What should I check at a wedding food tasting?
A useful tasting is a decision exercise rather than simply a meal. Compare dishes using the same criteria, note which options suit your actual service style, and ask how the tasting portion relates to what guests will receive.
How the scorecard works
The scorecard uses your selected priority as the largest weight: 50%. The other three categories receive 20%, 20%, and 10%. Each dish gets a 1–10 rating from you. The tool then produces a weighted result so the dish that best fits your priorities rises to the top.
Methodology
| Priority | Main weight | Other weights |
|---|---|---|
| Taste | 50% | Presentation 20% · Value 20% · Dietary 10% |
| Presentation | 50% | Taste 20% · Value 20% · Dietary 10% |
| Value | 50% | Taste 20% · Presentation 20% · Dietary 10% |
| Dietary flexibility | 50% | Taste 20% · Presentation 20% · Value 10% |
Examples
Buffet tasting
Use taste as the main priority and score each dish consistently. Also ask how well the dish holds up in buffet service.
Plated tasting
Presentation can matter more because the plated experience is part of the event.
Dietary-heavy menu
Give dietary flexibility more weight and ask how alternatives are prepared, labeled, and served.
Common mistakes
- Changing the scoring standard between dishes.
- Ignoring the service style when judging a dish.
- Focusing on the tasting portion instead of asking about wedding-day portions.
- Calling a dish allergy-safe without discussing the caterer's actual process.
FAQs
What should I ask at a wedding food tasting?
Ask about portions, ingredients, dietary adaptations, staffing, service, substitutions, and what changes on the final wedding menu.
How do I score wedding food?
Use the same 1–10 scale for every dish, then apply a consistent weighting.
How many dishes should I taste?
Taste the realistic finalists rather than trying every possible menu item.
Should presentation matter?
It matters more when visual presentation is important to the meal style and guest experience.
How do I compare value?
Look at the complete quote, portion size, staffing, rentals, and included services—not just one dish's taste.