4 questions to ask when planning the perfect wedding day eats

Getting married should be one of the most exciting days of your life. You get to celebrate a new chapter of your life with all your friends and family.

Planning the big day should be exciting, but everyone knows that things can get stressful — fast.

Peonies, prosciutto… peacocks? With so many decisions and moving parts, having a vision for your day and seeing it come to life can feel like a lot of pressure.

One of the most pivotal parts of wedding planning is catering. Striking the right balance between a menu you can not only afford, but that will be exciting and suit everyone’s dietary needs can seem like an event in itself.

We asked Brandon Dac from top-notch Vancouver catering company Boy With a Knife for the best questions to ask ahead of your big day, so you can make sure the food is on point — for you, your guests, your wallet, and of course, your photo album.

Budget

As with any big investment (like building a house or starting a new job), although it’s easy to get carried away with a big dream, it’s important to remember that practicality should always come first. We know that a cake decorated with Swarovski crystals may seem like the ultimate dessert, but your wallet might feel differently.

According to Dac, the best way to manage your expectations (and your caterers’) is to be as realistic with your budget as possible — and that means making one in the beginning and sticking to it.

Dac says he likes to ask clients upfront if “they afford our services and be realistic with the amounts… but in the most polite way.”

Location, location, location

Finding the right location for your wedding might seem pretty straightforward. After all, once you find your dream venue, everything else just falls into place, right?

According to Dac, it’s not so straightforward. “Location and venue are important so we can give accurate quotes with rentals.” So, although that wedding dinner on top of a mountain might look incredible on Instagram, if it means there’s no kitchen nearby, it might be your caterer’s worst nightmare.

For example, Dac recalls a time where he had to cook dinner for 120 guests over a campfire because the oven didn’t work when his team arrived. Even though everything still went smoothly, considering the facilities on hand early can make things easier for all teams later.

If you’re still in the process of choosing a venue for your special day, Boy With a Knife also rents out its transformative space for weddings. All you have to do is connect with the team to arrange a viewing.

Themes

Oven disasters aside, not all things you ask your wedding caterer should be stressful. There are some fun things that you should talk to your wedding caterer about, too, and one of them is having a theme for your big day.

Dac says giving a theme allows your caterers to have a direction to play within and to “design the best menus to reflect the couple’s dream event.”

“We love a theme. When clients have crazy requests, we have the most fun. I really like to be as authentic as possible and source out the best authentic ingredients while still keeping it on-brand for Boy With a Knife.”

Boy With a Knife is renowned for being a go-to West Coast caterer. Dac enjoys taking authentic dishes and adding his own twist to them to exceed client expectations. “We work with our clients to create the best menus the West Coast has to offer, not only with the food but with our décor and plating style,” he says.

Joey Green, the company’s event manager and planner, is always sourcing the best vendors and assembling the team to knock their events “out of the park.”

Dietary restrictions

Last but not least, if you’re having a wedding, there are bound to be guests in attendance that have a dietary restriction or two. You should have this conversation with your caterer as early as possible.

No restriction is a challenge for Boy With a Knife, as long as they have notice on what you need. The team has plenty of creative vegan and gluten-free options. “We cater to all dietary restrictions. I love to create plant-based menus that have loads of flavours, creativity, and excitement so you never feel like you are missing out on any of the deliciousness,” says Dac.

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Boy With a Knife is a catering company based out of Richmond that’s all about making your big day (and other events, too) as special, fun, and stress-free as possible — all thanks to its mouth-watering menus, super supportive planning, and epic execution.

The company, run by chefs Brandon Dac and Sean Fay, caters not only to all kinds of food, but also for all identities. “We are an LGBTQ company and support all spectrums under the rainbow,” says Dac.

The successful duo and their 60-staff catering team work closely with couples to make their dreams come true. Part of their success is due to their wealth of experience and staying super organized, as well as using an app to keep track of everything. “We work closely with each couple and their wedding planner to ensure all logistics are worked out and everyone is on the same page.”

If you’re soon to tie the knot or know someone who is, check out Boy With a Knife’s website to learn more about its fantastic catering services. Less stress on the day means more time celebrating.