Wedding catering: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering wedding catering
You prepare and serve food for weddings, working with couples on the menu, the service style and the timing from cocktail hour to the last course. Couples want food that tastes good, arrives on time and fits the day they planned.
What customers ask
- Can we taste the menu before we book?
- How do you handle allergies and special diets at a wedding?
- Do you coordinate with the venue, the band and the photographer?
- Can you serve cocktail hour and dinner on one schedule?
- What happens if our guest count changes?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask for the guest count, the date, the venue, the service style and the dietary needs
- Offer a tasting for the couple and a small group they choose, with the menu written out
- Share a timeline draft that shows cocktail hour, the meal, the speeches and the cake
- Put in the quote the menu by course, the portion size, the staff by role and the equipment
- Confirm the venue's kitchen rules and your permitted kitchen in writing
- Set the final guest count deadline and the change process in the contract
- Name the lead who will run the service on the day and share their contact with the planner
What to put on your profile
- Post photos of plated courses, buffets and cocktail hour stations from weddings
- List the menu styles you cook, such as family style, plated, stations and buffet
- Show your staffing and equipment options, such as china and linens
- Describe how you handle dietary needs and label allergens at the buffet
- Add the venues you have served and the seasons you cater most
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Offer a leftover plan for the couple and the family
- Suggest a rehearsal dinner menu for the night before the wedding
- Recommend an anniversary dinner menu that reflects the wedding meal
- Share a short guide on how much food to plan for a reception
Licenses and permits
Food businesses commonly need a health permit or a food handler card from the local office that oversees food safety, and the kitchen you cook in may need its own approval. Caterers may also need a business license. Keep your permits and staff cards on file and check the rules for each venue.
Questions
Do venues require a caterer to hold insurance?
Many venues ask for proof of liability insurance from outside caterers. Keep a current certificate ready to send.
How do I handle a couple who wants a change after the tasting?
Confirm the change in writing, including any price effect and the date it must be made by. Make the change in your prep plan before the wedding week.
What if a guest becomes ill after eating?
Stop service at that station, notify the venue and the couple, and follow your written food safety plan. Keep a record of the food served and the lot numbers you used.
About this guide
This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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