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Dallas, TX – One of the most important components of your wedding day is the wedding reception. For many of your guests, the reception is the last thing they’ll remember about your wedding. You need to make sure that the reception goes off without a hitch, and that everything from the decorations to the DJ are exactly the way you want them to be. That’s why you need to take the time and properly interview a wedding caterer before you agree to hire them for your special day.

There are several areas you need to talk with your caterer about before you hire them, including costs, experience, alcohol and equipment.

Cost Budget Questions

When you interview a wedding caterer, you need to make sure you know what costs are involved in catering your wedding and you need to make sure they fit within your budget. Here are some cost-related questions to ask when interviewing your potential wedding caterer:

• Do you require a deposit? How much is the deposit, and when is it due?

• Do you offer an installment plan? When is final payment due?

• Is there an additional gratuity charge or service charge? What about taxes?

• How many hours of service is included in the cost? How much extra would it cost for additional time?

• What is included in the wedding caterer’s price?

Experience and Qualifications Questions

In addition to making sure the wedding caterer will fit into your budget, you need to get some information about their experience. Here are some good experience-related questions:

• How long have you been in business?

• Where did you receive your culinary education and training?

• Have you previously catered weddings? Have you catered weddings of similar size?

• Are you licensed and insured?

• Do you have the necessary health permits as required by the state or local governments?

Alcohol-related Questions

If you’re going to serve alcohol at your wedding reception, there are some additional questions you will need to ask a potential wedding caterer:

Do you have a liquor license used to purchase alcohol? If not, can you serve my alcohol?

Do you provide bartenders, and how much is this service?

Do you require a corkage fee if I serve my own wine?

Is champagne service for the wedding toast included?

Equipment Questions

A wedding reception requires a great deal of equipment. Some of this equipment may be provided by the venue, and some may need to be provided by your caterer. Here are some important equipment questions for your wedding caterer:

What rental equipment is needed? Do you provide the rental equipment, or is it proved by a third party?

Are there less expensive options, such as plastic flatware or paper plates?

Can I see samples of the equipment that you will be using?

Obviously, these are only some of the questions you’ll need to ask as you interview a wedding caterer. If you make it through these main categories satisfactorily, however, then you can confidently decide on whether or not to hire the wedding caterer.