How to Choose a Wedding Caterer: What to Ask Before You Book

October is when a lot of 2027 weddings start to take shape. The venue is booked, the date is fixed, and the next big decision is usually the food. It is also one of the largest single lines in the budget, so it is worth comparing caterers properly rather than picking the menu that sounds nicest.

The trouble is that catering quotes are hard to compare. One arrives as a single figure per head. Another lists the food at a lower price and then adds staff, crockery, linen and a service charge underneath. They can look a long way apart and turn out to cost almost exactly the same.

Start with what your venue allows

Before you look at a single menu, find out which of three situations you are in.

The venue does the food itself. Many hotels, country houses and wedding venues have an in-house kitchen and no outside caterers are allowed. Your choice is between their menus, not between caterers.

The venue has a required list. You must pick from a handful of approved caterers. These are often good, because the venue knows they work well in the building, but your options are narrower.

You can bring anyone. Common with barns, marquees, tipis and village halls. You have the widest choice and the most comparing to do.

It makes a real difference to the price. The Bridebook UK Wedding Report 2026 puts combined venue and catering spend at £117.10 per head on average. Where couples had to choose a caterer from the venue's required list, that rose to £159 per head. Where they could choose freely, it was £112.50. In-house catering came in at £114.45.

None of that means a required list is a bad deal. It does mean that if you are still choosing between venues, the catering rule belongs on your comparison sheet next to the hire fee.

Get the quotes on the same basis

Ask every caterer to quote for the same thing: the same guest numbers, the same number of courses, the same evening food, and the same drinks if they are providing those too. Then, for each quote, check whether it includes:

• Staff. How many waiting staff and chefs, and for how many hours. Ask what happens, and what it costs, if the day runs late.
• Crockery, cutlery, glassware and linen. At a venue with its own kitchen these are usually included. At a barn or marquee they often are not.
• Setting up and clearing down. Who lays the tables, who clears them, and who takes the rubbish away at the end of the night.
• Cake cutting and serving. Some caterers charge to cut and plate a cake they did not make.
• Corkage. If you are supplying your own wine, ask whether there is a per-bottle charge for opening and serving it.
• Service charge and VAT. Make sure you know whether the headline price includes both. A service charge on top of a per-head price adds up quickly.
• Travel and kitchen equipment. At a venue with no kitchen, the caterer may need to bring ovens, a generator or a field kitchen. That is a real cost and it should be on the quote, not a surprise in the final invoice.

Once every quote covers the same things, you can compare the totals honestly. It is not unusual for the cheapest-looking quote to end up in the middle.

Questions worth asking before you book

How many weddings will you cater that day? Some caterers run several events on a busy Saturday in summer. That can be fine, but you want to know who will actually be in charge at yours.

Who will be our contact on the day? The person who quoted you is not always the person who runs the service. Ask for a name.

How do you handle allergies and dietary needs? Food businesses in the UK must be able to tell customers which of the 14 major allergens are in each dish, so a good caterer will have a clear answer. Ask how they label dishes, how they keep allergen-free meals separate, and how they want the information from you.

What is your food hygiene rating? In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, food businesses are rated under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, and in Scotland under the Food Hygiene Information Scheme. You can look a caterer up on the Food Standards Agency website in a couple of minutes.

Do you have public liability insurance? Many venues will not let a caterer in without it. Ask for a copy.

When is the tasting, and is it included? Some caterers include a tasting for two once you have booked, others charge for it. If your wedding is next summer, ask whether they can show you dishes that will be in season then, rather than whatever is on in October.

When do you need final numbers and meal choices? Usually a few weeks before the day. Our guide to final numbers and what drop-outs cost covers the deadlines and what happens if guests drop out late.

What is the payment schedule? Get every date and amount in writing with the contract, so the final balance does not land as a surprise in the busiest month of planning.

Read the menu with the day in mind

A beautiful menu on paper is not always the right one for your day. A few things to think about:

• Timing. A long, plated three-course meal suits a day with a relaxed afternoon. If the ceremony is late, sharing platters or a buffet can keep the speeches and first dance on schedule.
• The evening. Guests who arrive at eight for the evening reception will be hungry. Make sure the evening food is on the quote and arrives at a sensible time.
• Children. Ask whether there is a children's menu and what it costs. It is often much cheaper than the adult price.
• Suppliers. Your photographer, band and anyone else working through the meal usually need feeding too. Ask what the caterer offers and add them to the numbers.

Keep it all in one place

The most useful thing you can do after booking is keep the caterer's details together with everything they will need from you: guest numbers, meal choices, dietary needs and the payment dates.

In Build The Day, guests give their meal choice and any dietary needs on the RSVP, so when the caterer asks for final numbers you already have them in one list, rather than in a group chat and three emails. Supplier payments sit in the same place as the budget, so you can see when the catering balance is due.

Get two or three quotes this autumn, put them side by side, and ask the questions above before you pay a deposit. It is a lot easier to ask now than in May.