Planning a Wedding Reception Menu with your Clients - Part 2
by Debbie Tobias
Once you have your client's vision and budget for their wedding reception menu in mind. The next step is to research and locate caterers.
Narrow the list down to three wedding caterers. Ideally this will not be your first interaction with each caterer and you have already met with and have information for each company in your vendor file. If not, take the time to research each potential vendor. Introduce yourself and ask if they can send you sample menus and brochures.
Provide the date, time of day, and site of your client's wedding to each caterer; and ask if they are available and whether or not they are familiar with the wedding venue (if they are that's a definite plus!).
Be up front about your client's budget and make sure it's realistic for each caterer that you speak with.
MEETING WITH WEDDING CATERERS
Schedule an initial face-to-face meeting with each wedding caterer and your clients. During this initial meeting, the caterer should:
* Provide information on their services and packages.
* Discuss wedding logistics such as number of guests, venue, etc.
* Go over any dietary restrictions (your initial screening should make sure that selected caterers are able to handle any such requests.)
* Do his/her best to get to know your clients and make a connection
* Be excited, ask lots of questions about your client's wedding and want the job!
THE PROPOSAL
Following this initial meeting, the caterer should create a personalized but professional proposal for your clients. A winning proposal lets your clients know that the caterer was paying attention to the couple's needs and should:
* Be well written and describe the wedding reception menu in detail
* Be personalized and include your clients' name, venue, wedding date and time
* Include any notes regarding special dietary restrictions mentioned during the initial meeting
* Include a line-by-line listing of all the associated costs (labor, equipment, etc.)
* A schedule of payment
* A cover letter telling your clients why this particular caterer is the best company for the job.
TASTINGS
Just as you might expect, a tasting gives your clients an opportunity to sample the food they are considering serving on their wedding reception menu.Some caterers will only agree to a tasting after a contract is signed.
Others (especially smaller and fledgling companies) may charge for tastings that happen before receiving a deposit (which is totally acceptable--just try and negotiate applying the cost of the tasting to the caterer's fee if your client selects them).
But many wedding caterers realize the importance of complimentary tastings as an important marketing tool and can't wait to 'wow' your clients and show off their catering skills.
HAPPY PLANNING!
© 2009 Debbie A. Tobias. All Rights Reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wedding expert and self-proclaimed life-of-the party, Debbie Tobias, is the creator of Weddings For A Living, a wonderful, one-of-a-kind resource for wedding planners and wedding professionals who want to skyrocket` their wedding planning business to ultimate success.
NOTE: You're welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to debbie@weddingsforaliving.com.
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