Choose your caterer

After a first phone call with your candidate caterers and their quote, you absolutely must visit them to assess the cleanliness of their kitchens, judge their professionalism and taste the dishes offered. Take photos of the dishes so you can compare what you were promised to what you were served on the wedding day. Also inspect accessories, glasses, tablecloths, utensils and plates. Some caterers charge a fee for this visit, but it does not commit you to anything and is essential!

The right caterer for your wedding

To live together, you naturally need a good dose of love, patience, honesty, passion... and a little more patience. On the other hand, the recipe for a successful wedding, only an expert caterer in quality like Robert Alexis can execute it.

You have set your wedding date, which is no small feat! Now you must determine your budget and subtract from this amount the sums necessary to cover all costs, except the cost of the caterer. Think of the rings, the dress, the celebrant's cachet, the announcements, the limousine, the hairstyle, the make-up, the flowers and the honeymoon. Think again about the dress! Maybe it wouldn't be so wacky, after all, to have a second dress?

Now you know how much you have for the centerpiece of your wedding: the caterer. For the organization of your wedding, be aware that the services of Robert Alexis can encompass much more than the meal: reservation and decoration of the reception hall, hiring of service personnel, proposals for photographers, DJs and orchestras... Your caterer can even provide souvenir gifts to your guests! In short, the role of the caterer goes well beyond serving the meal, and that is why it should be chosen with care.

Robert Alexis' wedding reception menus include appetizer bites, a 3-6 course catered meal and a late night table. To this, Robert Alexis' wedding catering service can add wedding cakes and wedding cakes on request.

Drink to the health of the bride and groom

Instead of champagne, the current trend favors quality wines produced according to the Champagne method (franciacorta, cava, etc.) which are flavored with violets, pears or hibiscus, and which are decorated a raspberry for the ladies and a blackberry for the men.

The head table

The concept of the rectilinear head table where the newlyweds and their family find themselves exposed as on a stage lacks warmth and intimacy. Think of the poor diners who inherit an extremity, with a step-parent (and not necessarily the nicest) as their only neighbor!

To promote exchanges, conviviality and pleasure, there is nothing like a round table. However, this table must stand out from that of the other guests. In addition to being larger, it can be decorated with a different centerpiece, and the color of its chair covers or tablecloth can also be different. The head table has every interest in being placed in the middle of the room and not on the side. While newlyweds don't want to show off, they still need to be approachable!

The meal

Opt for a short meal, four courses being ideal. Five- or seven-course meals are less appropriate, as the wedding is a party where people want to dance and socialize.

The cocktail

Get married as late as possible… during the day, that goes for it. Why? Because the earlier you get married, the longer the cocktail. And the longer the cocktail, the more people drink, and the more food must be served to avoid slippages. If five bites are enough for a one-hour cocktail, eight are needed for a two-hour cocktail.

Never mind! If the extension of the cocktail is unavoidable, compensate for the increase in the cost of the cocktail by removing a service from the main meal.

In other words, rather than serving starter, main course, cheeses and dessert, compose your wedding meal of a starter, a main course and a dessert.

The late night snack

The late night snack table isn't just nice, it's essential! Weddings are an opportunity for many of us to drink until we're thirsty (we're not targeting anyone), which sometimes has the opposite of the desired effect. Tired, the revelers desert the dance floor, and if we are not careful, they left well before midnight. However, food acts as a sponge and reduces the effects of alcohol, hence the importance of the late-night table.

At Robert Alexis, we consider that a good late-night table is a comforting table garnished with dishes that sustain and surprise: smoked meat mini-rolls, sautéed baby apple poutine, selected cheeses, fresh fruit and a candy bar… The options are endless!

Your role in planning your wedding

Want to take care of the drinks and the bar yourself? Bring us your bottles on Monday. After making sure you don't miss anything, we will take care of bringing them to reception and cooling them for service. It is normal to want to invest in the organization of your wedding, but there is no shame in delegating. The week before the reception, everything should already be in place and only a minimum of tasks should remain. Do not hesitate to entrust the flowers, the decoration and the identification cards to the pros!

The souvenir gift

Let it be said: dragees are outdated! Nowadays, the bride and groom prefer to offer a small plant, a box of chocolates, a jar of exceptional jam, a sought-after treat decorated with a logo or the initials of the bride and groom... Let your imagination run wild! The important thing is to express your gratitude and please your guests.

The most valuable of all advice

Too often, the pleasure of the bride and groom is overshadowed by stress. Shame! Avoid that "the best day of your life" turns into a nightmare by planning the smallest detail enough in advance to have nothing to do the day before and the day of the wedding.

If possible, ensure that everything is settled by Monday or Tuesday, and entrust the management of unforeseen events to your caterer and the other organizers. After all, they are real professionals!