Welcome Bill Whitcomb Jr, Co-Director of Andrews Catering and Event Management in Huntington Station.
Q:  When at the beginning stages of planning a wedding, what should a bride and groom consider in selecting a venue vs. a caterer such as Andrews Catering?

A:  Venues and off-premises offer two different worlds. On one end you have a brick and mortar place that might have beautiful settings, but they are hard to change. They usually produce the same type of wedding every weekend. Same setups, same design, same flower guy that always puts the roses here and the lilies there, same repainted moldings and stained carpets. Off premises offers, to those that want, a new design based entirely on your imagination. A company like mine has limited venues with a focus on off premise dining. We specialize in the fresh cook method, something that brings the off-prem idea to the forefront of catering.

In the first stages look at price, site fees especially and the hidden costs in the upgrades you want. You should have a good idea on the flow of the event and the look. If you have trouble, ask the caterer or an event manager. These are the people performing the event. If you don’t get a good feeling from them, run!!  Often venue caterers are so used to the same thing, if you want something different you want a person who understands you and can deliver.

Q:  How much money should the couple budget for if hiring a caterer?

A:  With price nothing is normal. The guide to use these days on Long Island is broken into three parts for an off premise event.

#1-Site fee: Is this a Gold Coast mansion or Uncle Bob’s house? Find out all the fees needed to use the site.  Ask questions regarding the bathrooms, electric, etc. These are all things an off-prem caterer would want to know. Estimated cost is $3,000-$10,000 per event.

#2- What exactly do I need to entertain my crowd? Think and walk through the entire event. Do I need the guitar player during the cocktail hour? Is that $5,000 rented bathroom needed, do the glass and gold plates really matter? Estimated cost is $40pp-$100′s pp.

#3- Food from bistro tables to apps. It’s all about how much of a foodie you really are. You can always move money in and out of the food budget. Can we change from Filet Mignon to Flank steak to save money? Yes, it’s all how much you want the food to speak about you, your fiancé and your guests. Estimated cost is $80pp-$100′spp.

Q:  What else do they need to take into account when hiring a caterer?

A:  Rentals: goblets or all purpose wine glasses?  These things can make or break budgets every day. Find out what you think looks pretty. Does the china seem too boring?  Rental companies have an almost unlimited supply of ideas when it comes to this.  Do you have a wedding planner or do you want the caterer/event manager to help plan and coordinate your wedding ideas?. You always need to designate who is planning and deciding for you. Then work with them.

Food: (of course) What has the caterer done before? Can you taste their food? Are they food focused? Can they help you find something different than a cake? Can they plan a menu that showcases a blend of what you like, and what your guests like? Ask questions!  This seems impossible to figure out, but remember –  the food, just like the flowers or design, should have something to do with you, your style, your taste. Then you always add a few crowd pleasers or classics to fill in.  Let’s say you love BBQ but hate French food. Try adding a fun BBQ station during cocktail hour. You get to eat what you like from one side, and the guests can enjoy the Filet Mignon with port wine reduction.

Q: What’s trendy and new in wedding cuisine?

A:  Some new trends are cook-to-order or flash prep; fun action stations that break up the monotonous buffet or center of the plate presentations.

Q:  What’s your best advice for couples planning a wedding on Long Island?

A:  My best advice is to think about what makes them happy. Try to use your experience as a couple to build the wedding. Did you and your fiancé meet at a bar with a special drink?  Have an incredible dinner date that you can never forget?  Use these experiences to guide you. A great event management/caterer can give you great ideas and add to your experience, but you must have some basic ideas in the beginning.  The best experience I have with clients is with those couples that work with me on the experience.

Thank you, Bill!