Catering
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Selecting a Caterer for your wedding day is very essential but choosing a very qualified Catering Company is important. Most weddings will have a Cocktail Hour with Food and Beverage with a Dinner to Follow that includes both Food and Beverage. Some venues will setup the tables and chairs for your wedding, but many venues will only INDLUDE those items and not set them up. Your Caterer would be hired to setup the tables and chairs, flip the room (if required) and takedown the wedding (tables, chairs, trash etc). Most venue require a deposit that is called a Damage Deposit if vendors (mainly your Caterer) do not clean up, remove trash etc after the wedding you could lose the deposit. When choosing a Caterer email the company and request a quote for your wedding date. If they are on the preferred vendor list and are highly recommended, book them for your date and then schedule the tasting. If you are undecided between two or three, schedule tastings with those caterers and make your decision based on your tasting. I would recommend booking a caterer for your wedding between 14 and 10 months out of your wedding date. I would also recommend sticking to the preferred vendor list for your venue for food and beverage and choosing from the list. I also recommend hiring your Caterer to be your Bartender, instead of hiring another vendor, let your caterer handle your plates, flatware, glassware, mixers, bartenders, staff etc.
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Cocktail Hour
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During Cocktail Hour most couples will choose (2-3) Passed Appetizers or Stationed Appetizers for Cocktail Hour. Caterer will have staff pass or man the appetizer station replenishing the appetizers. Guests will love whatever you choose, but I would provide something for the hour while they drink and talk with each other, during this time there might be a room flip going on and you will most likely be taking photos or you might decide to join cocktail hour and talk to your guests. I also recommend choosing passed cocktails during the first part of cocktail hour, have the servers pass wine, beer or signature drinks to guests as they enter cocktail hour, to relieve pressure on the bar because there is always a bar rush at the beginning of cocktail hour. Most couples will have what is called a private moment during cocktail hour with appetizers and drinks, bustle the dress, go the bathroom and sit down relax and have a special moment to enjoy before doing a Reception Room First Look or Room Reveal or joining cocktail hour. Whatever you decide to do, I recommend having this hour incorporated into your timeline.
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Reception
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For the Reception Dinner most couples will choose between a Dinner Buffet, Food Stations or a Plated Dinner. Your Dinner Menu would most likely include (1-3) Entree Choices and (2-3) Sides (which may or may not include salad) with Bread and possibly a Dessert (or Cake). If you do a Dinner Buffet would typically have everything on the Buffet or have the Salad Plated and Served and everything else on the Buffet. If you do Stations, you will have everything at the stations and do small dinner plates and not have charger plates at the tables because you are doing stations, this is typically what is done. With Stations you can have fun, Southern, Mediterranean, etc the choice is yours. If you do a Plated Dinner you would have (1-2) Entree with the Sides on the dinner plate after salads are served. Having (2) Entrees is called a Plated Duo (example chicken and beef, or fish and beef etc). You would also have bread plates etc on the place setting with a plated dinner. Most dinners last about (1) hour for dinner service depending on your guest count, if you choose a plated dinner for 250 guests it might take over an hour for dinner service. Please allow enough time for dinner service in the timeline and releasing tables for dinner if you are doing a Buffet or Stations. Caterers will serve the wedding couple first and tables will be released by the wedding coordinator. Wedding Party and Family tables first followed by other guests. (2-3) Tables at a time. Make time to eat your dinner during your wedding and enjoy this special moment.
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