Planning a wedding is basically one long group project where half the group forgets the deadline and the other half keeps changing the Pinterest board. So when couples decide, “Let’s hire our own caterer! It’ll be cheaper and aesthetic,” the universe quietly whispers:
“Oh… honey. No it won’t.”
Here’s the real tea on why venues with in-house catering are the GOAT — and why booking outside catering is basically choosing the “Expert Mode” setting for your wedding, except no one gives you a tutorial first.
1. Outside Catering Starts Cute… Until the Hidden Fees Start Jumping Out Like a Horror Movie
Caterer: “It’s $45 per person.”
Reality: “Surprise! That’s just the base game. Here are the expansion packs no one told you about.”
You know what else costs extra?
The kitchen they need to use
- The equipment they “forgot” to mention
- The staff to run the equipment
- The travel fees, setup fees, teardown fees
- The plates, forks, glasses, napkins, and literal tablecloths
- And suddenly your “cheap” catering is giving luxury-resort-in-the-Maldives vibes… at Target-budget energy.
By the time couples realize the full bill, they're like, “Wait… how did we get here?”
Answer: Hidden fees. Thousands of them.
2. The Logistics Are Basically a Group Puzzle No One Signed Up For
When your venue has in-house catering, the whole thing is a well-oiled machine. Timing? Perfect. Flow? Smooth. Drama? Minimal.
When catering is outsourced, welcome to everyone’s least favorite game:
“Find the outlet, guess the timeline, please don’t burn down the venue.”
Outside caterers need:
- More staff
- More time
- More space
- More emails
- More walkthroughs
- More emotional support than you expected
- It’s giving… chaos.
3. Renting All the Stuff No One Warned You About
Guess what outside catering often doesn’t include?
Literally everything. You now need to rent:
- Plates
- Glasses
- Silverware
- Water pitchers
- Serving gear
- Chafing dishes
- Coffee equipment
- Barware
- Linens
- Napkins
- Backup napkins
- The truck to deliver the napkins
- Your rental invoice starts to look like you're opening a small restaurant for one day.
Meanwhile, venues with in-house catering are just vibing like: “Yeah, babe, it’s included.”
4. Communication Turns Into a Full-Time Job
You are now the middleman between:
- The caterer
- The venue
- The rental company
- The bar staff
- The dessert vendor
- The timeline coordinator
- Your emotions
Meanwhile your group chat is blowing up with “Just circling back…” messages and your inbox looks like a crime scene.
All-inclusive venues? One team. One timeline. Zero chaos. Gorgeous.
You: relaxed! Your mom: sane!
5. Cleanup: The Plot Twist No Couple Saw Coming
Outside caterers have a magical phrase they love to use:
“We don’t do that.” They don’t:
- Bus Tables
- Wash dishes
- Take out trash
- Sweep
- Mop
- Reset the room
- Clean up that one cousin’s disaster of a plate tower
- And then the venue charges you for the mess.
Couples are always shocked. But by then? Team Too Late has entered the chat.
All-inclusive catering = your cleanup is handled while you’re on the dance floor living your best life.
6. Timing With Outside Catering Be Like: “We’ll See What Happens”
Food arrives too early.
Or too late.
Or lukewarm (the worst of all temperatures).
Buffet lines stall.
Plated dinners misfire.
Bartenders don’t sync with servers.
Meanwhile, the DJ is like, “So… when do I start the speeches?”
And no one knows.
In-house catering = reliable timing because they’ve done your exact wedding setup hundreds of times.
7. One Contract. One Price. One Team. Less Drama.
What you get: transparency & time to enjoy both your engagement and your wedding day!
All-inclusive venues give you: one contact, one contract, one team responsible for everything
Outside catering? That’s a whole spreadsheet. Your spreadsheet.
