The Perfect Food & Service for Your Arizona Reception

Arid might describe the temperature in Phoenix, but smokin’ good describes the food. Phoenix is turning into quite the trend-setting city these days, which means more caterers have arrived to cook the goods. For your Phoenix wedding, make the food a spiritual experience by following a few hot tips.

Start searching for your Phoenix caterer about 9 months’ prior to your wedding, even earlier if you have the time. You don’t need to have your Phoenix reception 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 Phoenix 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 Phoenix Local Vendor Section for a list of top-rated caterers in the Phoenix 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 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 Phoenix 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 preferences 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 expectation 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’oeuvres stations in the room as opposed to having servers pass trays around.

Reliable Phoenix 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, it should be handed to the caterers in charge at the end of the night.

-David Toussaint

Check Out the Phoenix Wedding Guide
Check Out the Best Wedding Vendors in Phoenix, Arizona
Check Out the Phoenix Wedding Cake Bakers Guide
Check Out the Phoenix Wedding Photographers Guide
Check Out the Phoenix Wedding Makeup Artists Guide
Check Out the Phoenix Wedding Day Transportation Guide
Check Out the Phoenix Wedding Florists Guide
Check Out the Phoenix Wedding Officiants Guide
Check Out the Phoenix Wedding Reception DJs Guide
Check Out the Phoenix Wedding Videographers Guide
Check Out the Phoenix Wedding Hairstylists Guide