With every wedding, it is required to give an accurate guest count to your caterer and sometimes your venue as well. Why does your caterer need this information? They need to plan accordingly in regards to knowing exactly how much food to prepare. I get asked the question “who do I feed at my wedding” many times from various couples during the planning process. Does this sound like a crazy question? Well, it’s far from it. Let me tell you why.
Everyone knows they must feed their guests attending the wedding. However, there are three sets of people who are sometimes overlooked in the guest count number.
- Parents – although they are the most important people in attendance at the wedding, they are sometimes overlooked when it’s time to include the catering guest numbers.
- Bridal party – equally as important as the parents but not only are they sometimes forgotten in regards to finalizing the catering numbers, they are sometimes forgotten when it’s time to place them at seats. This scenario is especially true when the bride and groom opt to have a sweetheart table.
- Creative partners (vendors) – vendors tend to be the most overlooked group out of the three. We are usually at the wedding before any of your guests and depending upon the contract terms, we are there long after your last guest leave the reception. While not always a requirement (check your contracts because some vendors require a meal), it is a nice gesture to treat the vendors who are taking care of you on your big day. Vendors included in meals are typically those who physically have a role at your ceremony and reception such as wedding planner, photography, DJ, etc. Time on site for vendors can range from 8 to 14 hours, so a hot meal is a great way to energize your creative team.
How do you keep from forgetting these three sets of people in your meal count? Include them in the first set of numbers you give to your caterer. If they are included early in the process, you won’t have to worry about forgetting them later.
If you need more advice on planning your wedding or another celebration, reach out to us. We offer one on one consultations .
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