Wedding catering eats up a huge chunk of your budget. Like, the biggest chunk after the venue. You’re looking at feeding potentially a hundred people or more, and in New Jersey, that doesn’t come cheap. But here’s what nobody tells you upfront: the per-person price you see advertised is almost never what you actually end up paying. Let’s break down what wedding catering NJ actually costs and where all that money goes. Because understanding the…
I planned our company’s fall party last year. Got volunteered for it, really, someone asked if anyone wanted to organize it and I made eye contact at the wrong moment. Suddenly, I’m responsible for feeding 85 people, finding a venue, and making sure nobody gets too drunk at an open bar. The catering was the part that stressed me out most. Our budget was $3,500, which sounds like a lot until you start getting quotes…
Look, I’m going to be straight with you about food trucks and fall events in New York. This isn’t going to be some sanitized sales pitch. I’ve spent the last eight years coordinating events in this city, and sometime around 2019, I stopped even pretending that traditional catering was always the better option. Food trucks used to be this novelty thing you’d consider for maybe a super casual company BBQ. Now? I’ve got clients asking…
Went to a wedding last year where the food was so bad, people were hitting up a diner afterwards. The couple spent $28,000 on their reception. The chicken was dry, the sides were cold, and half the guests left hungry. Then I went to another wedding where the couple served tacos and sliders. Cost way less, and people are still talking about how good it was. After helping plan food for dozens of weddings in…
Last summer I planned my company’s annual party for 200 people. We’re a tech startup in Brooklyn, everyone’s in their twenties and thirties, nobody wanted the standard rubber chicken situation. I got quotes from traditional catering companies—$85 per person, minimum. For mediocre food. Chicken, pasta, sad vegetables, the usual. Then my assistant suggested food truck catering. I’ll be honest, my first thought was “that sounds messy and complicated.” But the quote came in at $42…
My niece is getting married next spring and I’ve been helping her look at wedding catering options around North Jersey. I got married fifteen years ago and thought I knew what to expect. Chicken or fish, maybe some pasta, basic wedding food. I was completely wrong about what’s happening now. We’ve been to six different venues so far. Morristown, Wayne, a couple places near Hoboken. Each one was totally different from what I remember wedding…
Okay, so it’s that time of year again. The holidays are sneaking up, and you’re probably starting to panic about your corporate holiday party. If you’re dealing with New York City and New Jersey clients, you already know these people have eaten everywhere and seen everything. They’re not going to be impressed by the same tired spread everyone else is serving. I’ve watched too many companies blow their holiday catering budget on fancy venues while…
My wedding was six months ago and people are still asking me about the food. Not the dress, not the flowers – the catering. Apparently when you nail the food at a NYC wedding, everyone remembers it forever. Getting there wasn’t easy though. When Jake and I got engaged, I figured catering would be straightforward. Pick some good food, sign a contract, done. Three months of tastings later, I learned that wedding food in New…
Had to plan my company’s summer party last year and traditional catering quotes were insane. $85 per person for mediocre chicken and wilted salad? No thanks. Started looking at food trucks instead and it was the best decision I made. Food trucks show up, cook everything fresh, and don’t need you to provide anything except a place to park. No renting plates, no hiring servers, no stressing about kitchen access. They handle everything and the…
Event planning used to stress me out because of the food situation. You call catering companies and they all sound the same – chicken parmesan, beef something, maybe salmon if you’re lucky. Then they quote you some ridiculous price and act like they’re doing you a favor. I stumbled into food truck catering by accident when my regular caterer flaked out last minute. Desperation led me to call a BBQ truck I’d seen around town,…