Catering

Caterers for your Wedding in the Catskills
Wedding in the Catskills

Natural Gardens is the perfect location to have your dream Catskills Barn Wedding, family or business party!

Wedding in the Catskills
 

Conventional choices for a wedding dinner may be very tasty, but theyโ€™re usually forgotten, and novelty food offerings rarely make for a satisfying dinner. Besides your location, the food and drink for your wedding will probably consume the largest portion of your wedding budget. Catering costs are usually presented as โ€œper-personโ€ charges. But be awareโ€”the per-person charge often doesnโ€™t include everything. Staff, sales tax and the gratuity usually are extra, and there may also be separate per-person charges for the meal, drinks, appetizers, and even setup. So your actual per-person charge might end up being considerably more than you expect. Bring your calculator along when meeting with potential caterers to help you arrive at the real bottom line.

So, what do you look for in a caterer?
The Basics

  • Do you have my date open?
  • How many weddings do you do per year, and how long have you been in business?
  • Have you done events at Natural Gardens?
  • Are you licensed by the state of New York? Are you licensed to serve alcohol?
  • Will I need any permits for my event? If so, will you handle obtaining them?
  • Will you provide a banquet manager to coordinate the meal service or an on-site coordinator who will run the entire event?
  • Can you assist with other aspects of the wedding like selecting other vendors, event design (e.g. specialty lighting, elaborate dรฉcor, theme events, etc.)?

Food & Presentation

  • Given my budget, guest count and event style, what food choices would you recommend? Do you specialize in certain cuisines?
  • Do we have to work off a preset menu or can you create a custom menu for our event? If I have a special dish Iโ€™d like served, would you accommodate that?
  • Do you offer event packages or is everything ร  la carte? What exactly do your packages include?
  • Do you use all fresh produce, meat, fish, etc.? Can you source organic or sustainable farmed ingredients?
  • Can you accommodate dietary restrictions, such as kosher, vegan, etc.?
  • What dรฉcor do you provide for appetizer stations or buffet tables?
  • Do you offer package upgrades such as chocolate fountains, ice sculptures, cappuccino machines or specialty displays?
  • Can you do theme menus (e.g. barbecue, luau, etc.)? Would you also provide the dรฉcor?
  • Whatโ€™s the difference in cost between passed appetizers and appetizer stations? Whatโ€™s the price difference between a buffet and a sit-down meal? If we have a buffet, are there any stations that cost extra, like a carving station? NOTE: Donโ€™t automatically assume that a buffet is going to be the less expensive option. Ask your caterer which type of service is more affordable for you, given the menu youโ€™re planning.
  • How much do you charge for childrenโ€™s meals?
  • How much do you charge for vendor meals?
  • Do you do wedding cakes? If so, is this included in the per-person meal price or is it extra?
  • Can you show me photos of cakes youโ€™ve done in the past?
  • If I decide not to serve cake, can you provide a dessert display instead?
  • If we use an outside cake designer, do you charge a cake-cutting fee?
  • Do you do food tastings and is there an extra charge for this?
  • Do you handle rental equipment such as tables, chairs, etc.?
  • What types of linens, glassware, plates and flatware do you provide? NOTE: Some low-budget caterers have basic packages that use disposable dinnerware instead of the real thing, so make sure you know exactly what youโ€™ll be getting.
  • Can you provide presentation upgrades such as chair covers, lounge furniture, etc.? What would be the additional fees?
  • What is your policy on cleanup? TIP: Be very clear about what โ€œcleanupโ€ means and whoโ€™s responsible for handling itโ€”and be sure to get it in writing. Weโ€™ve heard many tales about caterers that left dirty dishes, trash and uneaten food behind. In most cases, when you rent a location it will be YOUR responsibility to leave the place in acceptable condition. You want to spend your wedding night with your honey, not picking up empty bottles from the lawn!
  • If there is leftover food from my event, can we have it wrapped up for guests to take home or have it delivered to a local shelter?

Beverages

  • Do you provide alcoholic beverages and bartenders? Can you accommodate specialty cocktails?
  • What brands of alcohol will be served?
  • Can we provide the alcohol and you provide the bar labor?
  • Do you charge a corkage fee if we provide our own wine or champagne?
  • How do you charge for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages? Per consumption or per person? Which is more cost-effective?
  • Is the champagne toast after the ceremony included in your meal packages or is it extra?
  • Will your staff serve the wine with dinner?
  • How long will alcohol be served?
  • Is coffee and tea service included with the per-person meal charge? What brands of each do you offer and do they include decaf and herbal tea options?

Business Matters

  • What is the ratio of servers to guests?
  • How will the servers be dressed?
  • How is your pricing broken down (e.g. food, bar, cake-cutting, tax, gratuity)? NOTE: Usually tax and a service charge are tacked on to your final cost. The service charge, which can range 18โ€“23%, is used to tip the staff.
  • How much time do you require for setting up and breaking down my event, and are there extra fees for this?
  • If my event runs longer than contracted, what are your overtime fees?
  • What is the last date by which I can give you a final guaranteed guest count?
  • What is your payment policy? Do you accept credit cards?
  • How much of a deposit is required to hold my date? When is the final payment due?
  • Are there any fees that wonโ€™t be included in the proposal that we should be aware of?
  • Once we book with you, how quickly can we expect a contract? And if we make changes to menu choices or other items, will you update us with a revised estimate and contract?
  • What is your refund or cancellation policy?
  • Can you provide a list of recent references for my Wedding in the Catskills?
Natural Gardens

The Ponds Restaurant at Natural Gardens

On-Site Catering
Cathy Fletcher
304 Sutherland Road
East Meredith, NY 13757
607-746-6199
The Ponds

The Lily and The Rose
Kim Klopstock
2128 Doubleday Avenue
Ballston Spa, NY 12020
518-884-2926
The Lily and The Rose

Cakes to Adore and More
Laurie Day
Andes, NY 13731
607-287-3286 Cell
845-676-4912 Home

The Rhinecliff
4 Grinell St., PO Box 292
Rhinecliff, NY 12574
Visit The Rhinecliff website

Sunrise Specialty Catering
Mark Quackenbush
Oneonta, NY 13820
607-434-8453
Visit Sunrise Specialty Catering website

Orapello’s Wood Fired Pizza
Joe Orapeloo Jr.
518-705-7376
Visit Orapello’s Wood Fired Pizza website

Ate O Ate
Catering & Gourmet Food Truck
Rich Ellsworth
Roxbury, NY
607-326-3392
Visit Ate O Ate website

Bistro Caliente
Michael and Flerida Johnas
157 W Main Street
Stamford, NY 12167
Tel: 518-728-9659
Visit Bistro Caliente website

Quarter Moon Cafe
Jonah Shaw
53 Main Street
Delhi, NY 13753
607-746-8886
Visit Quarter Moon Cafe website

Farm Wedding
 
Catskill Barn Wedding

We look forward to making your Wedding in the Catskills everything youโ€™ve imagined, and more.
Call or contact us today – 607-746-2028

Natural Gardens

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