What Will the Catering Company Need to Know About Your Event?

Congratulations on your wise decision to get your event professionally catered. You will save yourself valuable time and avoid a lot of stress. Best of all, you'll get to focus on the other aspects of your event as the caterers will handle the food situation. 

You will still need to figure out a few details to help the process go smoothly. The catering company will need some information to ensure that everything goes as planned. Here are five pieces of critical information you'll need to provide the catering company:

1. The Number of Guests

How many guests will be attending your event? Figuring this number out is vital so the catering company can prepare. They will have a much different system for events with less than 50 guests and ones with more than 400. 

2. Types of Food

What kind of food will the caterers serve at your event? Make sure to choose a catering company that makes the types of food you want. Most companies will have a vast menu with lots of variety, making it easy to find options you like. 

Do you need the caterers to provide drinks, appetizers, snacks, or dessert in addition to the main meals? Do you have plans for a champagne toast or for there to be an appetizer table? Make sure you choose a plan that will include these things, so you're not disappointed on the day of your event. 

3. Meal Choice

Once you decide on the food choices, you'll need to figure out how many guests will want each meal option. For example, if the meal choices are steak, fish, and pasta, you'll need to figure out how many guests choose each one. You can either estimate this yourself or find a way to ask each guest (this is a common question on wedding invitations). 

4. Tableware

In most cases, the catering company will provide everything your guests need to eat. Plates, bowls, cups, silverware, napkins, etc., will typically be included. However, it's always best to ask about these things specifically to know if you'll need to provide any tableware yourself. 

5. Coordinated Details

You should coordinate with the event caterers early on so that everything works out. Missing one little detail can cause a lot of problems. What if the catering company needs access to a sink at your event, but there isn't one? 

Always discuss whether the caterers will need electricity or running water, and what they'll provide with the price they quoted you. If there will be a specific dress code, be sure to let them know about that as well.