One of the first wedding decisions we made was the caterer. Why? Because our 3 main wedding must-haves are: 1. good food, 2. drinks, 3. dancing.

Mr. CC and I have been to what seems like a million weddings together, and, as guests, these 3 elements seemed crucial to our enjoyment and memories of each wedding. Truthfully, I don’t remember what the table centerpieces looked like, or the bouquets, or even what the bride wore. But I do remember dancing all night, delicious food and cakes and late-night chocolate covered alcohol-infused strawberries.

With our venue, we could choose just about any caterer in Milwaukee (however, since the room has been purchased by Bartolottas, any future room bookings will be required to use Bartolotta Catering). We started off by just checking out the websites of a few big names in Milwaukee. Honestly, it was nearly impossible to determine anything based on websites. There were just too many random costs; some companies have them, some do not. For example, some places charge per plate for dinner and then add $1.00/person for serving cake, $0.50/person for linens or candles. There’s usually (but not always) a standard type of linen or china or flatware included, but other choices are available - for a price. It’s very tricky… determining the actual per plate charge means you’ve got to read all of the fine print!

And, in the end, I’m not even sure how much trying to determine this charge actually mattered. For us, it seemed like many caterers were pretty much in the same ballpark cost-wise. We ended up making appointments for tastings with only two caterers because we are planning the wedding from out-of-town, we only had one weekend in which to choose a caterer. In the end, we chose Chef Jack’s and here’s why:

Our visit was actually with Chef Jack himself. He is zany, wacky, funny, and super-nice. Immediately upon our arrival, we were served drinks and treated as if we were guests in his home. The food was delish! And after our dinner of chicken, steak, potatoes, and greens (peppers for momma CC and Mr. CC, asparagus for me), we were served little tastes of Kahlua in chocolate cups! How fun! I was pretty much ready to sign the papers at that point, but, then, he brought out CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES! Yum! Sold!

What really impressed me, though, was the way the business was run. Many of the servers have been with Chef Jack for years, almost like a family. He mentioned that his staff is instructed to watch the entire party: they will check to make sure the bathroom is clean and they will pour coffee an extra time without charging you extra (seriously, some places were like, “we include 2 coffee pours, but if you want us to come around a third time, it will cost you!”). He also urged us to have drinks ready for people as they arrive – perhaps a signature Cape Cod drink the moment guests arrive? Count me in!

And then he mentioned that he had served President Clinton at our venue several years ago, and he didn’t need to say much of anything else. I figure, if he can serve the President, he will probably be good enough for my wedding!

We also took Chef Jack’s advice and selected Brookfield Wedding Cakes as our cake maker. And boy-oh-boy are we glad that we did!

Mr. CC and I at our cake tasting. I wish we could have scheduled several tastings…

We met with Susan, the owner, in April to pick out our cake. Again, we are going the simple but elegant route (if simple and elegant are even good descriptors for cake). We opted for the tuxedo cake (that’s one layer of chocolate and one layer of -umm- yellow? what flavor is yellow cake anyways?). We’ll have buttercream frosting with a chocolate butter cream inside. (Neither one of us is big on fruit-flavored cake or filling. Unless it’s carrot cake. With cream cheese frosting. I love me some of that!) Are you drooling yet? Mmm…

A Note from the Wedding Planner:
Miss Cape Cod asked that I give some pointers on choosing a caterer. I must say that I am so excited and impressed with her experience with Chef Jack. You definitely want to make sure that when you go on your tasting or meet with a caterer that can show you some of their work (tasting is even better for a first consult!). The whole food theory works both ways: if it looks good, it should taste good, and if it tastes good, it should look good. There is a saying in business that “the eye buys”. Your caterer’s presentation is key. You also want to talk to the person who will be creating the dining experience for you and your guests. It is important that they get a feel for where you are going with your event– it’s vision, colors, theme, tastes, etc. You don’t want to play a game of “Caterer Telephone”; something will be lost in translation and transmission. Also ask for references and pay attention to the way you are treated when you arrive and throughout your consult. Are you comfortable? Are the selections you are given creative, decadent, and delicious? Remember, the same way you are greeted and treated is how your guests will be treated. Also look for the creativity– this isn’t where you call 100 of your closest friends and family and say “Let’s get together at Applebee’s!” You don’t want run of the mill food, because this isn’t a run of a mill event. Indulge– mix different flavors, colors and textures. Research cookbooks and/or watch FoodTV. Designing your menu is just as important as designing your event. Don’t try to make a decision from looking at websites– go, meet the caterer and experience their work. How much is that experience worth?