Event Planning: Myths Debunked

In our 30 years of catering experience, we have fielded a wide array of questions from couples, parents, families and friends. All questions are *good questions*, but we do like to set the record straight every so often! 

Our friendly competitor, Blue Plate, got the ball rolling with their top five wedding myths and we added on with our own EC top 5 to make an even 10. 

Here we go!

#1: You have to get food from an ethnic restaurant if you want ethnic food at your wedding.

Incorrect! At EC, our specialty niche is ethnic food and multicultural couples. We have extensive experience in creating authentic event experiences, built upon travel to 15+ countries (across the team), extensive research, and recipe R&D (including taking guests’ family recipes and adapting them with EC details). We always have a conversation with our clients about their needs – do they want truly authentic dishes? Or to calibrate? We enjoy introducing new cuisines through condiments, sides and other elements that can be added by the individual guest as they wish. 

#2: You need to accept less than optimal food quality in an offsite venue with no kitchen.

Absolutely not! Catering is a feat of the imagination – we have created kitchens in warehouses, barns, unfinished penthouses, and construction sites. You name the location, and we bring the sterno. The quality of the food is what we pride ourselves on – all cooking is done off-site in special cooking equipment. The job of an off-site caterer is to work in places where 95% of the time we have no kitchen. Our whole business is creating restaurant level quality food in unusual circumstances. 

#3: Create custom details elsewhere – the food isn’t the place.

This is a mixed response. Our menu and individual dishes are crafted with as much personal detail as possible. Having said that, we like to bolster our food with custom, visual design details to really seal the deal. This could take the form of custom trays + signage, flourishes in the specialty cocktails, menu cards, and beyond. 

#4: Your caterer, band, photographer and event planner will work together, but only minimally.

Not true. As the caterer, we are one piece of your entire event but we work closely with all vendors to ensure your event is cohesive and smooth. At your tasting, we may ask questions about your band, your venue, your decor — we take in a ton of information to match our creations to the rest of the event. Think of us as a big pro-sports team – everyone has to play their best to ensure you win the big game. 

#5: Food, beverage and detail decisions made at the time of signing a contract with your caterer are Final, capital F. 

Definitely not true. We sometimes find that clients are nervous to sign their contract for fear of ‘signing off’ on every detail, without wiggle room. Things can change up till the day before an event (and usually do). The contract saves the date for your wedding and does not imply final decisions are made on menu, guest count or logistics. We accommodate changes as much as we can, and communicate openly whenever deadlines are approaching.

Call us at 312-829-2800 to get in touch, or visit our inquiry page at https://entertainingcompany.com/contact/ to begin planning your event today!