Catering!

Well, our last big decision is very close to being checked off. We met with Gallucci's Catering today and went over menu options and an itemized list of what we need. We were given a price quote, with which we are happy. The next step is to set up the in-home (yes, they come to our house and cook our menu for us!) tasting. 

Here's the menu:

*Turkey

*Mashed potatoes and gravy

*Stuffing

*Sweet potatoes

*Corn

*Rolls and honey butter

Appetizers:

*Cheese spread with domestic and imported cheeses, crackers, and crusty bread

*Smoked salmon spread

We were very happy with Ron, the owner, who we met with this afternoon. He's a very nice guy who gave us a great deal. It's very exciting to have this decision made (well, almost). We will likely sign the agreement and pay our down payment when we set up the tasting in the next couple of days. The best thing about it was that he went over all these tiny details that we would have never considered. We both feel a lot more confident now that these little things are taken care of. We went above our budget, but not by that much, and since Nick's parents are paying for the majority of it, we feel pretty good about the remaining balance. 

A couple of things we still need to deal with:

1. Purchase the wine and champagne

2. Get the banquet license so we can serve the alcohol

3. Book the cake person (we need to do a few tastings for this)

 

One other note: DO NOT book Twelve Baskets catering. While their food was delicious when we sampled it at the Seattle Bridal Show, their staff is rude and obnoxious. We sent them an email with our menu and proposed budget (for food ONLY, we did not include linens and service in this cost when we emailed them), and they called us a few days later. The man I spoke to informed me that I could not feed 100 people at Taco Bell for this price (it was $2000, which was only a portion of our catering budget). I was so angry that I told him he didn't need to worry about my budget or my business and I hung up. He did not ask me what I expected that money to pay for, or if that was my budget for all the catering costs. He also informed me that, as they are based in Kirkland, I should maybe look in Tacoma or other "low budget" areas for "cheap" food. He was a condescending jerk and I will be spreading the word that Twelve Baskets is a horrible company.

Beyond the Twelve Baskets fiasco, things are good. We are so ahead of the game and it feels great! Give me a few more weeks though and I'm sure I will be freaking out about something new. Ah, the joys of wedding planning.

(Even though it is stressful, I am having so much fun doing this! I wish I could work in this industry. It really is so interesting and fast-paced. Maybe in the future . . . )