How to Pick the Perfect Utah Wedding Caterer
You’ve bought the dress, chosen a venue, booked your photographer, and now your next step is to pick your wedding caterer! But how do you know where to start? When it comes to choosing your caterer for your wedding day, it all depends on what you’ll need the day of, and what your other vendors are providing for you.
The most helpful thing for you will be to ask your other vendors, like your wedding planner, what and who they recommend!
As a wedding planning team that specializes in Utah destination weddings, Aspen Events has seen every kind of catering service, from taco trucks to ice cream bars. Here are some helpful tips for brides and couples who are in the midst of searching for the perfect wedding caterer, based on our experience as wedding planners!
Types of Catering
To start off, there are a few different types of food caterers, all with varying levels of involvement on your big day. From food trucks to full-service sit-down meals, each catering company will have different packages or options available, depending on what kind of caterer they are. Each type of catering has its own benefits!
Food Trucks
Who doesn’t love a good food truck? Whether it’s your main food for the evening or an extra treat for your wedding after-party, food trucks are a fun and unique way to enjoy your favorite foods the day of your wedding.
Hiring a food truck to serve food to you and your guests means that they’ll need a place to park outside of the venue that’s close enough for your guests to get to while still being able to enjoy the party. Not every venue will have something like this, so make sure you’re checking with your venue if you’re thinking of bringing a portable wood-burning pizza oven or a waffle truck to your reception.
Food trucks and related services like this will simply show up and serve food the day of your wedding—they won’t be involved in any setup or clean-up that isn’t related to their own station.
Drop-Off and Serve
Similarly to food trucks, caterers that provide drop-off and serve catering for your wedding will do exactly that—drop-off. Certain catering companies may help with some setup, but most will just bring the food you ordered to the address they were given, usually in compact, portable containers.
It will be up to you and your wedding day team to set up and clean up all the food on your wedding day, whether that’s a team of wedding planners or your favorite aunts. And it will be up to you (or your wedding planners!) to place the food on your serving platters and display it so it looks great for the photos.
This is a great option for catering food from your favorite local restaurants. Many of them will offer some type of catering service of this type. So if you have a restaurant you know you simply must have on your wedding day, this is a great option for you!
Buffet Style
Buffet-style catering is a step up from drop-off catering services. Your caterer will be there to set up their station, display the food nicely, replenish as needed, and clean up at the end of the event. They will be there the whole time, but it will be up to you and your guests to walk up to the food station to serve your own food.
Buffet catering is often highly customizable and easy to plan for and execute. And this way, each guest can decide what they do or don’t want, and how much. It’s also great for feeding a high volume of guests! We love a good customizable wedding buffet.
Full Service
Full-service catering means that your caterers will be highly involved not only with the food preparation, but everything leading up to and during the meal. This type of catering is a sit-down dinner, complete with wait staff and set-up.
Full-service caterers will set up your chairs, china, silverware, and more, beyond just bringing food to each guest. They are also involved in setting up your tablescapes, like setting out linens and folding napkins. They will make sure that each place setting is ready for your guests before they sit down, right down to filling each glass with water. Full-service caterers also provide their own china and dishware, which means one less thing you would have to hire for your wedding.
This is the most involved and stress-free type of catering service, and one we love to recommend! Not only is it easier for you and your guests, but it elevates the elegance of your wedding overall. The only reason you wouldn’t want to use this kind of caterer is if your venue or wedding planner has a team that will provide these services for you, including set-up and possibly serving the food.
So Which One Do I Choose?
The caterer you choose will depend on what function you need them to serve, in addition to the food. If you’re looking for a sit-down dinner complete with speeches and toasts, a full-service caterer will be the best option for you. If you just want a fun churro or pretzel bar at your reception, a drop-off from a restaurant or food truck is what you want!
The other services your vendors provide will help determine what you need from your caterer. If your venue has a full wait staff, for example, you probably won’t need your caterer to provide one. Different venues will have different types of staff or catering services available, depending on the type of venue it is. Resorts will often have in-house catering and a full-service wait staff that comes with it—venues may or may not have that option. Check out more about the pros and cons of booking a resort versus a venue here!
Another thing to note is that you may have to rent your china, which can add up quickly. If you’re hiring a rental company to provide you with dishware, it can be around $500 or more for drop-off and pickup.
Here’s the Best Thing You Can Do To Pick Your Caterer
The best thing you can do when choosing between different caterers is to ask your other vendors which ones they recommend. Ask your venue about their opinion and experience working with specific caterers! Bonus tip—if the caterer you hire for your wedding has worked with your venue before, they are going to know the ins and outs of that specific kitchen.
It’s always reliable to go with referrals from your venue, wedding planner, or other people who have worked directly with the catering company you’re considering. Get vendor reviews in addition to just other brides! Take our word for it as your Utah destination wedding planner—we know what works and what doesn’t.
We also know a thing or two about working with Utah vendors! Utah wedding caterers may be different than in other places. Read all about the unique aspects of working with Utah vendors here, including Utah wedding caterers.
Great taste is always going to be a priority, so don’t skip out on the tastings! Not only is it good to get a taste of what you’ll potentially be eating on your wedding day, but it’s fun to go out and experience it with your fiance. Wedding planning is fun—and we’d love to go with you on your tastings too!
Aspen Events has all kinds of helpful experiences in planning the Utah wedding of your dreams, including which catering companies are the best and most delicious. Book a call with us any time, we’d love to help you decide which caterer is the right one for you!
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