Indianapolis Wedding Reception Caterers Guide, Indianapolis Wedding Guide Advice from OurWeddingDay.com

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Indianapolis Wedding Caterers Guide

How to Find the Best Caterers in Indiana

Midwestern folks are as down-home as their food. For your Indianapolis wedding, you’ll want to treat your guests to some fabulous food, served with an apple-pie smile. You can get that, and more, in this thriving metropolis, as caterers are lining up at the starting line to make you the perfect meal. Read on for speedy tips.

Start searching for your Indianapolis caterer about 9 months’ prior to your wedding, even earlier if you have the time. You don’t need to have your site picked out when looking and the best caterers get booked up far in advance. Prices for caterers vary tremendously, depending on the size of your wedding, the site, and your personal style. Expect to pay anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000.

When looking for caterers, ask friends and relatives, as well as other vendors. If you have a favorite Indianapolis restaurant, enquire if they do weddings. Most caterers take care of all food and beverages, hire all serves and bartenders, and are in charge of setup and cleanup.

When you’re ready to start interviewing potential wedding caterers, check out the OurWeddingDay.com Indianapolis Local Vendor Section for a list of top-rated caterers in the Indianapolis area.

Once you start the interview process, be sure to tell the company exactly what you have in mind for your wedding, and any special needs you or your guests might have. Can the caterer manage a kosher wedding? What about vegetarian dishes? A good caterer should have 5-7 years’ experience, and you should ask for references and contact the Better Business Bureau for complaints.

Next to food and beverages, the most important thing your Indianapolis caterer should abound in is personality; if the guy you’re interviewing has an attitude problem, chances are his staff will too. Ask about attire of servers and any preference as to personality types. Meet with the Party Staff Coordinator (he’s generally hired by the caterer) to go over the style of your reception and expectations of servers.

Some cost-cutting measures to discuss with the caterer include having a buffet instead of a seated meal, and limiting the bar to wine and champagne. If you want a full bar, you can substitute medium-shelf liquor for top-shelf brands. The dessert dish can be eliminated, and you can place hors d’oeuvre stations in the room as opposed to having servers pass trays around.

Reliable Indianapolis wedding caterers will do a walk-through before your wedding (even if the reception is at your home), to make sure food storage is accurate, and to sort out any unforeseen glitches. The wait staff is generally served a meal right before or right after the reception, so as to avoid any service lapses. Gratuity for all workers should be included in the contract; if you decide to give an additional tip, the Best Man or whoever’s assigned to tip duty should hand it to the caterer in charge at the end of the night.

Now get ready to eat like a winner!

-David Toussaint