What questions to ask and where to start? Plus Lavender on the Lake is here to suggest a caterer who is worth checking out.
Is it just me or do you not only get excited to attend a friend’s wedding, but do you also look forward to sitting and enjoying the meal? Some people really worry about the seating chart. My advice on creating a well-thought out seating chart will come with a later blog. I believe that it’s important to consider your family and friends when it comes to selecting the cuisine for your wedding. After all, they have likely traveled and/or taken time off work to come and honor you. Therefore, I believe you should take care of them by selecting a variety of delicious foods for them to enjoy.
You have found your venue and set the date. Now comes the fun part! I am such a foodie- I love to share a meal with my loved ones. I absolutely love to have my favorite people in my kitchen enjoying food that I have prepared. For me, finding the perfect caterer would be a very important first step once I had set the date.
We allow for outside vendors as long as they are licensed and insured here at Lavender on the Lake. There is 1 caveat. There is a $350 vetting fee if our couples select coordinator-a requirement- and/or a caterer who is not on our approved vendor list. We opened our venue June 1st of 2024, and after having 63 weddings within our first year of business, we learned very quickly how essential these two vendor categories are. Not all “caterers” are alike, and having a strong catering team who also specializes in creative and yummy eats is extremely important.
This helpful guide is divided into 3 different sections for determining who your caterer will be.
- Things to consider when researching various caterers.
- Questions to ask your caterer prior to booking with them.
- A focus on one of our favorite catering companies local to Orlando.
Things to consider when researching various caterers.
I will often times nearly cringe when someone mentions that they plan to use a restaurant who “caters.” I’m not only going to explain why the cringe occurs, but I will also explain why Lavender on the Lake has the catering policy that we do.
There are many different variations when it comes to cater.
- Drop off and go– There is so much to consider regarding food that is dropped off FOR A WEDDING. Many restaurants have this as a “catering” option. I will give it to you; this may seem like a less expensive option. However, the food is dropped off in trays or is picked up and left for someone else to serve. The food is not kept warm until serving. We require full service catering- which I will get to more in depth soon. Full service also includes staff who prepares, serves, and pre busses tables. Therefore, if you are considering drop off and go catering style, we are not your venue. (Early on we tried to be very flexible; the stories behind the scenes involve me hiding in tears, calling my sweet neighbor in hopes that she has serving utensils. Yes. Food was literally dropped off. There were no warming ovens or hot boxes… and not even serving utensils.)
Which leads me to this: Lavender on the Lake does not allow for food to be dropped off – other than the cake. If you would like to call me, I can expand much more on that. Whereas this may seem like a good idea at the time because it may seem less expensive, it can lead to as super stressful, time consuming- and messy/plus potential unsafe food!- situation for your coordinator and our LOTL staff.
2. Food Trucks– Jason and I LOVE food trucks! It is a wonderful way to provide food for various palettes, and it allows for a unique and fun experience as most food trucks have personalized decor that adds to the experience. Having said that, it is important to understand all that comes along with food trucks. Food trucks typically provide the experience in 1 of 2 ways. The 1st way being that your guests will be able to order their food individual at the window. Or, food trucks may provide a buffet area outside of their truck for guests to line up and assemble their meal that way.
It is essential to confirm with us prior to any monies being paid if you are considering food trucks here at Lavender on the Lake. We do not have trash removal at this time; our full service caterers-which I will focus on next- take the trash with them. Ask your prospective food trucks how they handle trash.
In addition, you know when you go to restaurants and they haven’t cleared your plate even through they have served you a 3 course meal? Dishes with half eaten food are piled up and your dessert or coffee is about to be delivered to you? It’s not an appealing experience. We expected our caterers to be bussing the tables throughout the evening so things look, well…nice and clean. In order to use the food trucks on our property, you will have to hire a staffed serving team which is an added cost. This should be considered when selecting this as a wedding food option.
Don’t forget that the weather may be an issue for the food trucks option; we did a women’s conference where it poured the entire evening and very few women went out into the downpour to get some food.
Pro Tip: Consider food trucks for an additional, late night snacking option rather than the entire meal.
3. Full Service Catering– A full service caterer has many different options depending on packages and pricing. Full service caterers typically provide the food, set up the buffet, and serve the food. They replenish the buffet and buss the tables throughout the evening, as well as possibly serving water and/or the champagne toast. They may use our spacious kitchen to fully prepare the food and deliver the plated dishes to your guests.
A full service caterer ensures that the food is handled appropriately by keeping it warm. Some full service caterers even provide plates, flatware, chargers, drink ware, and even bar services.
Some of you may just be having an ah-ha moment as to why we require full service catering. Jason is a fireman and has one particular horror story involving food borne illnesses and let’s be honest: your guests experience is a direct reflection of Lavender on the Lake even though we allow for you to select your own vendors. We have high expectations and policies regarding catering, and we have decided that this is an area that we must hold to a high standard. As mentioned before, your friends and family have set time aside to celebrate you. FOOD is an important way for them to indulge and enjoy the experience of sharing a meal with others.
More things to consider when selecting your caterer:
- think how things will be transported and can be stored easily
- consider dietary restrictions and food allergies
- be sure that your caterer can provide good vegetarian, peanut free gluten free, or diary free options
Questions to ask your caterer prior to booking them:
- Are you available on my wedding date?
- Do you offer food tastings? If so, is there a fee?
- Have you worked at Lavender on the Lake- or whichever venue selected- before?
- Do you have necessary insurance and licensing?
- Do you offer set menus or custom options?
- How do you accommodate dietary restrictions?
Featuring one of Lavender on the Lake’s favorite caterer: Premier Catering
Jason and I opened LOTL June 1, 2024 and we hosted 63 weddings within our first full year of business. Needless to say, the learning has been fast and furious; a strong catering team is one of the most essential aspects to the flow of your wedding day. As mentioned previously, food safety is a large concern, but I also believe that sharing food with those we love is a gift of togetherness. Therefore, the wedding food certainly does not need to be the very best food anyone has eaten, but you certainly do not want it to be the very worst.
The first time that Premier Catering walked into our building was in November, and their team made quite an incredible impression from the start. The Captain had a smile on his face the entire time and guided his team with professionalism and thoroughness. The team would literally walk up to me and take things from my hands with helpfulness. They jumped in to help with bringing chairs in from ceremony to reception and even helped to move tables into position. They showed respect to all of the wedding guests which is of utmost importance to us.
We truly cannot say enough positive things about this team. (The next time they came back, the lead had brought a cart for moving the chairs which we quickly purchased one like it. See? We are always growing and it sure takes a village!)
Did you notice that I haven’t even talked about the food yet? Obviously professionalism and helpfulness is a big piece in the service industry and that is why I started with those points.
However, Premier Catering’s food is DELISH!! We have not been disappointed with the various types of food that have been served at the weddings here. If you have come for a tour, Jason will tell you that as a photographer having eaten 700+ “wedding chickens” he has a different view point now as a venue owner. As a photographer, he was just hungry and hurrying to eat as not to miss any moments. But as an owner, he is analyzing the food because we are eating the food that the guests are eating. We want all of our LOTL guests to have a one of a kind experience.
Premier does a stand up job when it comes to food preparation, serving, and taste. They don’t overcompensate bland cooking with too much salt; we truly cannot say enough positive things about this team and we encourage our couples to begin with Premier. Even their company name says it all with the word Premier meaning- first in importance, order, or position; leading. CHECK THEM OUT!
Once again, if you are new to my blog you will see that I love to support other small, locally owned businesses because I know personally how hard we work to create one-of-a kind and top notch experiences. The attention to care and detail is unique to small business. For more information about my small business please reach out to me here.
The Old Barns at Dry Runs Farms
XO
Shelley