When planning a wedding reception, most brides worry about the food. This is because wedding food is so important. So many weddings are remembered for their food!

      Often, the first question most brides debate over is if they should serve a plated dinner or buffet. While it does make sense to think of this first because it is the main meal, skipping ahead to this aspect of the catering can lead you astray in terms of good food to serve, and in terms of finding a good but reasonable (or even cheap) caterer.

      When trying to find a caterer, try not to think of specific dishes. Many people who make the mistake of thinking of specific dishes usually end up spending more. Having specific dishes in mind sometimes means the food will have no theme in terms of cuisine (which some enjoy), but it also means you will be deviating away from some of the already prepared menus some caterers offer. Usually when you mix menu options and cuisine, caterers charge more because of the recalculations, and because of personal adjustments they will need to make.

      Rather than think of specific dishes you like, think of specific cuisine types. When you have a specific cuisine you are following, you can come up with a menu or idea for a menu that will be reasonable, filling, and good. Sometimes the caterer will have a menu that can follow these specific cuisine themes. Most of the time, following a specific cuisine type also comes out cheaper because you can get all your food from one caterer who will be comfortable with the orders, and not have to charge extra or go out of their way to make something not a part of their forte.

      So, think of what cuisines you enjoy eating. Say you like Italian (a wedding favorite), you can begin looking for caterers among Italian restaurants, NOT wedding caterers. Wedding caterers often have very generic tasting food (not bad tasting, but not incredible tasting), and for pretty high prices because they know they are catering to an industry that is always willing to pay.

      Also, their food is generic tasting because they have so many menu types (in order to accommodate many different wedding types), which means their chefs never get to truly focus on one type of food and make it exceptional. If you really want to have a good idea of costs, though, you can ask for some basic quotations from wedding caterers. Just to see how they compare to the restaurants.

      Looking for restaurants that cater on the side, can be cheaper for you. Following the example, make a list of Italian restaurants that also accept catering orders, and begin asking for prices. Be sure to ask for the plated dinner price, and the buffet price. Each restaurant is a little different, and sometimes one is more expensive than the other, but worth paying the extra money. So weigh these differences. Next, go on and try their food yourself. This will give you a good gauge of what you can expect. If you're happy with it, then there's a great chance your guests will be happy with it too.

      Ask the restaurant if they have any fixed menus. This type of menu usually comes out cheaper than if you create your own menu. Trust that it will still follow your cuisine theme, and may not even be too far from the menu you thought up! Following the Italian example, a fixed menu can have two or three Italian canapes to be served at the cocktail party, a soup or salad (maybe both), a main Italian dish, and a dessert. This type of menu will not be too filling for your guests, and because only a certain number of dishes are served (not to mention the fact that the dishes will be dishes that the chef is comfortable cooking) then you are assured good wedding food.

Page 2: Planning a Wedding Reception: Finding a Caterer