Wedding catering is the largest single line item on most wedding budgets, and the part of the day your guests will spend the most time noticing. Choose well, and you've taken the biggest swing out of the planning. Choose poorly, and you'll spend the next decade hearing about it. This is a practical list of what to ask before you book — at tastings, in contracts, and at the venue walkthrough.
Start with the tasting — and bring the right person
Tastings are the foundation. A great wedding caterer wants you to taste exactly what will be served at the wedding. A few rules for tastings:
- Bring one or two people with strong taste. A parent, a friend with a discerning palate, your wedding planner if you have one. Choose people who'll be honest.
- Bring a notebook. Don't trust taste memory across many tastings. Take notes on what you love, what's "fine but not special," and what you actively don't want.
- Taste sides, sauces, and bread. The protein is rarely the deciding factor — it's everything around it that makes or breaks the dish.
- Test for venue realism. "How does this food perform when it's been sitting on a buffet for 30 minutes?" Caterers with strong wedding experience will have a confident answer.
If the tasting is a marketing event rather than a working session, that's a signal.
Tasting questions that matter
These are the questions that separate a real wedding caterer from a generic event vendor:
1. "If you were us, what would you do?" An experienced wedding caterer has seen hundreds of weddings and will have a point of view. Listen for substance, not just "we can do anything." 2. "What's the most common wedding catering mistake you see?" Their answer tells you what they watch out for. 3. "What did your last wedding forget to plan for?" A candid answer here is gold. 4. "What happens if the chef gets sick the morning of?" The answer reveals whether they have depth on their team. 5. "How do you handle a guest with severe allergies at the last minute?" You want to hear a concrete protocol, not just "we handle it."
A wedding-specific contract checklist
Wedding contracts have moving parts that corporate event contracts usually don't. Make sure yours covers:
- Tasting fee terms. Some caterers include the tasting in the wedding price; others charge separately. Either is fine, but know which.
- Final headcount timing and how it adjusts the bill. Most wedding contracts have a final headcount 7–10 days out. Ask what happens if you're 10 over, 10 under, or 50 under.
- Vendor meal pricing and policy. Your photographer, band, planner — they're working during dinner and need to eat. Some caterers include this; most charge separately. The per-meal cost adds up if you have a large vendor team.
- Cake service. Whether your caterer handles the cake cut and serve, or you're bringing in a separate baker. Often there are line items for both.
- Bar cutoff and last call. Some venues and caterers have a hard last-call time; others serve until the event ends. Make sure this is in writing.
- Corkage and specialty beverages. If your wedding has signature cocktails or a specific wine, those need to be priced.
- Cleanup end time and overtime policy. When does the team leave? What happens if the event runs over? Overtime is often a meaningful line item.
- Force majeure and what happens if the caterer can't perform. This should be in writing. If it's not, add it.
Service-staff ratios for plated dinner
The unspoken question at a wedding is whether the food comes out hot and on time. Service-staff ratio is the biggest factor.
- Standard plated dinner: 1 server per 10–12 guests
- Heavy hors d'oeuvres or food stations: 1 server per 20–25 guests
- Family-style: 1 server per 15–18 guests (more frequent refilling and clearing)
Wedding caterers who run lean may staff 1 per 15 for plated — that usually means slower service and longer waits between courses. Not wrong, but know what you're getting.
Coordinate with the venue
Your caterer and venue should be in sync before the contract is final. Real couples regret skipping this. Walk the venue with both parties present, or at minimum, get a written agreement on:
- Load-in and load-out windows. When can the kitchen team arrive? When does cleanup need to be done?
- Kitchen equipment list. What's in the venue, and what does the caterer bring?
- Power, water, refrigeration. Most venues have this; some don't.
- Restrictions. Some venues don't allow open flames, real candles, or specific cooking methods. Confirm what's allowed.
A note on weddings and pricing
The all-in number for wedding catering in LA varies widely. Most established wedding caterers run $150–$400+ per person in 2026 for full-service plated dinner, depending on the menu, bar service, and staffing. Wedding catering has gotten more expensive every year; this isn't a market where you should expect to negotiate aggressively on quality.
That said, per-person pricing is real but the all-in number depends on the full scope. Bar package, staff levels, rentals, lighting, day-of coordination — these move the number by tens of thousands of dollars for a 150-person wedding. Get a fully itemized quote, not a single bundled number.
Final thought
A wedding is one day. The food and the service on that day are what your guests remember most. Pick the caterer who treats your day like it matters — because it does.
If you're evaluating options for an LA wedding and want a second opinion on a quote or proposal, we offer a free 15-minute consultation for couples still in planning mode. We won't try to sell you on us — we'll tell you what to watch for.
📞 Call (310) 651-7590 or [request a quote online](https://losangelescateringandbar.com/contact).