Let’s be honest – there are just too many weddings we’ve been invited to that didn’t leave a lasting impressions. After all, once you’ve been to a few weddings, aren’t they all beginning to look and feel the same?

Of course, there are the few exceptions that stands out above others. It could be be due to the location, the decor, or the people themselves. But we’re betting that if there’s one thing that makes a wedding memorable, it’s definitely the food!

Today, wedding banquet catering providers are expected to deliver a delicate balance of affordability and quality. They’re to remain competitive in price to fit into tight budgets, but excellent in taste to guarantee guests will be blown away!

This makes it tough to source for wedding buffet catering that fits into both your budget and requirements perfectly. If you add in the needing a halal-certified wedding caterer, it’s no wonder most couples take more than 12 months to plan a wedding!

That said, it’s not as doom and gloom as you think. Many wedding banquet catering providers in Singapore have stepped up their game to give you the best of both worlds. So here’s the ultimate guide to choosing the best wedding caterer service in Singapore! 

Difference Between Normal Caterers & Halal Wedding Catering

On the surface, you’ll see very little differences between normal and halal food catering services.

However, halal wedding catering services (especially from halal-certified providers) have taken into account every dietary requirement for Muslims, as well as using the correct method of preparation that is according to rules, customs and principles for Muslim practitioners.

Trust us, while halal catering providers undergo a different preparation & serving process, it doesn’t mean they’re any less delicious!

Where to Find Good Wedding Catering Services in Singapore?

There are endless ways you can get started with searching for a good wedding caterer in Singapore. From recommendations, local searches to attending wedding fairs, the choices are plenty!

But by far and large, the best way to get started is to shortlist your caterers with stellar online reviews. You can start doing so by reading online reviews on wedding catering providers on forums like Wedding Forum, The Wedding Vow Blissful, Hitcheed or Perfect Weddings. Otherwise, a quick Google search isn’t a bad place to start!

What you’re looking for are genuine, in-depth reviews of past experiences of customers with your shortlisted wedding catering providers. These can be about the food provided itself, the service level or the overall experience of dealing with the caterer. While reviews can be faked or bought these days, it’s definitely worth an extra effort to try and get an insider’s look at a wedding cate

Otherwise, another source of reliable information is by asking any friends or family members who have engaged wedding caterers in the past, especially for the ones you’ve attended and am impressed with. Not to forget, your wedding planner, photographer, videographer or even florist will probably have wedding caterers, halal or not, that they’ll happily recommend.

One final tip – check with your favourite restaurants that you visit often to see if they provide catering services! More often than not, they’ll be more than happy to provide the option of catering for your wedding!

Once you’ve made the final shortlist of good caterers with favourable reviews, it’s time to arrange for appointments! Go for at least 5 caterers, but try and keep it to less than 10. This is the best time to check if they provide halal wedding catering, whether it’s for wedding buffets, church wedding reception catering, wedding lunch or if they’re a halal-certified caterer.

It will be wise to check if they’ve available for your wedding date, try their tasting menu and get a grasps of their pricing and menus.

How to Plan Your Wedding When Selecting Your Wedding Catering Provider

While your wedding caterer is no doubt important, in reality, it’s just one small piece of the gigantic wedding planning puzzle!

If you’re having difficulty in finding the right time and dates for your wedding planning milestones, here are some helpful planning steps to get your dream wedding banquet catering in order.:

• • 12 months (or less) before day of wedding – research, research and research for caterer that hold great reviews from customers. You should make a list of all the questions you’d like answered, as well as confirming if your shortlisted caterers are able to provide for your wedding day & the choice of venue and accommodate your number of guests.

• • 6 months before day of wedding – arrange for an appointment with your shortlisted caterers to have an in-depth discussion! Get details on the logistics behind different locations if needed, the overall costs and additional add-ons if needed, the wedding day run-through, manpower and staff requirements as well as any possible equipment needed from both end. This is the best time to finalise your caterer’s proposal that contains the estimated costs of wedding catering service.

• • 3 months before day of wedding – ideally, by now, you’ll have come to a decision on which caterer you’re going for. If so, it’s time to do a food tasting! What you’ll need to do is to arrange for an appointment with your caterer – but do keep in mind that some caterers do charge a fee for tasting. This is where you must take notes of your likes or dislikes! This is where you should decide on your catering orientation – whether it’s a wedding banquet, halal catering, buffet catering, lunch catering or for your church wedding reception catering, it’s now time to finalise!

• • Final weeks before day of wedding – as a final check-in with your caterer, it is prudent to contact or plan appointments with your caterer to ensure everything is in place and in order for your dream wedding. After all, there’s no harm in keeping everything in tabs!

How Much Should a Wedding Caterer Cost?

Well, it depends on your overall wedding budget! Some couples are keen to dedicate a larger portion to the food, while others expect lower expenditure on catering versus other details!

But remember – your guests’ main takeaway will most probably be the food served at your wedding, so it is important to impress!

That said, there is a simple formula that can generate a close estimate on how much your wedding catering should cost. This includes:

• • Number of guests – naturally, the more guests you invite, the more food you’ll need to prepare and pay for

• • Food options – depending on their flavour, complication or quality of ingredients, different food packages can vary from best-value to exquisitely premium

• • Orientation of your wedding catering  – it’s not just the food served, it’s the way they are served. There are a variety of options for this, including plated meals where guests are served plate-by-plate by service staff, buffet style where guests self-service for their food, or incorporated with food stations guests experience different foods and different stations. Some may cost quite a lot more than another!

• • The place where your wedding takes place – sometimes, wedding venues can place certain restrictions and forbid couples from using caterers that aren’t part of the venue’s business. This might come as an extra cost to get around!

• • The preparation materials for your wedding banquet – think of the small things such as glasses, flatware, serving equipment, tables & chars that are in-sync, linens, decorations and so much more. 

While we can’t give an exact number on how much you should be spending on your wedding catering budget, it’s advisable to always plan ahead to keep your budget on track! 

Questions You Must Ask Your Wedding Buffet Catering Service 

• What is the total cost of the catering service from start to end?

  • When budgets are at play, not sticking to one is foolhardy at best. A good caterer should be able to meet your budget on a mutually-agreeable manner. Remember, quality doesn’t mean sky-high prices – it can often come down to skillfully making smart choices!

• Are there any services provided in the banquet or buffet catering?

  • It’s crucial to understand what services you’ll be employing for the hefty price you invested in your wedding banquet caterer. For example, you’ll not want to miss out on the labour of setting up tables for church wedding reception, lunches or banquet buffets! Do take note of any cleaning services provided as well – some venues do charge an extra if your caterer doesn’t clean up properly!

• Are halal-certified wedding menus any different or cheaper than the normal?

  • While most caterers will be competitive in pricing for their halal menus vs conventional menus, there might be a small difference in pricing after taking account the extra steps of halal preparations!
    
    In terms of food quality, you can be assured that halal-certified menus are no less delicious than their counterparts!

• Does your shortlisted wedding caterer provide the service to your venue?

  • More often than not, the wedding venue is the foundation of your entire wedding plan. It’s important to then confirm your venue before even selecting your wedding caterer! From there, check with your shortlisted caterer to see if their service is available for your chosen location.

• • Do note that it will be extremely helpful if you can give in-depth details regarding your wedding plans. If your wedding will be held outdoors, for example, or if it’s an afternoon wedding instead of a dinner. More importantly, you’ll need to discuss the what-ifs at unexpected situations, such as the wedding starting earlier or later, or even the case of a severe thunderstorm during the wedding itself!

• Is your caterer able to adjust their catering service according to your wedding plan?

• • Your wedding theme sets the tone of everything else, and that includes the set up of your food service. As you might have planned for a garden-themed or an minimal-industrial themed wedding, it’ll be best to make sure that your caterer is able to adapt and fit into what you have in mind when it comes to table linens, centerpieces, decoration colours and more. Of course, it would be extra helpful if you can give your caterer a detailed plan for your wedding!

• Is your caterer able to accommodate special dietary requirements?

• • In today’s multicultural society, it has become almost a norm to have different dietary needs among guests you invite. Some might require a halal meal, vegetarian or vegan-friendly options or even gluten-free food!

  • One great way of handling this is to estimate the head count early on when it comes to the guests with dietary requirements. Do also remember to factor in a few children-friendly food items so that they can be served as well! 

• Can your caterer offer extra services if required to make your wedding extra special?

• • You should reserve this question for last, but it’s no harm to ask if your caterer is able to offer an out-of-the-box service. This can be something like a stand-alone ice-cream bar, a live food truck or even just a few VIP tables for your guests! 

• Can you verify that the catering service provided is halal certified?

• • It goes without saying that making sure your halal wedding catering provider is certified takes priority over all else if your wedding caters to many Muslims. Adhering to halal standards of sourcing ingredients and food preparation is vital, so ask them for their halal certificate or enquire about the halal regulations they put in place!

Why Should You Choose How’s Catering as Your Halal Wedding Catering Provider?

Making waves in the food catering industry since 1991, How’s Catering is Singapore’s trusted wedding catering provider that has been halal-certified since 2005.

We provide quality food and personalised services with competitive pricing for all our clients, and are more than qualified to prepare amazing dishes to make your wedding a standout above all others out there.

This includes a wide range of wedding services including solemnization packages, wedding cocktail packages, fine dining, banquets and grand wedding buffets.

If you’re keen on finding out more about our wedding offerings or customisation options, feel free to contact us at +65 6852 2852 or email sales@howscatering.com.sg today