How much for catering?

Beckity

Hi again all!

So as I am venue hunting- I'm coming across of a pretty wide variety of places: some are inclusive with catering, some you can bring in your own caterers and bartenders.  I'm trying to price out how much these items will be before deciding on a venue- or at least getting a general ball-park.

Are any of you getting your own caterers?  If so- how much does it come out to be per person?  Also= are you finding that the caterers charge an additional fee for cake cutting?  I realize that nearly every caterer will probably be different= there are so many.  I'd just like to get some idea from you ladies who have likely already done a lot of research.  Thanks again all!!!

alschmid

Beckity -

I just went through this and am about to sign with a caterer.  There are a bunch of different options of course.  Are you looking for a buffet type meal? 

I have gotten price quotes from a bunch of place and have the information in a spreadsheet below.  Several of the catering companies also have posted prices on their websites (keep in mind at a minimum I've found all posted prices do not include  20% gratuity and around 8% tax).  Some places have additional fees for china, glassware, staff etc.  And random "operations" fees you have to watch out for.

I have not found any caterers that I've talked with that charge a cake cutting fee.  Some of the companies I have been in contact with and have quotes for are - Heidi's, Creations in Cuisine, Atlasta, Dad's, Arizona Taste, and A Savory Affair and Roberts.   Out of those, I would say Roberts and Dad's were on the lower end of pricing.  We are probably going to go with A Savory Affair - which for what we are thinking of doing (3 passed hor d'oevres, bread, salad, 2 entrees (one premium), and coffee and ice tea station))  We are going to be around the $55 - $65 pp range I think - depending on if we want to do this buffet style or plated.  All of these places had lower packages as well. 

If you are interested in particular companies - leave your email and I can send you the information they gave me to help you narrow them down. 

Also - note - you may need your own linens.  Seems like bartender only prices are about $25 per hour.  With a ~$3.50 per person charge if you want bartender to supply mixers, etc.  We plan on buying our own alcohol.

Also - there are a ton of reviews on weddingwire - so you can do some research there.

I've had a friend that used Fat Freddy's and I thought that was pretty good.  I also have another friend that went with a smaller caterer that I never heard of - called Heavenly Scent. 

kimheartsscott

It really depends.  We are going to the caterer that our venue provides, but we were worried about their price.  We switched from an evening wedding to mid-day, and it is knocking $40 off per plate! 

So, look for little things like that that will make a big difference.  Also, don't be afraid to negotiate!

NillaWafer10

You can also look at restaurant catering as well.  They might not have all the rentals, but they are sometimes significantly cheaper than the catering companies.  I've had Robert's catering before, and it was really good.  I hear great things about Dad's too.

If you need rentals, check out buying before you rent.  For me, it was a whole lot cheaper than renting, and I get to resell it after the wedding.  For linens, check out linentablecloth.com.  For silverware, plates, and cups, check out IKEA.  Their silverware is dirt cheap, and looks really nice. I have also heard of people getting plates from Target and Kohls during their clearance sales.

alschmid

Oh, wanted to add that I did have Roberts at the VVL and it was pretty good - they had meatballs and  pulled pork sandwiches that were really good, I didn't care for the stuffed mushrooms though

Since we are considering a plated meal - that eliminated a few places.  I believe that fat freddys, roberts and dads all only offer buffet.

Beckity

Thanks for the suggestions!  We will probably be going with a buffet style.

And also thank you for the suggestions on renting/buying linens and sliverware/flatware.  As I get closer to finding a venue it looks like I might be going with one where I would have to provide those things myself.  I'm willing to shop around for a good price on those extra things.

Oh- and if you want to send me any suggestions, my e-mail is beck.lilley@gmail.com

Thanks again!