Tasting Food before committing to a caterer

First off, I'd like to say good for you and your fiancé! I know losing your deposit was not easy, but standing up for something/someone is much more valuable. So, thank you!

As far as catering... most caterers will allow you to do a tasting before booking. Many will send you a menu with options to try. If you find a caterer that does not allow a tasting, I would rely heavily on reviews!

View Quoted Comment Thank you very much! It was disappointing to lose the venue we loved (or thought we did) as well as the money but we couldn’t fathom supporting a business with such opposing beliefs from ours.


Thank you for the insight. I’m hoping that with such little time left to secure a caterer this doesn’t put us in a bind or make us sacrifice quality.

Tasting before booking a caterer is a must! That is why many (nearly every all inclusive) venues that require you to book first before you can taste their mandatory in-house catering is a major deal breaker for so many people.

If you book the venue/caterer first and then have the tasting, you are screwed because you are locked into something you cannot get out of, especially if the venue requires it. If you don’t like the tasting, it’s too late at that point. Great reviews from other people don’t mean anything if you don’t like what is offered to choose from. Plus they don’t tell you upfront that that low rental fee does not include the 5-6figure catering/bartending minimum.

It is standard for catering companies not working out of an all inclusive venue to provide tastings before booking with no questions asked. You call or email after reading their menu online to arrange a tasting which will have a fee but negligible in comparison to an all inclusive venue.

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Restaurants have catering services and are often better quality food at a much lower rate.

Also take a look at independent caterers on Eventective.com or Instagram under ‘yourcitycatering’

Most caterers allow a tasting before booking. If they don’t offer a tasting first and the pricing/menu looks like something you are actually interested in booking, I’d ask for a tasting.

I spoke to 3 different caterers and all had a different procedure:
1 we scheduled a visit, they asked us to pick a couple ideas off the menu in each category , and they prepared those plus an alternative or two, and we sat in a little room and had a feast and they set up a little sample tablescape and we took a mountain of leftovers home. The coordinator was with us the whole time and noted our feedback and talked us through alternatives, etc. At first it felt awkward to eat in front of her, but the experience was actually really helpful and she took notes on what we said and then was able to provide based on that for our actual wedding day. It had a cost but was something that would be credited to our invoice if we booked with them

2 was also a scheduled visit. This one was very different as it was in their sister restaurant, and they just created a sample menu and presented us each a filled dinner plate (one or two protein types, a side and a starch) after bringing out an appetizer. They kind of let us sit to ourselves at a table and mostly left us alone , we were also able to order drinks for an add on cost. This one also had a fee that would similarly be credited to our invoice if we booked with them.
3rd was free! But on THEIR schedule. They hosted tasting events open to all their prospective couples. I think they did them once a month or once a quarter, and a bunch of couples came at once for the event. We didn’t actually end up going to this one bc by the time their event rolled around we were fully smitten with #1!

Every caterer I know - from the one I used for my wedding, to the ones I'm looking at for our vow renewal, to my husband's colleagues (he works in the wedding industry) - always had tastings.

They all have their own ways of going about it. Some will charge and some won't. In my experience, if they aren't charging, you will get a more basic overview of what they offer as opposed to specific things you might be interested in - they'll make their best dishes, or their most common dishes (like a typical chicken/beef wedding selection). Most that charge will go over their menus with you and have you select some things you want to try, or they will find out your preferences and make something within those parameters. Also, usually, when they charge, they will deduct that charge from your bill if you book with them.

No matter what your caterers offer, ALWAYS try their food first for sure! A lot of caterers look good on social media, because they only post their nicest photos...

Yes, definitely do tastings for food before booking your caterer. Just ask what their process is for booking a tasting since everyone does things slightly differently.

I had to postpone my wedding reception to 2022, but my husband (then fiancé) and I still got married but when we were going through the process, our venue worked with 3 catering companies and we absolutely went on tastings before booking them. Most catering places should allow you to, so whichever your choices are I would ask about setting up a tasting definitely before you book. You don’t want to take their word for it and come your magical wedding day the food is horrible. They should absolutely be accommodating though! As they say...guests remember 2 things about your wedding: the music and food! ☺️