is it inappropriate to have 2 different caterers

hgminor

I don't know if anyone has seen my other posts, but I'm having trouble deciding on a caterer/menu plan for the reception.  My mother wants to keep the food budget under $30 per person, but we are having a dinner reception and all the caterers I've looked into have that as their lowest package price.

I was hoping to get a few stations (i've lurked and read on other sites that they can be cheaper than a buffet) and a few dips or hors dourves platters for variety.  However, I'm worried that no one will have a package that will supply enough food for a dinner in my price range.  

Here's my question: would it be inappropriate to have a caterer come in for part of the meal (one station and hors dourves) then have another, most likely a restaurant that will have cheaper catering prices, bring the buffet? I'm not really sure at this point if this would actually save much money, but I want to know if it's a really bad idea BEFORE I start looking at prices...

jessicabessica

You need to look at the contracts you would be signing with these caterers.  They may not allow it, and I would not try to be sneaky about it.  

Can you have a restaurant cater the entire thing and seperately hire people to pass hors d'oeurves and make sure the buffet stays full?

NYCMercedes

Have you shown your mom the caterer quotes? Just because some would like to have a full dinner with appetizers for that price doesn't mean it could ever happen. Have you considered lunch or something informal, like burger buffet or BBQ?

NOLAbridealmost

Some caterers will probably want to be the exclusive caterer for liability reasons.  They don't want to have their insurance rates go up, etc. because someone makes a claim about getting sick but it was from some other caterer's food.  It's a point that you ABSOLUTELY should bring up before you sign any contracts to make sure that you're on the same page as the caterer.

Buffets will almost always be cheaper than stations because stations are typically manned by a chef/waiter to serve people to order.  That costs more for labor than just setting up a buffet and letting it sit there.

I would try to keep things simple and just use one caterer/restaurant for the whole things.  If this is the same post from the other board, you should be able to get a Mexican place to make mashed potatoes for a large enough catering order if lack of mashed potato bar would be a deal breaker. It's not like it's a hard or expensive thing to make.

Sue-n-Kevin

You've been given good advice above.

Based on your question, I'm assuming you haven't selected a venue yet. Keep looking, and use your local Knot board for advice and recommendations. Trying to find caterers with a full meal and appetizers under $30 is going to be difficult no matter where you live or look.

Also, if you can find a venue where you can bring in your own food, look into gourmet stores in your area that do catering. I found that to be the most budget friendly option, because they don't make all their profits from catering (they also run a gourmet grocery store), and they can add to or subtract things more easily to assist with your price point.

You also need to keep in mind that if someone quotes you $30 per person, the actual per person price will be about $35 per person with tax and gratuities added in. If your top price is $30 per person, you are going to have to look for meals in the $25 per person range.

Good luck.

hgminor

I do already have a venue signed. They had a few different caterers on their preferred list, but you can use any other caterer for a $250 fee. Since we've already set the venue the time really can't change. Also, there are a some extra issues that keep it a dinner reception (not to mention, I really just prefer it that way, but its not just my stubborn attitude) We were expecting the final price to be higher, the $30 per person was just the basic food amount, which would leave extra room in the budget for the taxes and stuff. I've never really heard of these gourmet stores, but that sounds like an interesting option. Thanks for the help so far! I've got good info to think about now.

MuppetOverlord

The caterer I talked to has a contract that says she can be the only one to supply food and beverage at events (less cake). However, she agreed that I could do my own appetizers and drinks. Also, she was willing to work with us to meet our budget. I.e. limiting our selection options down to what were less expensive for her to make.

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