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1. How do I get started planning my event? Begin by making a call to Word of Mouth. But before you do you may wish to think about a few points. First, what is the purpose of the event? Entertaining for business purposes may require a completely different approach than casual personal entertaining. Second, what is your vision for the event? Do you plan to serve your guests a full meal? What beverages will you offer? Do you have sufficient glassware, silverware, dinnerware and linens to serve the event, or do you wish to rent? Or are disposables acceptable? What level of staffing are you comfortable with? Do you wish your guests to feel completely taken care of, or is more casual service O.K.? Would flowers, lighting, transportation, or entertainment be an important element for you? Third, establish a budget. If you are experienced with catering you may have a good idea of an appropriate budget, but if you are planning your first event you may not be familiar with the costs associated with catering. Word of Mouth planners, equipped with answers to the questions above, will work within your budget to offer you the best possible event for the money.
2. What is the price difference between real dishes and disposables? Rental dishes are reasonable in cost. A plate may rent for 45 cents, while a plastic plate costs 30 cents. Price differences are more noticeable in the catering staff required. Rental dishes must be bussed, re-racked, and packed to be returned to the rental company. Disposables are quickly discarded. Plan to spend half again as much for staff when you select real dishes over disposables. But remember, you won't be adding to the landfill!
3. Can I provide my own alcoholic beverages? At this time, Word of Mouth does not sell alcohol, but can serve it. TABC-certified bartenders are available. Clients are free to provide their own alcohol at no additional charge. However, many clients prefer that we place an order for adequate amounts with one of our trusted suppliers, who will deliver the liquor to the event site and bill the client directly.
4. Can I arrange for my own rentals? Yes, you may wish to contact Premiere Tents and Events, our affiliate rental company directly. If you do not feel comfortable selecting rentals on your own, our coordinating fee covers our management of this component of your event. Clients often feel it's worth it for the peace of mind that comes with knowing that our experienced event planners are overseeing every detail.
5. We'd like to serve some of our traditional family recipes at our wedding. Our clients have smoked their own turkeys and made their own tamales. At Word of Mouth we want your event to be a complete reflection of you. We want to make it easy on you, but if you want to do some of the cooking yourself, let's talk!
6. What happens if I reserve a tent and decide not to use it because the weather's nice? Tent and rental companies typically charge 50% of the cost of the tent as a cancellation fee. That fee is necessary because if you reserve a tent, that tent is out of inventory for the company and therefore unavailable to rent to anyone else. We can negotiate that fee with our affiliate rental company on behalf of our clients, depending on the season and the demand for tents. Some clients prefer to reserve the tent and pay the fee, regarding it as "insurance". Other clients chose to "gamble", to wait and see about the weather, with the hopes of being able to secure a tent at the last minute. This can be a good strategy, but can backfire if suddenly there are no tents available. And remember, tents also provide shade for the Texas sun, not just protection from inclement weather.
7. How far in advance do I need to let you know my guest count? We ask our clients to guarantee a minimum number of guests no later than 72 hours in advance of the Event Date. If the minimum guarantee is substantially less than the number of guests planned for on the proposal, it may be necessary to recalculate the menu price. Additions will be accepted until 24 hours prior to the Event Date. Additions accepted less than 72 hour prior to an event may incur additional charges for reordering required ingredients.
8. What happens if more people show up than I had planned for? Word of Mouth is known for it's generous portions and there is often a certain amount of "extra" in a buffet. We do not count your guests at the party and we would never charge a client for extra guests that we are somehow able to feed. However, we recommend being as accurate as possible with your caterer about the number of guests expected. It can be embarrassing to run out of plates at the buffet or glasses at the bar.
9. What is the coordinating fee? Word of Mouth currently charges 17% coordinating fee on most events we cater. When we prepare a proposal, rentals, staffing, and design are quoted at cost. There is a reasonable markup built in to the price of the food. The coordinating fee represents the event planner's time for consultations, preparation of your proposal, revisions, etc., as well as certain transportation costs associated with your event, licenses, and liability insurance. For non-profits, off-season weddings and events, and new clients we are prepared to negotiate that fee to help meet your budget and introduce you to our world class service.
10. Do you do wedding cakes? Yes, Word of Mouth does delicious, simple wedding cakes. If you have a picture of your dream cake that you would like replicated, we also have a list of the most skilled wedding cake sources in Austin and can help match up your vision with just the right pastry chef or baker to prepare and decorate it.
11. Can you do flowers and/or decorate as well? We can provide simple floral decorations, theme decor, and wedding or party favors. We are also very familiar with the work of a large number of Austin florists and decorators and can assist you in identifying the best one for your event, style, and budget.
12. Can you help me find a photographer? Our sales office walls are full of the work of the most artistic and talented photographers in Austin. Stop by for a look and let us tell you more about our favorites.
13. Where are you located? Where is your kitchen located? Our sales offices are at 2501 N. Lamar Blvd., in the heart of West Austin just a block off Windsor Road. Our fully licensed, health department inspected kitchen is a mile away at 919 W. 12th Street, near the intersection of 12th and Lamar.
14. Can I just pickup food from your kitchen, or have it dropped off? Yes, we offer our to-go Tray Chic foods on great looking white acrylic platters with disposable utensils that you simply take away and serve. We can also arrange for delivery for a reasonable fee. Seventy-two (72) hours notice is requested, but we will attempt to accommodate our regular clients as much as possible.
15. What level of wait service can you provide? Word of Mouth is well known in Austin for it's friendly, polished, and professional wait staff. We can provide any level of service you prefer, from a simple drop-off, all the way up to synchronized banquet service.
16. Do you do box lunches? Yes, Word of Mouth offers a limited number of executive box lunch menus available for a minimum of ten guests with 48 hours notice. These box lunches are very special, all prepared from scratch with wonderful ingredients in generous amounts. We are not a deli or takeout location that specializes in box lunches. Our box lunches are "custom", prepared just for you on the day you need them. For that reason, we require clients to order a minimum of ten of each menu, and are unable to offer individual selections from the menu.
17. Do you have a minimum cost or minimum guest count? Word of Mouth has a $250 minimum food charge, but are always happy to accommodate good clients in whatever way serves them best. We do not have a minimum guest count. However, the smaller the event, generally, the more costly it can be on a per person basis.
18. Do you provide tastings? We offer fun and exciting group tastings featuring a wide variety of our classic dishes as well as seasonal items at certain times of the year at our marketing facility or at event venues here in Austin. On exceptional events, with complex menus, we can provide private tastings.
19. What are your payment terms? Clients are requested to submit a $500 deposit to Word of Mouth to confirm the event date. Thirty days prior to the event, the client or their authorized representative must return a signed copy of our contract and/or a signed copy of the "cost summary" page from the proposal, along with a deposit equal to 50% of the total cost of services and equipment agreed to on that "cost summary" page. Clients are requested to pay the outstanding balance of the cost, or 100% no less than two weeks prior to the Event date. Only cash, certified check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express will be accepted less than two weeks prior to the event for any payments towards the balance.
20. What is your cancellation policy? The $500 initial deposit to secure the date is refundable, less any charges or costs incurred in the planning of your event. A schedule for the refund of deposits is as follows:
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