Wedding Catering in Puglia

From staff to insurance, from experience to food quality: here’s what to check before making your final choice. 

Many years of experience are important to understand the critical points of this activity, especially in an industry full of operators and variables such as wedding catering Puglia.

For this reason, we have collected a series of useful suggestions for a reasoned choice of your trusted partner, to whom you can rely on with confidence, not before having verified that everything corresponds to appearances. How do they say? Trust is good but…

1. Does the caterer speak your language?

Finding yourself surrounded by a staff that does not know a single word of your language is not the best: make sure!

2. Check the menu before printing.

In order to avoid any mistake: layout, spelling, grammar and … horror! the name of the company or the couple!

3. Ask for an “all-inclusive” quote.

Sometimes it can be an unpleasant surprise to find out that the caterer’s quote is missing tables and chairs.

4. Know if your caterer has insurance.

Think it’s a given? It’s not: if the president’s dress gets stained, if grandma trips over the tablecloth or if the wind knocks over the umbrella and breaks the windows of the villa you rented, good insurance solves every problem. And not everyone has it!

5. The menu looks great, but are they licensed?

Surprisingly, the art of catering is very improvised today, many do not know that specific licenses are needed for this activity. A health authorization and an administrative license are essential. And not only to avoid fines and seizures to your supplier, but also to prevent the N.A.S. from raiding your reception! In addition, it is necessary to make sure that all the staff is fully compliant with the contributory positions, so it must be requested the Durc (Single Document on the regularity of contributions) of the company.

6. Who guarantees the quality of the food?

It is essential that a menu is pleasant to the taste and composed of quality dishes. However, quality raw materials are not enough, food is delicate and must be handled appropriately, especially when it is transported and served in particular locations. It is therefore essential that the cold chain is respected and HACCP regulations are followed.

7. Will the wedding planner remember the cake?

The question seems superfluous. In fact, it is certain that someone has, how to say, forgotten this detail. Better not to risk it!

8. Professionalism and Quantity.

Generally, a professional knows how to calculate quite well the quantities of food, equipment, and personnel needed. We do not wish you to experience the opposite, with half of your guests forced to give up the second course… wedding catering in Puglia.

9. How many waiters?

Many, too many, too few, or very few. In some receptions, you lose track of them. The ideal is one every ten to fifteen guests at most. Otherwise, contact “Chi l’ha visto” and ask for a refund.

10. Will we all fit?

Many caterers are often a little too optimistic. 150 people in a 120-square-foot room? Unless you loft it (not recommended), no more than 80 will fit, and if someone assures you otherwise, ask to see the room set up first, and count all the chairs.

11. Temptation of the caterer.

There are excellent caterers who turn out to be bad caterers. Why? These are completely different professions, you need to own and know how to use (not just rent) hundreds of thousands of euros of equipment, have specific experience and be able to solve last-minute problems. When you play at home, everything is easier. But what if the furnace breaks down 100 km from home? wedding catering in Puglia

12. Sometimes, it’s better to be jealous!

Another risk to avoid is if your vendor gets carried away and sells 5 receptions on the same day as yours. Paying the same price and getting a fifth of the attention (and resources) is sometimes not worth it!

13. Make the numbers clear.

Price is often a function of number. And vice versa. If you book for 100, you will pay for 100, even if there were actually 85 in attendance! So it’s best to find out about the conditions and the guaranteed minimum, as well as any margins of tolerance.

14. Test the menu.

Choose a caterer that inspires confidence, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Even the most professional and reputable caterer can turn out a dish that “looked so good” but, in reality, was different from what you expected. For this, ask to try the menu, to get a good idea of what you are buying.

15. All homemade?

In words, certainly, but you’d be amazed at how many tons of frozen food flow into the kitchens every year. Therefore, check for yourself by asking that everything be put on paper, to avoid a fast food style lunch.

16. Price too low?

There are two schools of thought. The first: if the price is too low, the quality will certainly be poor. The second: it’s always worth it to spend less. This is not necessarily the case. Asking for a “no frills” proposal, simple and without excessive complications can get you a good price. The important thing is to get all the necessary guarantees and never give up on quality!

17. And now, to whom do I turn?

This is the question of those who talk for three months with the reference of the wedding catering in Puglia and then, on the most beautiful (during the service), that person is not there. Besides being a guarantee that what was agreed upon will be respected, if the person in charge is present, you’ll know who to turn to for every need, from last-minute changes to unforeseen needs.

18. Respect the timing.

How many times have we heard of endless lunches and dinners? How many receptions in which several quarters of an hour pass between one course and another? Slow service is a common flaw. It depends on various factors: few waiters, unorganized kitchen, inexperience of those who have studied the menu or those who are cooking and planting. To avoid sleeplessness among guests, get a precise schedule with the duration of service and the expected waiting time between courses.

19. Beware of the “Cinderella” effect

According to some restaurateurs, it’s all fun and games as long as it doesn’t last: in other words, the sooner the service ends and you go home, the better. If from a management point of view an event that doesn’t take too long is preferable, it is equally true that the program and schedules of an event must be carefully defined. This is to guarantee the quality of the service both in the initial and final stages, and to avoid that, at midnight, maitre d’ and waiters magically disappear into the dark, leaving you alone with a pumpkin in your hand.

20. When it’s better not to be original.

Originality in itself is a positive element, however, on some occasions, it is better to keep it “classic”. Case in point? Staff uniforms! The “uniform” was created to distinguish a function, and whoever is in charge of welcoming and serving, such as waiters, must be impeccable, wear an elegant uniform and show off a well-groomed appearance. In this respect, it’s best to avoid the surprise of a flock of breathless waiters, each dressed differently and perhaps with a beard from the day before or a pierced nose. You will say: but it’s obvious, who proposes such personnel? Fine, but don’t complain!

21. Even the eye…

Substance and form are combined in many different ways. Provided that quality comes first, that therefore it is useless a beautiful dish if it is not also good, better to devote some attention to the image. A crepe, for example, can be presented in many different ways! It can be imagined as an elegant handkerchief of crepe, golden in color, soft and elegantly served in the center of a plate, maybe with a little decoration at its side, and usually, it works like that. But many would be amazed to see how many different ways there are to prepare the same dish. Some people roll them up, some cut them into squares, some wrap them around themselves, some coat them with béchamel sauce, some serve them in a bowl or present them as a small omelet….

22. Never grope in the dark.

There are beautiful locations that literally glow, at least in the sunlight. However, if your event is going to take place in the evening, better make sure your caterer also shines, not just because of the quality of the food. Staying in the dark or dining in the half-light, locating cutlery only by touch is not at all pleasant. But even without going to these extremes, make sure that either the location or your caterer provide adequate lighting of the crucial points: the buffet area, the points of passage, the area where your guests will dine … not only by candlelight!

23. Rely on experience.

Today it is very fashionable among magazines, newspapers and blogs to make lists of ideas to stand out and make your event unique and unforgettable. Surely the writer is animated by the best intentions, but unfortunately most of these suggestions are accepted by those who have no experience and put at risk even quite simple events. Playing games with the guests, the idea that everyone will follow even the most original program, the hope that by doing the decorations at home you can save money, assigning the wrong person to take care of the animation, is never ideas that work. At best, the style of the event will suffer. At worst, you’ll be faced with the embarrassment of your guests. Since you have hired a professional, rely on his experience: explain what you imagine, and listen to his suggestions. If the real expert will tell you that your idea is suggestive, but advises you to leave it alone, listen to him and rely on his experience. If not, you will end up blaming him for the failure of your bad idea, and you will both be held responsible for an avoidable embarrassment.

Can I do it myself?

You can do it yourself, just like you can paint your house, you can cut your hair, you can mend your shoes, but if you leave it to a local expert – wedding planner in Puglia – it will be much easier and useful, and no surprises will sweep you away when you least expect it.

Feel free to contact me anytime with questions or requests about your wedding catering in Puglia!