Food Truck Weddings - Q & A Session 1 - Contracts

What does the average engaged couple do over the holidays?
Besides eat too much.
Some spend time with family, some travel, some work, some ......, well you get the point.

The down time during the holidays is a good time to find resources that can help with the planning process.
Some couples cruise Pinterest for hours looking at wedding stuff -
From food to flowers, from dresses to desserts, that site is a wonderland for all things weddings.
Then comes old reliable - Google.
From reception images to finding someone local to help out, Google can provide a lot of resources.
Google just can't always provide a specific direction for couples in the decision making process.
Which is where we may be able to help on a few levels.

Working out a catering contract can be simple if you have the right information.

CONTRACTS
How about we cover what you are looking for - Good things that need to be in the contract.

1. Breakdown of the costs - 1st and foremost. You should see NYS Sales Tax, labor costs, any travel costs, gratuity and of course the total food and beverage costs. If you don't see any of the costs broken down, make sure everything is included in the price. Your last question regardless, should be - "Is there any other costs that are not in the contract?" If your food trucker says yes, make them change the contract to include those costs. 
2. Complete Food Descriptions - The big culprit here is sauces, if you agree on three dipping sauces, make sure they are in the contract. What you are looking for is a very thorough food list. The next point in descriptions is the service style and time frame. If you have a cocktail hour for 2 hours, be a stickler and have that added to the agreement. Lastly, if you are having passed appetizers and then buffet style for the main course, ... you know what to do.
3. Menu Changes - You want to see a section about additions and changes to the menu. There should be a time frame for edits - 2 weeks is plenty of time. If you don't see that section, have your food trucker add it - This is very important.  

Making sure those 3 parts of the contract are on point will allow focus to be directed to the important stuff - The Wedding Registry.
Each time I do a Q & A Session, I will answer some questions.
Readers can send their questions to us via comments on the blog or to info@wanderingdago.com.

Insert Ben Stein's Voice.

• Why is a deposit required to hold the date?
• Keep in mind that you could be one of three or four people trying to book the same date. Once that day is "Booked", the other people will have to look elsewhere for catering options. Your food trucker is now off the market. The deposit is just like an engagement band. This YouTube Video explains everything - http://bit.ly/1amvrHn
• What is the cancellation policy?
• I always talk about reading the fine print. The communication between you and your food trucker at the start of this process is the key to success. Each cancellation policy is unique, just make sure you go over the whole contract.
• Is the deposit refundable?
• Each food trucker will have a policy on this little gem. My advice would be this - Don't write the check if you aren't planning on having this food trucker cater your wedding. 
•  Why does a food truck charge a gratuity?
• Nobody wants to hear the truth on this one. Kidding. Most food truckers have a fully trained kitchen staff. Culinary trained, not ninjas. Unlike ninja training, culinary school costs money. That gratuity should be paid out to the staff of the truck - the equivalent of wait staff.
•  Who takes care of the Garbage? 
• This is a great question. Garbage is a huge deal. Most venues have a clear way of handling the garbage setup. Make sure to ask each potential venue this question. If you are doing the family farm or backyard wedding, plan this part out. There are two phases of this question - 1. Bagging - Easy fix. Bring garbage sacks and garbage cans. Get your wedding off with mother earth's blessing and have some recycling cans, please.                2. Disposal - Not so easy. This is mostly a matter of space. A pickup truck is just fine for transport to the appropriate place. I would go back to my old standby, just ask your food trucker. 

Hopefully we offered some insight on how to navigate a catering contract.
Just keep the communication lines open when you are working out contracts. If you have more questions or would like to see our wedding agreement, just leave a comment or message us on our website - http://www.wanderingdago.com/

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and is looking forward to making 2014 your best year ever.

Brandon
Chef/Owner - Wandering Dago Food Truck