How to Provide the Best Food for Your South Florida Wedding Reception

Should you want to have stone crabs or sushi for your wedding, you’re in the right place. Miami is known for trendy (and terrific) food, and Miami caterers are known for their cool style. Whether a formal or informal wedding, on the beach or inside one of those ultra-fabulous hotels, finding the perfect South Beach caterer is like finding the perfect swimsuit: it fits you to perfection.

Start searching for your Miami 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, 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 Miami restaurant, enquire if they do weddings. Most caterers take care of all food and beverages, hire all servers 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 Miami Local Vendor Section for a list of top-rated caterers in the Miami 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 your guests may 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 Miami wedding caterer should abound in is personality; if the guy you’re interviewing has an attitude problem, chances are his staff will too. Ask about the attire of servers and let him know of any preference regarding 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 Miami wedding caterers will do a walk-through before you wedding (even if the reception is at your home), to make sure food storage is adequate, 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, it should be handed to the caterer in charge at the end of the night.

-David Toussaint