12 to 18 months before
Once you have a date and venue, ask the venue about catering rules: some have approved caterer lists, kitchen fees or restrictions on live cooking. Then contact caterers for availability, because popular summer dates go first.
9 to 12 months before
Compare quotes on the same basis (our list of questions to ask a caterer helps), choose your caterer and pay any deposit to secure the date. Ask about tastings.
6 months before
Shape the menu: canapés, starter, main, dessert and evening food. Decide whether you want waiting staff, bar staff and crockery from the caterer or the venue.
3 months before
Send invitations with a question about dietary needs and allergies. Share the venue layout with your caterer so they can plan the cooking area and serving points.
4 to 6 weeks before
Confirm final numbers, dietary splits and allergies in writing, the running order (including speeches) and arrival times. Put your caterer and venue coordinator in touch.
Questions to settle early
- Will there be a drinks reception, and how long?
- A sit-down meal, sharing platters or served from the pans?
- Evening food for extra guests?
- Who provides crockery, glassware and staff: the venue or the caterer?
- Any venue rules about outside caterers or live cooking?
Common timeline mistakes
Leaving the dietary question off invitations, forgetting evening guests in the numbers, and not telling the caterer when speeches will happen are the three we see most often. Sort these early and the day runs more smoothly.
The week of the wedding
Confirm arrival times with the caterer and venue, check the weather forecast and the wet-weather plan, and make sure one person has all the contact numbers.
Working out numbers
Final numbers are usually due a few weeks before the wedding. Chase late RSVPs in good time, count day and evening guests separately, and include suppliers who will need feeding, such as the photographer and band, if you’ve agreed to feed them. Give your caterer the dietary split for each meal, not just the totals.
If numbers change after the deadline, tell your caterer straight away. A few extra guests can usually be accommodated if you give notice; turning up with twenty more on the day is harder.
Keeping track
A simple shared spreadsheet with guests, RSVPs, diets and allergies saves a lot of stress. Send your caterer an extract with just what they need.
On the day
Hand one person (not you) the caterer’s number and the running order. Then enjoy it.
Planning an event? Tell us about it and we’ll suggest a menu and send a quote.