Wedding Catering Etiquette

This will be a Do's-and-Don'ts type guide. It will cover all of the major issues that guests to weddings and even the brides may have when it comes to catering a wedding.

Gifts

• You are not required to open any gift in front of the wedding reception.
• You should not ask for certain things; especially not money (Even if you need it to pay for that fancy wedding catering).
  

Seating Plan

• Do NOT seat bickering relatives next to each other.
• You don't have to have specific seats assigned to different people. Assigning each person to a specific table will even be better for when you cater your wedding.
• Having a head table is not always required. You can do it if you want, or you can choose a more "casual" seating arrangement. It's your wedding so do what you want.

Paying for your Wedding Catering

• The Bride's family is expected to pay for the Groom's ring, the reception costs (general wedding catering), church fees, and invitations.
• The Groom's family usually pays for the Bridge's ring, the rehearsal dinner, and the cost of the clergy.

A few last things...

• If you are a guest, do NOT assume that the bride and groom know you are coming, even if you have had contact with them. Always reply to the invitation before the reply date.
• If you accept the invitation, you have to buy the couple a gift. If you don't accept it, then you should not be expected to.
• If you arrive late, you should wait until the bride has gone down the isle. Also, find a seat quickly on the outside isle; this isn't a time to dilly-dally.

Hopefully this will help both guests and couples with their wedding catering.

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More Tips on Wedding Catering

If you've ever been to a wedding you know that most of time something will go wrong. Whether its something like Uncle Bobby going on for 45 minutes during his toast; or something completely different, it will be ultimately up to the planners of the wedding and the caterers.

When choosing a wedding caterer, make sure you arrange a taste testing. Nothing is more embarrassing than having your big day arrive and half your guests aren't eating their food. Also, if possible, make sure they include not only main dishes, but sides as well. When you are tasting the food, try to pay attention to not only the taste, but the presentation. No one is going to try your heavenly tasting food if it looks like slop.

A sure fire way to save money is with a buffet over a traditional plated dinner. Just make sure that your caterers enforce a strict one-plate-per-person rule. Your guests should remember that they are here to celebrate your marriage, not to engorge themselves on shrimp and crab cakes.

At least some of the people that attend your wedding are sure to be vegetarians or diabetics and will need some sort of special meal. It isn't fair for them to have to sit there with a house salad as their main course while their fellow guests are chowing down on T-bone steak and lobster. Another detail to consider is that some caterers require that you pay for your vendor's meals. Some vendors have contracts that specify that they must be fed after X number of hours. Be sure to check with your wedding catering company.

Follow these wedding catering tips and your sure to have a wonderful wedding reception.

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Keeping Wedding Catering Expenses On The Low Side

If you want to keep your expenses on the "low side" can be accomplished by changing a few key items. You will have to make some sacrifices. And sure, some people may complain that there isn't an open bar, but you may have prevented that one uncle from getting a little too tipsy and ruining your big day.

Firstly, the food itself is a major expense. Pick foods that are in season. You want to stay away from the overly fancy food if you have a tight budget. This means no shrimp, lobster, etc; especially in the main course. Also, you'll want to stay away from foods that require a lot of work to prepare. Buffets also are great money savers, and let your guests have more to choose from. Finally, ask yourself if you really need a five course meal, or if less will satisfy your guests adequately. Its decisions like these that will save you the most.

Decoration also comes into play when catering a wedding. To save money, choose a white or one-tone color table cloth instead of an overly fancy pattern or design. If you need that much color, you can use place mats and your center piece. Another good idea is to get a catering company that will supply you with everything that you need, such as glassware, tablecloths, plates, trays, etc.

Use these tips well and you can save big. Remember, saving money on the wedding catering can lead to having more money to spend on other big expenses that are associated with a new marriage (a new house?).

Tags: caterer, caterering, wedding catering, cheap wedding catering, corporate catering, wedding caterers