The caterer you choose for your wedding will have a huge impact on its success, not only in regards to the obvious food and service aspects, but also many other logistical concerns.

In many cases the caterer handles much of the set up and breakdown of your event. The ceremony can’t begin until the guest’s chairs are set up, tables are arranged and have the linens and floral arrangements on them, and also the cake table must be set up for delivery of the cake. The cleanliness of the facility at the end of your event will ensure receiving your cleaning deposit back.

The food and service greatly affects how much your guests will enjoy your wedding. While many guests may not notice other facets of the event, everyone interacts with and forms an opinion on the food. Dining is something everyone takes part in, so it is noticeable if food isn’t hot or wine and water glasses are not refilled, due to too few servers. Few things evoke memories like your sense of smell and taste, as demonstrated by Proust exalting Madeleine’s in Remembrance of Things Past or the fictional food critic, Anton Ego being transported back to his childhood in the movie Ratatouille. A wonderful meal can become a cherished part of your wedding day memories.

Choosing the right caterer is vitally important to the success of your wedding, so how do you go about finding a suitable one? It helps to know not only what type of food you want, but also the atmosphere you’re looking for so you can communicate it to prospective caterers. Doing this will narrow your list of caterers down, so you don’t get a quote from someone who specializes in barbeque when what you’re looking for is a multi-course fine dining experience. Here are a few things to consider when choosing a caterer:

• What is your budget?

• Does your event site allow outside caterers?

• Do you have a certain type of food in mind? Favorite ingredients or things you dislike?

• Are you looking for a sit down dinner, buffet, family style, food stations, or something else?

• Do you want a caterer to provide complete event planning or just the catering?

• Do you want full bar service, provide your own beverages, or a combination?

Once you know what you’re looking for, browse caterer websites or ask for referrals from family, friends, or event professionals that you’re working with. Narrow down your list to a handful of caterers that look like they will be a good fit and begin a dialogue with them.

Good questions to ask a caterer include:

• What are your specialties? Do you custom design menus based on what I’m looking for, or do I have to select from pre-made menus? Generally, the more expensive the caterer, the more custom the experience.

• What is your average price per person? What does that include?

• How long have you been in business?

• How many weddings have you done?

• How many events do you book on a given weekend?

• How many servers per guest do you allocate? Do you have an event manager for each event?

• What is the background of the chef? A salesperson may be charming but that won’t matter if the kitchen staff isn’t skilled.

• Do you offer tastings before booking, after booking, or not at all? It varies regionally, but many caterers now charge for tastings, which for a couple hundred dollars is a worthwhile investment.

• Will the chef at the tasting be at my event? If not, it does little good to have a tasting.

• What other services do you offer in addition to catering?

Above all, you should feel comfortable with the caterer you choose and get a good “vibe” from them. Planning your wedding is a once in a lifetime process and you want to enjoy it as much as possible.