Catering Manager vs. Wedding Coordinator
Typical Catering Manager Duties
- Provide a personalized tour of the venue
- Act as a menu consultant for all food and beverage selections
- Detail your banquet event order or catering contract, outlining all of your event specifics, and ensure that it is communicated flawlessly to the operational team of the venue
- Create a floor plan of your function space in order for you to provide seating arrangements
- Arrange and attend your menu tasting
- Oversee the ceremony and reception room(s) set up, food preparation and other venue operations
- Act as the on-site liaison between your wedding planner and venue operations staff
- Ensure a seamless transition to the venue's banquet captain once the grand entrance has occurred (typically this is when the catering manager leaves the reception)
- Review your banquet checks for accuracy, prior to the completion of the final bill
Typical Wedding Coordinator Duties
- Recommend event professionals to provide wedding music, flowers, photography, invitations and more
- Assist with etiquette and protocol for invitations, family matters, ceremony and toasts
- Create a comprehensive timeline
- Organize and coordinate your ceremony rehearsal
- Remind the bridal party of all pertinent "call times" and "don't forgets" on the wedding day
- Confirm "call times" and details with all vendors
- Be available to have conversations in the evenings and weekends, long after your catering manager has gone home
- Act as the liaison between your family, bridal party and other vendors to create a seamless operation
- Deliver and arrange ceremony programs, escort cards, place cards, favors and any other personal items
- Coordinate your actual ceremony (line up the bridal party, assist you with your gown)
- Coordinate your actual reception (grand entrance, first dance, toasts and cake cutting, etc)
- Collect any personal items you may have brought at the conclusion of the reception
- Review your banquet check for accuracy
- Establish room blocks at various hotels for guests
- Create a vendor payment schedule
- Review your catering contracts to ensure all of your requests are communicated to the catering manager
- Give a wide variety of professional referrals that fit with every kind of budget and taste
