Yes, it is the middle of the year and wedding season is at the end of the year but it is important to be prepared. Wedding season is a busy one during the warmer months which means that you won’t have time for anything else during this time, especially if you are a caterer or event venue. If you want wedding season to be successful for your business, then now is the time to get ready.
Get yourself organised. During this time you need to advertise your business and send quotations in order to secure bookings for your catering services. You must be proactive because many other caterers are going to offer their best services in order to be competitive. Be one step ahead by being at the forefront and marketing your business actively. Follow up on the quotations you send. Ask customers for feedback. Find out if they want menu changes and be flexible with your menu. Don’t turn customers away because you have a set menu that can’t be changed. Brides appreciate it if you can offer them a custom menu that suits their taste and their budget.
Check what catering equipment you have. Make a stock list of all the catering equipment you own. Check the quantities and make sure that you have enough of each product to serve a venue hall filled with guests. Count each plate, knife, fork, cup and saucer. Prepare a system where you can keep track of the quantities so that you don’t waste time with a stock take every week. Check that all your catering equipment is in good working order. If it is not working properly either take it in for repairs, service it or replace it. It might be worth signing up to newsletters from catering equipment suppliers so that you can grab a bargain on catering equipment you will need during the wedding season. For example, for a wedding reception buffet you would need bain maries, serving spoons, carving knives, crockery and cutlery. In the kitchen you would need a food processor, microwave oven, stove, and vegetable cutter.
When wedding season arrives you don’t want to find out at that stage that a particular piece of catering equipment is broken or does not work. By then, it might take time to fix the product or getting a replacement product could be costly. Just like your brides, be prepared for each wedding.