How to to get More from your Caterer - Wedding Buffet Dinner

Everyone knows a wedding is a great expense. For the budget conscious bride and groom, negotiation with vendors is an essential part of the wedding coordination. Most caterers have set menus and price packages and you may be working with a caterer who doesn't want to budge from their price point. The caterer should get paid what they are bidding. But it is perfectly fine to negotiate what you receive for the price you pay per person.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Caterer
• Menu options
• Cake Favor Boxes

1. Before you talk to your caterer about the budget, make sure you have already done your research regarding prices and packages. If your caterer is already giving you a great package at a very reasonable price then be careful about what you push for. However, just because they are giving you a great price doesn't mean that you don't have room to negotiate.

2. Call your caterer and ask them to itemize the catering budget. This will give you the opportunity to see where you can save money and what you can ask from the caterer. Once you have this, schedule a time to meet with them and discuss your options.

3. If your caterer doesn't have a buffet menu option, talk to them about what they can do for you. A buffet dinner allows you to have a casual feel even if everything else about your reception is formal. Guests have the opportunity to mingle and walk around. Most importantly the buffet dinner allows you to offer a multitude of food options.

4. Serving the food as a buffet saves the caterer money because they need less catering staff. Talk to your caterer and see if this option can bring you (or them) some savings.

5. Substituting menu options is the fastest way to find savings. Consider nixing the more expensive items. Think about honoring your family or culture by asking the caterer to provide a dish that may be a twist on a family recipe and one that your guests will instantly recognize. Pork dishes or paella dishes can be substituted for the filet mignon or the fish dish. Switch out expensive appetizers for some tasty options that don't use shrimp, lobster or other expensive ingredients. Instead use a food that has some sentimental meaning for the bride and groom. Be sure to include a salad dish and a pasta dish. These are inexpensive fillers and favorites amongst guests.

6. Negotiate the drink menu. If open bar is included in the menu but is not something you think is necessary, you can definitely gain a lot of savings from this. Ask the caterer for champagne toast, juices and sodas, and one other drink option. By limiting your drink option to only wine or sangria or one signature drink, you will free up lots of money to do other things.

7. Once you have found savings in the catering budget, it is time to negotiate with your caterer on what you can do with those savings. Think hard about what you need and be creative. Don't be afraid to ask for things. The worst that can happen is they say no. But more often than not, they are willing to work with you to make your day memorable.

8. Ask the caterer to use the savings from the budget to add something nice like a fruit table or an ice sculpture.

9. Ask the caterer to use the savings to help with the decor budget. They could place a flower on each napkin or behind each chair (perhaps a rose in the sash of the chair).

10. If the caterer is coordinating the linens for the wedding, ask them to include them for free.

11. 
     
    Dessert Tray

    Ask the caterer to use the savings to place a dessert tray or a bowl of chocolate truffles per table. Guests will be dancing with joy on and off the dance floor as they devour the treats. Have them served with the coffee or even before the coffee. Consider purchasing inexpensive cake boxes from a wedding catalogue. You can even have your monogram or your wedding theme on the top of the box. Have the caterer offer some boxes to the guests. Any guests who are too full to consume the dessert or perhaps want to take home leftover dessert, can take the small boxes with them as a wedding favor. Your favorite aunt will surely be sticking a few into her purse.

12. 
     
    Wedding Cake box

    Ask your caterer to cut up and box the leftover wedding cake. Wedding cakes are expensive and there is often a lot left over. Rather than throwing the cake away use the cake boxes mentioned earlier. The caterer can cut up the extra cake and stack the filled boxes on your favors table. Guests can grab a piece on the way out and enjoy later. Also, you can ask the caterer to deliver the cake boxes directly to the tables.

13. Negotiate some free meals for the musicians, drivers, and other people working for you that night. Some caterers will include some of these people for free but if you have a large number of people there may be a fee for this. Make sure the caterer will include them all for free.

14. If your catering package did not include open bar but you would like this, maybe this is an option that can be thrown in for free.

15. Once you and your caterer have finalized what you are getting for the price, be sure to thank them profusely for working with you to deliver a festive and memorable celebration.

Tips & Warnings

• Shop around! Wedding cake favor boxes range in price from $20 to $40 per qty of 50. However, in quantities of 100 you can really get some great deals with free personalization.