So this is probably one of the nicest problems I've ever had. I feel very first world even writing it. But a decision still needs to be made, and it isn't easy.
Our venue doesn't do catering (or pretty much anything else besides venue-ing), but they have a list of about 10 preferred caterers and our contract says we have to use one of them. Totally cool. They all seem fine and I'd rather work with a caterer who knows the venue anyway.
I think I have it narrowed down to two caterers. We'll call them Caterer A and Caterer B.
Things they have in common: They will both probably end up costing around the same. They both cook their food on sight (a big plus for us; my dad's wedding a couple years ago had an off-site caterer. The food wasn't that great and they actually ran out of the meal he selected before they served him). They both include the cost of furniture, linens, set-up, and cake cutting in their estimates. They both have impeccable online reviews. They both do not make wedding cakes but can supplement the cake with dessert if we wish. The estimates I got from both places included a meal with three entrees, three passed appetizers for cocktail hour, and four hours of full bar. We may not end up doing four hours of full bar, but I figured better to estimate the most expensive option first so we know what we're dealing with.
So, for the differences. Caterer A, I got a very "gourmet vibe" from them. They have a lot more unusual items on their menus, but it all looks really, really delicious. But I also got this kind of "chef rules" vibe from both their website and the lady I talked to. I get the impression that they wouldn't be as flexible with the menu; they'd want things to pretty much go together. Which could be an issue since we want some unique choices, but we also want to offer a traditional option for our guests with less adventurous tastes. They also include a champagne toast in the cost of their package. Their representative is very nice, and all business.
Caterer B also has very tasty-sounding food, and a lot of it is similar to Caterer A, but they also have some more traditional options in addition to the more interesting ones, so for our relatives who don't like a lot of spicy stuff, they'll have something they can eat. They seem more flexible, but also like they would give suggestions that would go well with what we want, to help us make the right choice. They do not include a champagne toast, but adding one would only be about $1 more per person if we decide we want to do that. The representative is also very professional, but she definitely seemed like she had more of a sense of humor than Caterer A's representative, which I actually like. I think professionalism is important, but having a personal connection is also a big plus.
So, I don't know. There are still questions I need to ask both, but it sounds like it might come down less to price and quality, and more to, do we want super fancy food from a potentially more stubborn business, or more traditional food from a potentially more flexible business?
Unfortunately, we won't be able to do tastings before we have to make a decision, since it's a destination wedding and FI and I can't take time off work until after it would be too risky to wait to sign a contract. But reading the reviews for both places, I don't think we'll have to worry too much about how the food will taste.
I know that ultimately, this is a decision that will have to be made by myself, my FI, and the people who are helping us pay, but I wanted to hear folks' opinions on what they would prefer if they had these options.