When was the last time you planned a meal for a hundred people?  Catering will generally be a large portion of your budget, so it is important to know your options.  For example, many venues (including The Golf Club at Newcastle, The Woodmark, Snoqualmie Ridge, the Columbia Tower Club, the Harbor Club, and the Olympic Fairmont Hotel) have set catering menus, so be sure to check with your venue before getting your heart set on anything specific.  If your venue does allow you to choose your caterer, first decide on a style of food and then find a caterer who can create your vision.

There are four different ways wedding fare is typically presented to guests: plated, buffet, stations, and passed hors d’oeuvres.

1. Plated: Guests are individually served fully prepared dishes, restaurant-style.  In most cases 2-3 different entrees are offered, and guests indicate their preference when they RSVP for the wedding.
2. Buffet: Guests assemble their meals from a buffet line, allowing them to choose the portions and select the entrée they prefer.
3. Stations: Multiple stations offering different types of food are positioned at different corners or areas of the reception space.  Guests can choose to visit one or multiple stations.  This is a great option for offering different ethnically-themed meals since each station can represent a different type of cuisine, such as Italian, Indian, Japanese, or Thai, but does tend to get a bit pricey due to the number of serving staff and plates required.
4. Passed hors d'oeuvres: Waiters circulate the reception area, offering guests small samplings of a variety of light appetizers.  For weddings where the reception falls in-between meals, this allows you to offer delicious delicacies to your guests without providing a full meal.

When selecting a caterer, here are the key questions to ask:

• How many events a year do you cater with our number of guests?  (This is especially important for larger weddings, where novice caterers may be less prepared for the number of meals.)
• What type of presentation options do you offer (plated, buffet, stations, passed hors d’oeuvres)?
• Do you have set menu offerings, or do you custom-create the options based on the type of food we would like to offer our guests?
• What are the costs, and how are shortages or overages billed?  Are there any ‘hidden fees’, such as additional plate rental, condiment fees, or additional service fees?
• What options can we provide our guests with special dietary concerns?

Of course, once you have these questions answered, the real fun begins – scheduling taste-tests with your top choices.  Bon appétit!