Wedding Catering Q&A

Wedding Q&A

We know you have plenty of questions about catering when it comes to your big day!  Because there are so many factors to consider, we can’t give hard and fast answers to every question, but we’ve compiled some of the most common questions and answers for your convenience:

The Menu

1. What are some menu items that you suggest? At Seasons, we custom create every wedding menu. Factors such as date, time of day, style, number of guests, and the individuality of the bride and groom go into the menu design. You can find sample wedding and other social catering menus on our website to give you an idea of what we can do.

2. Do you have a particular style of food or menu items that you specialize in? We can prepare most anything ~ just ask! The one thing that never changes is our commitment to fresh, creative cuisine.

3. Could we provide a sentimental family recipe to include in the menu? We can often accommodate such requests. Please feel free to ask us about your recipe.

4. Can you provide a wedding cake or groom’s cake? Do you charge a cake cutting fee? We can recommend fabulous resources for your wedding day cakes and we can cut and serve at no extra charge.

5. Will you provide food for the other vendors (i.e., photographer, coordinator, etc.)? Is there a charge? We can provide food for vendors at an additional charge. Talk to us about your options.

6. Will you provide special meals for children? How about kosher, vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free? Yes. We design fun kid’s menus and special request meals with the same care and creativity we put into all of our food.

7. Where is the food prepared? It depends on your individual menu, service style and venue, but in general, the majority of the preparation takes place in our catering kitchen. Often we do the final preparations on-site and with the proper equipment can cook on-site as well.

8. Does the caterer work with fresh food? Always. Always, always, always.

9. Can we arrange for a tasting? Once your menu has been approved, we are happy to provide a tasting for the bride and groom. Please talk to your event specialist about the details.

Budget

10. What is the cost per person? The cost varies depending on your menu selections, plated versus buffet, seasonal item costs, etc. Our event specialists do their best to give you a creative, wonderful menu within your budget.

11. Does that cost per person just cover the food or are such charges such as staff, rentals and linen included? Our quote will specify cost per category such as food & beverage, alcohol, staff, & rentals.

12. How does the cost differ between buffet and sit-down dinner? Because of the additional labor and staff required for a sit-down dinner, buffet style is almost always less expensive.

13. What deposit do you require? We require a 50% deposit upon confirmation of your contract, the balance due three days prior to your event. Should additional fees occur the day of, you will be billed accordingly.

14. What methods of payment do you accept? Cash, check, or credit cards

15. What kind of fees do you charge? In general, we do not charge additional fees such as a service fee, set up, clean up, or an automatic gratuity. If the situation warrants, there may be a delivery fee or out of area fee, but this will be clearly stated on your quote.

Bar/Beverage Service

16. Do you charge for beverage service? The cost of non-alcoholic beverages will be included with your total food costs.

17. Do you provide alcohol? No caterer in the state of Arizona can legally sell alcohol. We can, however, order alcohol (paid separately by you directly to the distributor), provide bartending services, and pour & serve the beer, wine, or liquor you supply for us.

18. If we provide our own alcohol, do you charge a corkage fee? No. If needed, we can staff a bartender to set up and serve alcohol you provide yourself.

Rentals/Venue

19. Do you provide linens, glasses, plates, etc? We can arrange for any rentals you need via our vendor partners. Should your venue have their own supply, we will adhere to their usage regulations (i.e., making sure they are returned to their proper place, clean the kitchen, etc.)

20. What color and style of linens, glasses, etc. are available? There are a wide variety of styles and colors to choose from. Your event specialist can discuss it with you.

21. Have you worked at our location before? In the case we haven’t worked at your venue in the past, we will set an appointment to view the venue and make sure we provide any documentation the venue may require.

22. Will you do a walk through? Gladly.

Service/Staff

23.Who will handle my wedding? Will that person be there on my wedding day? Either the event specialist that you’ve worked with from the beginning or one of the owners will be present on your wedding day.

24. How will you handle last minute requests? We require a three-day notice for guest confirmation. However, depending on the request, we can often accommodate last minute increases. Rest assured, if we can, we will!

25. How much is overtime if the reception runs long? Should the actual labor costs run over the estimate, you will be billed after the event. The hourly rate is the same.

26. What’s your waitstaff to table ratio? It depends on the complexity of the menu, service style, number of courses, etc. We take great pride in our service and will staff accordingly to ensure a successful, memorable event. Your event specialist can answer any questions you have about staffing.

27. How does your staff dress? Bartenders and servers: Black pants, black button down shirt, black bistro apron. Chefs: Black pants and a Seasons chefs coat.

The Wedding Day

28. How much time will you need for set up and clean up? Many factors ~ style of service, venue, menu, number of guests, etc. ~ go into determining the set up and clean up time. The labor required will be included in your quote. If a venue visit is required, the initial quote may change.

29. What happens to leftover food? Leftover food is offered to the client first – please advise your event specialist ahead of time. If there are additional leftovers, they will be donated to Waste Not whenever possible.

30. Will you put out place cards, favors, centerpieces, etc.? Of course! Please let us know in advance so we can include additional service into our timeline.

31. How involved are you in the reception? Will you coordinate traditional wedding day elements? We generally don’t get involved in the coordination of elements such as the first dance, bouquet toss, etc. We do, of course, work with the coordinator with any elements which require our involvement such as the cake cutting, champagne toasts, or food service.

About Us

32. Are you licensed and insured? Yes.

33. Can we see a copy of your contract? Yes.

34. How many weddings have you catered? We’ve catered countless weddings in our 16 years of business ~ from small, intimate gatherings to large, formal sit-down events. We’ve done morning, afternoon, and evening weddings, rehearsal dinners, and bridal parties. Let Seasons make your wedding day vision a reality!