Ten Wedding Questions for Teatime Delicacies Catering

Happy New Year’s from Teatime Delicacies, Inc.  The Christmas and New Year’s holidays are what we in the wedding business refer to as “Engagement Season” and today we bring you 10 of the most common questions we see as a Washington DC caterer.

1.  How Much Is This Wedding Going To Cost?!

Take a breath.  That question involves so many different particulars.  A wedding reception proposal is based on three areas of cost:  menu, rentals and service.  Rentals are the wild card.
Will your venue provide tables and chairs, or do they need to be rented as well?  Other rentals we provide include linens, plates, cutlery, bar glasses, coffee cups.  Will you want upgraded linens instead of a basic white?  Do you want to opt for disposable clear plastic glasses for your bar?  The rentals alone can be a significant portion of the pricing.  People don’t realize how expensive linens can be to rent.
The menu depends on the quantity of food items as well as individual selections.  Salmon clearly a higher ticket item than chicken.  7 appetizers vs 3.  
Staff is a fairly stable variable.  We need “x” amount of staff people not matter what’s on the menu.  Still, some wedding reception venues require more staff than others, especially if the ceremony is taking place at the same space.  

2.  Can you accommodate special dietary requests?

All the time.  
Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Kosher Style just to name a few.

GF, DF, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

 3.Can we customize a menu?
Absolutely.  We have recreated family recipes, adapted favorites.  One of the most fun was adapting a groom’s childhood love of Chicken and Waffles into a passed Appetizer.

Chicken and waffles Appetizer by Teatime Catering

4.Can we provide our own wedding cake?  Teatime has an outstanding offer.  If you use Teatime for your catering needs, we provide a wedding cake at no additional charge.  It’s a use or loose offer, we do not take it off the price of the package if you provide your own.  We are more than happy to cut and serve the cake you provide, we do not charge any cutting fee.  We can also provide you with an alternative to the cake if you have your own.  Chocolate Truffles are a favorite.  We can also create very non traditional wedding cakes, such as our Brownie Wedding Cake.

Brownie Wedding Cake by Teatime Delicacies, Inc.

 5.  We are on a very limited budget, can we serve just a few appetizers?
No.  People come to a wedding reception to eat, maybe drink, perhaps dance.  But they expect to be fed.  It makes everyone look bad if people leave hungry.  Your wedding reception will be remembered as the event where there wasn’t enough to eat, they will leave cranky, and the Caterer gets the blame.  Cutting back on the food is never a solution.  Even with fewer options being served, the caterer needs to provide MORE of those items.


6.  I’m not sure about a buffet, people have to wait so long to get their food vs. plated meal.
A plated meal does not work in many venues, there just isn’t the capability for the kitchen to accommodate.  A great compromise for the buffet challenge is to serve a plated first course, a salad, while the guests are called through the buffet line.  When we have a double sided buffet line, we can easily get 100 guests through in well under 1/2 hour.  Munching on a salad can fill the void.

House Salad with Teatime Catering

7.  Is gratuity included?  Teatime does not like to add gratuities to the contract.  We feel this is something best left to the discretion of the client.  It is generally taken care of the day of the event.



8.  Do you provide children’s menus?  No, we don’t.  We feel that there is easily enough options on our buffet style menus for a child to make a meal.  However, we do charge 1/2 price for children 3-9 on the menu portion of the contract.

9.Can We Provide Our Own Alcohol for the Wedding Reception?

 In Washington DC many of the venues will require you to obtain a 1 day permit form the ABC board.  In Northern Virginia, some venues will require this, but it is easily obtained on line.  Teatime will be happy to provide you with guidance as to quantities to purchase, as well as providing all the non alcoholic beverages.  This is one of the greatest money saving tips out there.  

10.  Will you, Ruth, be there?
Teatime Delicacies, Inc. is my company, and we are a small catering company.  I am the chef, as well as the main point of contact throughout the planning, from the initial email inquiry, phone inquiry, meeting, tasting, appetizer to wedding cake.  We rarely take more than one wedding reception on any given day.  The most we take will be two.  If that happens, I will be the manager on duty at the more complicated event.  The second event will be managed by one of our experienced staff.  I will continue to be your point of contact, as well as the chef who prepares all of your menu.  And your wedding cake.  I am the ONLY person who will ever bake and decorate your wedding cake.

These are just 10 of the most common questions or requests we receive on a regular basis. There are 100 more that may be swimming around in your head right now if you just became engaged.
Shoot us an email, or give us a call, and we will be more than happy to help you navigate your most special day!!
www.teatimeinc.com