dress

Before you make plans to cater your 2010 Wedding Dresses , you need to decide on a guest list and also set your budget. It is important to know how many people you will be feeding on your special day before deciding on a three-course meal ending in Lobster Thermidor and Prime Rib. The number of guests invited will greatly affect your catering plans. It common for brides (and their families) to spend more than $20 a head for guests to eat a full meal. These days, many couples are paying for their own weddings, in full or in part, so keeping the food budget-friendly can be very important. Consider what time of day to hold your wedding reception. Lunchtime wedding receptions can sometimes save you money per head because you can serve a light meal rather than several courses. If you want to pare down the menu even more, consider a dessert and hors' dourves reception, set either between lunch and dinner (2 to 3 p.m.) or late in the evening (8 p.m. or later). People will have already eaten by this time, so you can get away with a much lighter menu, of snacks and maybe some other desserts, in addition to the traditional wedding cake. Next, you should check and see if your reception site has any restrictions as far as catering. Some venues will ask you to only use caterers they have a relationship with, and others may charge you an extra fee to bring in your own caterer. Here are some questions to ask your venue: Do you provide tables and chairs, or will I have to rent those? Do you provide table settings, or will my caterer have to supply those? What are your policies on alcohol? Is there an additional fee for using an outside catering company? Once you have those big questions out of the way, it's finally time to start interviewing caterers. Check out our homepage and click on your city to get a list of local caterers. It is also a good idea to ask friends or family members who have recently planned weddings if they can refer you to a good caterer. Your reception site may also have good leads. You might even be able to get a discount networking in this way. Whatever you decide to do about catering, remember that this is one day of your life, and if you don't feel comfortable budgeting several thousand dollars for a full meal for all of your guests (which is very easy to do if you have a large guest list), don't do it. There are other options, and even if you feel pressured to serve dinner to out of town guests, remember they are there to celebrate your wedding, not to eat a meal. If you don't feed them, they'll just go out for dinner. No sweat! Once you have your budget, number of guests, and venue figured out its time to start interviewing. Here are Some initial questions to ask your caterer: What is your experience and how long have you been in the business of catering? Do you have the proper licensing, health and safety inspections, and up-to-date liability insurance. What size event can you accommodate? What is the typical event size that you cater? What is included in the price (taxes, service charge, equipment rentals, staff to be there on the day of the event, etc.)? What is the deposit required? Also, what will the payment plan look like and when is the final balance due? Do you have a liquor license? (Make sure to ask about extra fees incurred if you are buying your own wine or service charges for bartenders that they may supply.) What do you charge if the event runs later than 2010 Evening Dresses ? The rest of the questions should be the fun part. This is when you'll get to choose your menu, taste samples (ask if your caterer can arrange for a tasting for you and your fianc, if they haven't mentioned this as an option already), and envision the food that will be served on your big day! Consider how hungry your guests might be and what time of day your reception will take place. If you are serving lunch or dinner, this will be considerably more expensive per head (per person) than a mid-afternoon snack or desserts only reception. Also consider that while a buffet may be more ideal for the guests serving themselves, some guests may tend to over-serve themselves, making your overall food costs go up. To avoid that, you may want to have a sit-down meal where each dinner is portioned out already. Your caterer may or may not be working from a set menu. See if they are willing to accept some of your requests or suggestions if you have something particular in mind. A good caterer will have suggestions for your regardless. If you need some creativity to jump start your thinking, here are some popular themed menu ideas to help cater your wedding: Southern BBQ: Barbecue, Southern Fried, or Plain Grilled Chicken, House Salad, Roasted Red Potatoes, and Corn Bread. Hawaiian Luau: Roasted Pork, Fresh Fruit Salad, Sweet Potatoes, and Coconut-Crusted Shrimp Appetizer. Italian Family Dinner: Two types of Pasta (like Fettucine Alfredo and Linguini Marinara), Dinner Rolls or Garlic Bread, Italian Salad, and Tiramisu Squares. Desserts Only: Variety of Cookies, Empire Wedding Dresses , Cheesecakes, Tiramisu, and other Desserts. Coffee and/or Smoothie Bar. (Nuts and Party Mints make great supplements to tide guests over.) Appetizers Only: Mini Quiches, Vegetable Trays, Fruit Trays, Tortilla Chips and Fresh Salsa, Swedish Meatballs, Cheese Tray, and/or Cocktail Shrimp.