Suppressing the bridezilla in you

This is a sponsored post by Orange Clove Catering. If you have just nailed your proposal on 14 February, congratulations but don’t be too happy yet because it is merely just the start of an arduous journey (we are sure there is some bliss and laughter along the way). We have seen enough to know how wedding vendors can turn a sweetheart into a terrifying bridezilla, and we are here to save the day.While hotel banquets are still pretty mainstream, it is not uncommon to see the new generation coming up with novel ideas to turn their wedding into a unique and different one. When that happens, you probably need to engage a caterer, and with more than 300 caterers in the market, the million dollar question is who exactly to engage?The last thing you want is to have a perfect wedding with crappy food that everyone talks about after your wedding reception. So, let’s roll with wedding catering 101!1. What’s your style?Every individual is different, so is every couple. We know that planning for your dream wedding is an exciting journey but it is important to decide on what you want and make sure you stay on track. Have a nice discussion with your better half to first decide if you want an elaborate wedding or an intimate solemnisation.There is no better option here between the two, it largely depends on what is your style and most importantly your budget. Don’t be too hard on yourself because the money is better spent on your food and home renovation.If you have the extra cash, go all out for an outdoor wedding, but you’re going to need an events company for the sound system, staging and lightings. If you are opting for an indoor venue, they would probably have all these in place albeit with the most basic options.Style checked, and now it’s time to source for caterers. With so many caterers around, it is important to shortlist the relevant ones. You can always hop onto singaporebrides.com or simply hit Google!2. A la carte or package?While catering may not be like a bridal package, it is definitely useful to find out if your wedding caterer is offering a holistic package or merely catered food. You will be pleasantly surprised that some caterers offer more than just food, they go beyond food to offer wedding favours, wedding invites and venue decoration.Then again, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. For those of you who prefer to D.I.Y your wedding, you may want to ask and have your caterer offset these costs from your package.Do remember to clear all this nitty-gritty with your appointed wedding coordinator to have a smooth plan ahead of you.3. Menus are important You don’t want to have tongues wagging after your wedding, criticising your taste. Before deciding the menu, find out more about the guests you’re inviting and consider the time of your reception.It is not uncommon to see couples having more than one reception. It can be a church reception with an evening banquet or it can be an informal reception for friends and colleagues. With different receptions, you can have more options with your appointed caterers. At the end of the day, caterers still offer more flexibility compared to hotels.To make your reception inclusive, remember to get a halal caterer so your Muslim friends and colleagues can join in the fun. If there are elderly and young children around, you may want to be cautious of dishes with bones. Go for boneless dishes if you can so your guests can still look great while feasting.To spruce up your reception, consider live cooking stations where a chef cooks on-site and serves food that is warm and fresh!4. Costs you may not know aboutAlthough there are many plus points for engaging a caterer, there may be some costs that they are not informing you about - so as an insider, let us preempt you.For a wedding, always check if they are including the solemnisation table and chairs for you. To successfully secure a deal, it is not uncommon to present a lower quote but at the end of the day find out they have not included many items.When your wedding is an elaborate one, your caterer may need much more time to setup and that may indicate extended booking of your wedding venue, meaning an extra cost. That holds true for time to clean up and hand over the venue.If you are arranging a sit-down banquet with your caterers, make sure you engage a good amount of service crew. Unlike hotels, caterers usually outsource their service crew so it is best to ask for crew that is experienced, and of course for the cost involved as well.5. Arranging for food tasting Not every caterer offers you food tasting, unlike hotels, and if this is important to check with your caterer. As a leading wedding caterer, we make sure to organise a food tasting for our couple and their relatives. Recognising that more couples are choosing to host their wedding reception outdoors, it means that they are spending on offsite catering.Food tasting is usually done one month prior to the actual day, and guests are invited to our wedding showroom for a sit-down dinner. At the same time, feedback is solicited and final details are  run through with the couple.6. Experience before deciding on your wedding caterer With all this said, it is definitely best to experience how the food will taste and how the reception will look like before your actual wedding day. Grand Food Tasting is the wedding show to attend if you are planning to engage an offsite caterer.Grand Food Tasting premiered in 2014, and OC Weddings was the first to organise a food tasting event for soon-to-wed couples, recognising the need to offer assurance. The event has been a great success since and in 2017, we welcome the fifth installment.Join us on 18 March 2017 from 11am to 8.30pm. Get ushered into the scenic Singapore Flyer and tease your senses with a line up of our thematic wedding setups. Overseeing the iconic Marina Bay, Singapore Flyer is your ideal wedding venue to seal your vows. Grab your other half and have a taste of award-winning catering at the event and get a no-obligation consultation with our wedding experts for your upcoming solemnisation and wedding.Get ready to meet our partners – The Louvre Bridal, The Chinese Wedding Shop, Aww Snap, Pine on Paper, Sparkle Live Music, Ronce Envy Creation, and many more!Register before 3 March to enjoy early bird rates at $29.90/couple!