In all the excitement of your big day, when you’re planning your own wedding reception, the practicalities like crockery can often be forgotten. Some wedding venues charge a premium for hiring wedding crockery, asking extortionate amounts for the serving plates, glasses, cutlery and everything else you need on top of the cost of the catering. Some venues will not even allow the crockery to be provided by third parties so it could end up costing you a fortune.
Thinking carefully about the small details like wedding day crockery rather than simply accepting the first quote you receive could help you make big savings to spend on the more important things. So, if you’re arranging your own wedding day crockery, here are a few things to consider…
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Collection or delivery?
Many wedding crockery hire companies will give you the choice to collect the crockery or have it delivered ready for the big day. Of course, a delivery service will not necessarily come for free. If the hire company is local then collecting the crockery yourself could save you a little money, though delivery is far more convenient.
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Terms and conditions
As always, it’s important you take the time to understand the terms and conditions of the crockery hire service. Is there a minimum order amount? How much will you be charged for crockery that’s damaged? It’s worth calling a few companies to ask these questions and get a quote to see what’s right for you.
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How many glasses will you need?
If you’re not going to have some poor soul washing racks of glasses during the wedding itself, you’ll need to think carefully about how many glasses you’re actually going to need. If you think that each drink will need to be served in a clean glass, then you’re likely to need at least three per guest.
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Always order extra
Depending on the number of guests you are expecting, we would advise you to order at least ten more plates, sets of cutlery and other pieces of crockery than you think you’ll need. Crockery can all too easily be dropped or misplaced during the day and there may be other people that need to eat, such as the photographer or other vendors, you hadn’t factored into your calculations. If you’re not sure exactly how many guests there’ll be, put in your initial order for the higher amount as most rental companies will let you change your order a few days before delivery without charging an additional fee.
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What else do you need?
When you’re organising your own wedding reception, hiring the crockery is just one of a seemingly insurmountable mountain of different items to consider. To help jog your memory, a few other things you may need include tables, tablecloths, napkins, chairs, patio heaters, bread baskets, lighting, garden furniture and of course, a bride or groom!
For any additional questions about hiring the right catering equipment for your big day feel free to contact Plato Catering Hire.
