I meet so many brides who are looking for a venue that allows them to provide their own catering. There's nothing wrong with hiring a caterer. I love using caterers at weddings! What IS wrong is hiring a wedding caterer who can't really pull of your event as a true catering professional would. Often, I call this the "wedding catering hook-up." Often, the caterer brides select is a family member who is a great cook, a friend who is trying to start a catering biz or mash-up of people you know who are just going to provide food for your wedding. While these options can save cash, they may not always give you the end result you want.

I ALWAYS suggest that brides invest in a professional catering company that is used to handling events of your size and knows how to keep awful things from happening. You know...those awful things that make people remember your wedding in a very bad way.

Things That Can Go Wrong With The Catering Hook-Up

-There isn't enough food.

-The hot food is cold. The cold food is uncomfortably warm.

-The food isn't ready when it's time for the meal to start.

-There isn't enough staff. Or there's no staff at all.

-There's no ice.

-There aren't enough beverages.

-Everything is taking FOREVER.

Pretty much everyone has been to an event where one (or many) of these scenarios took place. How do you keep your wedding from being the one that makes people roll their eyes when they remember how badly things went?

Benefits Of Hiring A Professional Caterer

-Everything is timed so that guests don't have to wait for food.

-Food is served at the proper temperature.

-The caterer has proper insurance and permits (you don't want people coming after you if someone gets sick!)

-There's plenty of staff to serve your guests, refill drinks, clean spills and setup and breakdown the event.

-They know EXACTLY how much food you'll need for your event so you won't run out.

I recognize that everyone wants to save money in their wedding planning. Skimping on having a great caterer isn't the way to go. Instead, save money by hosting a dessert reception, a brunch reception or by simply cutting your guest list. With these cuts, you should be able to afford great service for your event!

Get our FREE audio seminar: 5 Super Secret Tips That Will Save You $5000 On Your Wedding. Sign up at the top of this page.

Want to use this article in your E-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete statement:

Karen Clark is a celebrity wedding planner who publishes the "Perfect On A Penny" weekly e-zine. Get your FREE audio seminar: "5 Super Secret Tips That Will Save You $5000 On Your Wedding" at www.PerfectOnAPenny.com

Facebook: Perfect On A Penny, Twitter: @PerfectOnAPenny