, chair covers. Why you want to know: Your caterer needs to know your menu choices by a certain date, so they'll have all the ingredients ready to go for the day of your wedding. Many caterers you contact can also offer bar service. The reason that a caterer has such a cut-off date is so they can order the proper amount of food without having too much waste and obviously ensuring there is enough). If it is being held during a busy season, such as when end-of-year parties are popular, you might have a scheduling conflict. Without the correct information, your quote will not be accurate and you will not be able to plan accordingly. Questions to ask wedding caterer. Some of the most common meal styles are a plated meal, a buffet, and a cocktail style reception. I'm not sure why, but more guests are canceling last-minute and this is never fun for couples. What are the two main types of catering? Another question that you should not fail to ask the client who wants you to cater for their wedding event is to ask if there will be special requests such as gluten-free, kosher, vegetarian and children's meals? Do you have a preferred method of communication (email, phone call, text message)?
The course usually consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine or liqueur; however, in the United States it may include coffee, cheeses, nuts, or other savory items regarded as a separate course elsewhere. Other factors will include the venue facilities too, but if the caterer estimates a three-hour dinner period and your reception is only four hours, it might not be a good fit. So, part of what you need to ask your client as a professional caterer is the key measurable areas where they would want your food and services to be assessed. Have you worked at our venue before? Usually, it is the norm for caterers to collect some percentage of the total fees charged upfront before executing the job. Why you want to know: Sometimes, caterers will stack two or more events onto the same day or weekend. Do you offer a buffet-style package? What are Your Success Benchmarks? Ask to Know if You Are Going to Be Providing Beverages and Alcohol. Questions to ask when catering an event. No doubt, there are wedding ceremonies where caterers are meant to carry out the preparation of some meals at the venue of the wedding hence it will not be out of place to ask the client if you will be cooking/preparing some of the food at the venue of the wedding event. Water, soft drinks, etc. Take a look around to give yourself some options and a chance to compare companies. What's the occasion for the event? Hazeltine National Golf Club is a private golf club located in Chaska, Minn., about 30 minutes southwest of downtown Minneapolis.