Mmmm...(Tummy rumbles)
When it comes to food, I know what I like. I am one of those people who LOVES food. I definitely live to eat and honestly, for the amount of food I consume, I should probably be overweight. I'm not, thanks to a killer metabolism courtesy of Mama Trail Mixer but I should be (Mr TM likes to say I'm a fat kid trapped inside a skinny girl's body....He's hilarious like that.)
Anyways, when it came time to talk about the menu, Mr Trail Mix and I had a pretty clear idea of what we wanted. Since all the food will have to be cooked without access to a kitchen (our venue is essentially a field), we wanted to keep it simple and easy but tasty. A nice cocktail spread, including cheese, crackers, fruit, hummus, crut de'tats and few passed hot hors deveures would do nicely. Then either a caesar or fresh mesclun salad, choice of fish or steak with some version of potatoes and a summer veggie or two and finally, our yummy strawberry dessert. Easy, right? HA! This is where the fun begins...
I was truly unaware of how to go about finding a caterer. After we found out my first choice was booked (that's what happens when you live in a small town with one local caterer, dammit!), I was taken aback and unsure of what to do next. So I did what any wedding-versed chica would do and hit up The Knot for vendor recommendations. I emailed a few and one responded, inviting us up to do a tasting.
Eric and Catherine of Woodstock Moveable Feast were the first ones to respond and we really like them. We went, tasted multiple delicious courses and threw our original menu right out the window based on how good their food was! They were also willing to take care of rentals for us, which was a huge plus in my eyes. We left the tasting feeling full and confident. Unfortunately, after thinking about some important details and doing some mapquesting, we decided that they were simply located too far away (about 1.5 hours) from our wedding. However, for anyone getting married in the Hudson Valley Region, I highly recommend them!
Classe Catering in Albany, NY was my next option. They are a much bigger catering company (one of the biggest in the Albany area) and are full service, so I wouldn't have to rent plates, cups, flatware, etc. I also got several glowing reviews from other brides on both The Knot and Brides.com. But after one of their representatives sent me a sample menu, I was honestly so uninspired and disappointed by it that I didn't really pursue them much further. I did get so despondent looking for a caterer over the next two months that I kept revisiting Classe as an option but was never excited about them.
The next two caterers I contacted simply didn't respond to my email and phone message. The 3rd said she would send me a sample menu with prices and never did. Who knew caterers were so dang flaky? Isn't it a recession? Aren't they hurting for business? Don't they want mine? Apparently not.
Did I find a caterer? Stay tuned to find out...
Was finding your caterer this difficult?
Another girl who loves food as much as I do?! No way! :)
ReplyDeleteI too have had issues with vendors not calling back. In fact one was a wedding coordinator/planner. What a great sign that was!
I'm really amazed at how much work finding a caterer seems to be for people, and how unresponsive they are. I picked a venue with an on-site caterer (I only considered restaurants and in-house catering venues) because I thought it would be easier, but I'm starting to realize just how much easier!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to find out what you did!