When Should You Book Your Wedding Caterer?
                     When Should You 
Book Your 
Wedding Caterer?
Let’s look at when to hire a wedding caterer
—and, more importantly, what questions to 
ask when you do: Everything you need to 
know about hiring a wedding caterer.
One of the most important aspects of 
effective wedding preparation is being 
organised. You’ll want to make sure your to-
dos are organized on your wedding planning 
checklist, and that you’re marking them off 
as you go in the months, weeks, and days 
leading up to your wedding.
However, if you’ve never planned a wedding 
before, understanding when to handle some 
wedding-related duties, such as when to 
hire a wedding caterer, might be difficult.
Choosing your wedding location is the first step in 
the wedding planning process. Booking your 
venue not only secures your wedding date but 
also provides you with the information you need 
to begin booking other vendors (for example, 
some venues allow you to work with any vendors 
you want, whereas others have a shortlist of 
preferred vendors from which you must choose).
However, after you’ve secured your reception 
site and have that information, your wedding 
caterer should be the first vendor you contact.
You should start looking for a wedding 
caterer between 10 and 12 months 
before the big day, with the objective of 
booking your caterer between six and 
eight months. If you’re working on a 
tight timeframe for your wedding, a 
decent rule of thumb is to book as soon 
as possible.
Why is it necessary to book 
your wedding caterer so far 
ahead of time?
There are a number of reasons why you should 
engage your wedding caterer as soon as possible, 
including the following:
• Catering companies prefer to reserve dates well 
in advance since many couples book their 
wedding caterers at the same time (or shortly 
after) they book their venue. Make a reservation 
for a wedding caterer as soon as possible to 
ensure that they are available on your wedding 
day. This is especially true if your wedding 
location only has a few wedding caterers from 
which to pick.
• You’ll need time for interviews and sampling, 
which is a crucial aspect of any event. You’ll 
want plenty of time to interview each possible 
caterer, try their food, and make the best 
decision for your wedding day—which includes 
scheduling interviews and tastings with a few 
different caterers ahead of time.
• You’ll need a lot of time to plan your food 
and beverage menus: You’ll also need plenty 
of time after you book to plan the perfect food 
and drink menu—and the earlier you hire your 
wedding caterer, the more time you’ll have.
• You’ll need more time to choose a bar 
service if your wedding caterer doesn’t 
provide alcohol: Various wedding caterers 
provide different packages. Some of them 
involve booze and bartenders, while others 
do not. If your wedding caterer does not 
offer bar service, you’ll need time to 
identify and employ a licensed bartender—
and the sooner you book your wedding 
caterer, the more time you’ll have to find 
your bartender.
Thank You