Hiring a Caterer for Your Wedding
Should You Hire a Caterer?
If you have a catered wedding reception, your caterer will have the responsibility of food preparation, layout, serving and cleanup. Not all caterers or restaurants can provide food catering for a wedding, however, there are many caterers that specialize in weddings. If you do not have a day-of-wedding coordinator, a "captain" provided by your caterer will not only make sure that the food is properly handled but will help the wedding run smoothly. The captain works with your music provider (DJ or MC for example) to see that expected components of the reception - First Dance, Cutting the Cake, Champagne Toast - happen on time and without missing a beat. A caterer can also provide a bartender to safely serve alcohol depending on the policies of the reception location or if the wedding is at a private home.
You will still have some decisions to make about the food that will be served. Even if you have a good idea of the type of cuisine (asian, italian, seafood, barbeque, etc.) you want served at your wedding, your caterer will provide you with a package that has some choices within it. Like the proverbial chinese restaurant meal - "One from Column A and One from Column B", you will probably need to select at least a meat and non-meat option if you are having a plated dinner and/or vegetarian selections if you are having passed finger foods (a.k.a. hor d'oeuvres). Consider having kid-friendly food options if a lot of children have been invited.
Your professional caterer can advise you on the proper amount of food to order based on the number of guests and the type of reception you will have. The number of adults vs. children (who have smaller appetites) will usually make a great difference, especially if this is a buffet or you are providing kid-friendly food options. A lot of child's portions will generally affect the cost as well.
You may need to decide between linen colors if you are having a formal affair or nice disposables if you are having a simpler reception (this is more often if the wedding is earlier in the day). And, you may be asked if you want extras such as cheese plates, desserts (even though you will probably have a wedding cake), more expensive side dishes or hors d'oeuvres, etc. After discussions with your caterer and depending on your reception food budget, all this should be ironed out well before the wedding day.
You may also be interested in reading about Funny Wedding Cake Toppers and Wedding Food