Which comes first, the catering contract or the tasting?

hgminor

I've already signed a venue and am now looking at caterers.  I've been in negotiations with two (one of whom I definitely prefer).  I don't know if I'm supposed to set a date to taste first or if I need to sign a contract first...

Thanks!

Sue-n-Kevin

Most reputable caterers will provide a tasting before signing a contract. At least that's what the 2 main contenders for us did. I'd just call and ask them their rules/process.

reppunzel

We are holding our reception in our caterer's hall, so we put down a deposit (non-refundable, but it was transferable) before our tasting, but we did the tasting before signing a contract.  We had already sampled their fare at five different bridal shows, so we were confident enough to put down a deposit, but I'm glad we waited until after the tasting to commit to actual food choices.

Ven&Radio

Personally, I wouldn't sign without tasting.  The food is a major part of the event and probably the single biggest piece of your budget -- do you really want to risk signing without trying?  Some people make the argugment that it's much easier to prepare a delicious tasting for a small number of people and it's not a good "test" of the caterers skill, but I'd rather have them get over this smaller hurdle before I sign than going in blind.