Trapped by Catering Contracts!?

A certain bride-to-be getting married this July is having a food dilemma. Her venue has an exclusive relationship with a caterer that she is not particularly happy with. In fact, the couple did a tasting and hated the food. Said it was gross. Sure, it could have been a matter of taste, but sounds like there were some legit quality issues, too. Limp lettuce being one. Bride-to-be was asking me what her options are if she’s already signed a contract that says the couple agrees to this one exclusive caterer. I told her to work with the caterer to create a new menu—and be specific about what kinds of flavors she likes. (Thanksgiving dinner? Barbequed tri tip? Raw veggies or sautéed? Assorted fresh spices or the natural flavor of the food?) I also told her to do another tasting, this time trying new menu items. But then what? What if she and hubby-to-be still don’t like the food? Then, I said, resort to principled negotiation, and see if your venue’s coordinator can offer you two additional catering options.

Posted by By Haley Myers on Sunday, April 12, 2009