Make Arrangements With Wedding Caterer for Leftovers

Mother of the Bride, here’s an important tip—make arrangements with your caterer for leftovers and get it in writing. You’re paying dearly for all the food at the wedding reception so you are entitled to take home everything that’s left over.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming the caterer will automatically save the leftovers for you. Some may have a policy of tossing food that has set out for a certain period of time. If that’s the case with your caterer, you’ll need to make plans for the food to be packed up and refrigerated (if needed) before the time limit is reached.

Also, a verbal agreement is not enough. With one of my daughter’s caterers, I verbally mentioned my desire to be given the leftovers but failed to get it in writing. By the time I asked her about the food after the guests had left the reception, she informed me that it had already been thrown out. I was very unhappy but couldn’t do much about it because I had forgotten to get the details in writing.

So, MOB, let the caterer know your desires about this issue in one of your pre-wedding meetings and have them include the details in the contract you sign. Save yourself the disappointment and wasted money by making firm arrangements ahead of time. Learn from my mistake.

*You might also like to read Get It in Writing and Wedding Day Checklist: Containers for Leftover Cake.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign up is FREE! *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash

Get It In Writing

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Mother of the Bride, here’s a quick tip when making plans with vendors: Get it in writing.

You’ve probably already discovered—and gratefully so—that reputable vendors use written agreements or contracts when dealing with their clients. This ensures that all parties know exactly what service is being provided for what price.

What may not occur to you until a problem presents itself is that all of the verbally agreed upon details most likely won’t be a part of a vendor’s standard contract. This doesn’t mean that those items can’t be added.

Protect yourselves from any forgotten or even purposefully neglected instructions. Think of the details that are important to you and to the bride and make sure they are included in the contract. If they’re not listed in the contract the vendor gives you, ask that they be added.

For example, if the photographer advertises a certain number of images shot for a certain price, be sure that number appears on the contract. If the caterer agrees to allow you to take left-over food home, make sure you get that in writing.

Having a written record of your agreements with the vendors will save you the grief of unmet expectations and will also provide some recourse financially if vendors fail to follow through in some way. Yes, Mother of the Bride, get it in writing—you’ll be glad you did.

*Since the readership of the Mother of the Bride Blog is ever-changing, I hope this encore post has been helpful to those of you who weren’t MOBs when I originally posted it in September 2013.

*Flickr photo by Maria Reyes-McDavis, Creative Commons License

Exciting News—A Book Contract!

IMG_3239*I’ll be skipping my upcoming Monday post since it will be Labor Day. See you next Thursday for a Midweek Morsel!

I have some exciting news, everyone! I recently signed a book contract with BroadStreet Publishing for my mother of the bride book! You may have already heard all about it if you’re a subscriber to my Life Notes newsletter (sign-up is free on the right sidebar) or if you follow me on Facebook, but I wanted to be sure and announce it here as well. After all, this is news worth celebrating everywhere, right?!

I’m so very grateful God has opened this door for me. It’s been a long journey but also an amazing one to see how God worked to connect me to a perfect publisher for my MOB book. All along I’ve envisioned a beautiful gift book that will not only refresh and encourage mothers of the bride but will offer them wisdom and practical help, too. Since BroadStreet’s books include beautiful gift books, they are able to make that dream a reality. How I praise and thank God for blessing me with this opportunity!

The title and release date are still tentative, but I will keep you posted. I’m beyond thrilled that my book will soon be available to bless mothers of the bride. And if you’re not a mother of the bride, keep in mind that it will make the perfect go-to gift in the coming years for mothers of the bride you know. Won’t it be fun to bless them with a gift designed especially for them?

I also want to give a huge thanks to my agent Karen Neumair of Credo Communications for believing in me and this book project. And thanks to all of you for rejoicing with me today. Dreams really can come true!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

*When has God done more for you than you could ask or imagine?

*My photo

Super Exciting News—A Book Contract!

IMG_3239*I’ll be skipping my upcoming Monday post since it will be Labor Day. See you next Thursday!

I have some exciting news, everyone! I recently signed a book contract with BroadStreet Publishing for my mother of the bride book! You may have already heard all about it if you’re a subscriber to my Life Notes newsletter (sign-up is free on the right sidebar) or if you follow me on Facebook, but I wanted to be sure and announce it here as well. After all, this is news worth celebrating everywhere, right?!

I’m so very grateful God has opened this door for me. It’s been a long journey but also an amazing one to see how God worked to connect me to a perfect publisher for my MOB book. All along I’ve envisioned a beautiful gift book that will not only refresh and encourage mothers of the bride like you but will offer them wisdom and practical help, too. Since BroadStreet’s books include beautiful gift books, they are able to make that dream a reality. How I praise and thank God for blessing me with this opportunity!

The title and release date are still tentative, but I will keep you posted. I’m beyond thrilled that my book will soon be available to bless mothers of the bride. Won’t it make the perfect go-to gift in the coming years for mothers of the bride you know? Won’t it be fun to bless them with a gift designed especially for them?

I also want to give a huge thanks to my agent Karen Neumair of Credo Communications for believing in me and this book project. And thanks to all of you for rejoicing with me today. Dreams really can come true!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

*Mother of the Bride, check the archives on the right sidebar for lots of helpful posts!

*My photo