Email
Print
FeedAisle Style . Reception
(page 3 of 5)
Food For Thought
Your reception site may come with its own caterer—or it may not. Either way, learn the pros and cons.
When it comes to your wedding, the caterer plays a special role. Some venues include catering in their packages. Others let you bring your own. Which way is better?
A couple may book the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington for the elegance of the ballrooms or because they were impressed by the food of its caterer, Sodexo. “Weddings are really an opportunity for us to showcase our food,” says Carrie Van Horn. “We make the whole planning process much easier by coordinating everything for her—space, linens, food, flowers, cake.”
Ease of planning is often the reason for booking a reception at an all-inclusive venue such as the Waterfall Conference Center in Claymont or Baywood Greens in Long Neck. “Most venues have their own catering,” says Stephanie Scheib of Waterfall, which does its catering in-house. At Baywood “everything is included,” says Natalia Ovide.
Some venues offer novel spaces that lend themselves to outside caterers, especially sites that don’t have adequate kitchens. When booking a reception at a Delaware State Park property such as the Judge Morris Estate or Bellevue Hall, couples are provided with an excellent selection of caterers.
“They’re all very good at working with the couple’s personal tastes,” says event coordinator Karen Helme.
If hiring your own caterer, “get proposals from two, if not three,” says Samantha Diedrick of Secretariat Wedding and Event Planning. See what’s included. Do they have a liquor license? Tables and chairs? Do they bill separately for bringing in staff? “And always do a food tasting,” says Diedrick. —Susan Oates
Turn to page 4 to learn why holding off on the reception might be a good idea for your wedding.
