How early did you get a catering estimate?

For my caterer I just emailed them and asked what their rates were. They were able to give me a break down of each entrée, app etc. based on how many people I was going to have. Good luck!

We stated looking at caterers about 11 months prior to our wedding. At first we reached out to various caterers and asked for pricing for our estimated number of guests. They were able to provide the per person cost, plus any additional costs for rentals, services fees, etc. The final cost was slightly different as we had less guests that originally quoted, but none of the other fees changed.

Ask for a quote and ask what it covers and if there are any additional costs not included.

Your caterer should be one of the first things you do since a large portion of your budget will go toward feeding your guests. After getting catering quotes, you may find that you need to adjust your guestlist.

Also wanted to add if you do hire this caterer make sure you get everything you agree to in a contract. The contract should spell out all of the costs and fees, as well as cancelation etc.

I started asking for quotes probably a year and half or so before the wedding.

There's absolutely no reason to do it that early though. Personally, I did it so I could get a ball park range of the cost. That way I knew how much I would need to save and what not (and if I would need to cut out anything to afford the food and drinks).

If you're this sure you want to go with this caterer, then you should definitely ask for an estimate. Tell her how many guests you're expecting and get a look at her packages and ask where you can make changes. Vendors expect this.

To answer your question, we signed our caterer the November before our July wedding and we knew exactly what we had in mind would cost that day.

Ok. Thank you. We invited 100 people, and I am guessing will end up with around 80 when it is all said and done. To get a good idea of the range of cost, I'm going to email and ask for a quote for 80 and another for 100 so that maybe I can see the difference. I also am curious to know if the number variation would impact the staffing costs.

Edited to clarify: We have a tentative guest list of 100 people. We did not do invites yet--as Nicole stated, I will want to make sure I can host all of them first.

I'm finding that the most confusing part of wedding planning is shopping around for prices. So much is customized that nothing is a direct comparison. That being said, the caterer we prefer has the best options, including bar. We had an initial meeting, but for those suggesting a contract, I think that is what I really need--to see it all spelled out in the contract and to go from there.

I don't think it's too early to ask for an estimate.

Do you already have a booked venue? I don't think it's too early - we got an estimate for the dinner portion (including coffee and tea, and late night snacks) right when we booked the venue, about 10 months before the wedding.

Who will provide cutlery, glasses, cups and plates, your caterer or your venue? Or will you have to get those yourself? If for some reason those come from your caterer, those should be worked into the estimate as well. Also, it would help to find out if they need to use an in-venue kitchen, and if your venue has that available for use (and whether it costs extra to use it).

Food was a big priority for us. Pretty sure this was the very first thing we addressed when meeting with our almost all inclusive venue.

In reference to your quote comment, usually they price per plate. The staffing requirements were never discussed with us. That is back end work that you don't need to worry about.

I got a quote from two caterers about 10 or 11 months out. We picked what we thought we wanted from their menu and guesstimated how many people we thought we would have. Then sent me invoices, this is what I used to narrow down my choices. Nine months out we went and did a tasting, finalized our menu, and put the deposit down. I was then able to change our numbers or add things to the menu until 30 days before.

We got a complete estimate from our caterer including food, cutlery, tables linens, bar staff (ie every little detail), based on our guest estimate of 100 people. Using that estimate, I could calculate how our costs would increase/decrease based on RSVPs. They provided this 9 months before the wedding, before I signed with them.

It's not too early.

I don't think it's too early. Ask for an estimate. This is part of the budgeting process. I asked every vendor including caterer for a close as possible estimate to ensure appropriate budgeting. I also asked what all did it include outside of the actual food. Some vendors will charge you extra for plates, cups, etc. Does the price also include staff? I say ask, ask, ask. You can always make minor adjustments later but to not have a general idea is not budget savvy.

We had a 10 month enagement and started booking/seriously planning at the 9 month mark. The first thing we did was book our venue which included in house catering. I got a quote right away based on our estimated guest list. We ended up with fewer people in the end, which was nice, but I knew from day one that I could afford to host all of our guests at the venue we wanted.

You should get an estimate before booking anything.

We got a total estimate from our venue including food, alcohol, cake, service charges, taxes exc for our max guest count as well as a more realistic guest count before we put down a deposit. Get an total estimate from a few places that you are considering because it is hard to compare the bottom line when each place charges slightly different.

This is so helpful! Thank you. I just emailed our preferred caterer to get this information going. We have a second one we are considering, but since this is the only caterer that is licensed to provide alcohol in our venue, it makes sense to stick with them for everything--especially since I loved our initial meeting with them!

Your just one day after me, I started sending out my emails today for meetings. I think we are doing good

So I've booked my venue and have inquired with 2 caterers about their prices for my estimated amount of guest. I want to put a deposit down since I need to book somebody on my venues preferred list so I don't have to pay an extra $500, but I don't know when I should do this. I really don't want to put a deposit down without a tasting but I think it's to early to do a tasting for a spring 2017 wedding. What if he chef/meau changes? What do you all think?