Hi, everyone! I’m Haylee, owner of Water to Wine Events. We offering meticulous wedding planning and elevated design to seriously stylish couples in Houston and Galveston. In part two of our wedding vendor collaboration series, we’re breaking down all things catering. Before I even started outlining this blog, I knew I’d be reaching out to Daniel from Heirloom Catering and Events to collaborate. When I thought about our clients – the majority being self-proclaimed foodies who want to showcase their personalities through taste and an elevated dining experience – the choice was obvious!

I’ve worked with Daniel and Sarah from Heirloom Catering on numerous occasions, and have been blown away every time. Daniel has a keen sense for flavor and designing creative menus that perfectly reflect his clients. If you’re looking for an epicurean style caterer who brings more to the table than “wedding food”, Heirloom is always in my top recommendations.

Okay, let’s jump in!

Daniel, thank you so much for joining me! Catering is such an important part of any gathering, and one of the very first things our couples book for their wedding so I’m excited to chat. Before we dive in, will you tell me a little about yourself, Heirloom, and
how you got started?

First of all, thanks for having me! My name is Daniel Millerhouse and I am the Chef/Owner
of Heirloom Catering & Events. Along with my wife, Sarah, we create…what I like to
call… boutique catering. We customize every detail of the menu and event to express the
host and/or hostess’ vision. I got started catering when I was 14 for my mom. She always
worked in the medical field/offices and I would make lunches and other things for them.
However, I didn’t think I could make a living doing this. So, I went to college and got my
BS in Psychology (if you ask my wife… or me… I actually went to college to play soccer!
The degree just was part of the journey.) End of my junior year I decided I would finish
out my degree, but pursue my passion of cooking. My senior year I was finishing my
college requirements in the morning and going to culinary school at night. Quite the crazy
time! I ended up graduating Summa Cum Laude from Le Cordon Bleu and haven’t looked
back since. Although many people say I use my psych degree just as much as my culinary!
Ha!

Let’s start with some of the basics – can you talk a bit about styles of catering, and some of the pros/cons or considerations couples should take when deciding which is right for them? The difference/cost of labor involved for each?

Styles vary from event to event and client to client. As far as the main “styles or types of
service” couples can choose from are: plated (sit-down or multi-course), buffet, family
style, stations and cocktail. Now there are more “styles” out there and couples often
choose a variety of the above for their wedding.

• Your plated, sit-down dinner, is what you see in all the movies. Table side service, servers
pouring wine, beautifully presented plates of food coming out of thin air… course after
course. While I love plated dinners… they are not for everyone. They will typically be the
most expensive (more plates/flatware needed, lots of staff to prep/plate and serve the
course, then they have to pick that course up before the next filters out & it also typically
takes the longest). Guest will be in their seats for much longer with this service. It is much
more formal.

• Buffet (honestly one of my least favorite styles) is very popular for couples because it is a less
expensive option. I always tell my couples food costs about the same no matter the style
(except maybe a cocktail reception), where you are going to save money is with staff and
rentals. Some of the main drawbacks for a buffet is guest often have to wait a long time
for their table to be called (meaning don’t come hungry! ha!) and food is often sitting in
warmers waiting for guests to come through the line (this is my least favorite thing about
buffets). However, I try to bypass the shortfalls, by coming up with alternative ways to
display the food or perhaps having a carving station built into the buffet line.

• Family style service is becoming more and more popular! And is one of my favorite styles at
the moment. It is not as formal as a plated dinner. Your guests get to interact with each
other around a meal, passing food to each other and conversing while they are doing it.
You don’t have to wait in long lines because the food is brought to each table. So you still
have the table side service aspect. Other positives are you don’t need as extensive of a staff to pull it off. However, a downside is your rental cost typically is much higher as you need
platters and utensils for each item on the menu and for each table.

• Stations means different things to different caterers. At Heirloom we treat each station like a
little show. We will cook, interact and plate “courses” in front of the guests. If you are a
“foodie” this is definitely something to look into! You get the elegance of a multicourse
meal, however the guests come up to get their plates which alleviates the need for a ton of
servers.

• Finally, you have a cocktail service. Most couples choice to have a cocktail reception before
dinner begins with 3-5 passed items that guests can enjoy while the bridal party and family
are taking pictures. However, this could also be a cost effective way to do your reception.
Have an afternoon wedding, followed by a passed reception with 5-7 items. Guests would
leave pretty full and the couple wouldn’t have to worry about all the rentals, a ton of staff,
tables, etc.

Is there any information you prefer couples already have when inquiring?

Not necessarily. Does it help if a couple has an idea or vision of their day… 100% yes!
However, I am here to help guide and answer questions. If they have no clue or are
wafting between things I am there to answer questions and help figure out the direction
they want to go in.

Can you take us through the process a client will go through, from inquiry through wedding day? Some companies host tastings prior to booking, and others host them a few weeks before the wedding. What’s your take on this?

When you first pick up the phone (rarely happens nowadays!) or I should say send that first
email you should typically hear back from the caterer within a day or two. I do my best to
answer all my emails within 24hours of receiving them. But as we all know there is never
enough time in a day! Once I receive an inquiry I will send some brief questions to help
me gather some info about the wedding, what type of service they are thinking, guest
count (if it wasn’t provided), if bar service is needed and what kinds of rentals would be
required. I also ask about food likes/dislikes, allergies, memories I can recreate. Remember
this is your day, not mine! I want this to be better than you could ever had visioned. The
best thing for us is getting a referral years later from a client who attended a wedding and
they are still talking about how amazing everything was.

After I have some basic info I can start working on a sample menu and estimate for the wedding. If the couple is on board with everything we can start honing in on the details of the menu… remember it is my job to help guide the couples. But ultimately it is their day! I want it every detail to be about them. Once the menu is 95% there, we can start talking tasting. I am on the side of doing a tasting before booking (yes there is a small fee required) however I don’t think a couple should have to pay a deposit without knowing if I can actually cook or not.

Typically for weddings, tastings will take place anywhere from a year to 4 months prior to the big day. Before I start every tasting I tell the couple that the goal for the tasting is to sit back and enjoy everything! But also, get to know my style of cooking. The flavors, textures and presentation that I am giving putting in front of them. Because most of the time we change a few things or add some things to the menu… but if you know I can cook and will deliver superior product you don’t have to worry about what the menu item is. After the tasting, if the couple wants to move forward I send a contract and deposit info to secure the date. Then I tell them if they need anything between now and the wedding, please let me know! I am here for them.

When it comes to designing a menu for a client’s wedding, what’s your approach? How is it different from the standard list of sample menus most catering companies offer?

I don’t have a 10 page booklet with columns and tell couples to choose from A, B, and C. I
get to know the couple a little first (listening to their vision) and create a custom menu for
each of my couples. With that, no detail is too small or large to change. I tell all my
couples if there is one thing on a dish that you are not sure about, I will remove, change,
or come up with something completely different.

Circling back to the tasting – can you tell our couples what they should expect during a tasting, and how to communicate if there is something they aren’t sure about?

I would say come hungry and be honest. If you don’t care for something write it down. Then
when I follow up or you follow up with your planner let them know what your thoughts
are. Again, this is their day, not mine! Ask what some alternatives might be for a dish or a
side.

Are there any questions a couple should be sure to ask when deciding on a caterer? Anything in particular to look out for on the invoice/proposal?

• I think having a realistic expectation of pricing is one of the most important things. We all
know by just going to the grocery store that food is not cheap! Caterers have to basically
setup a restaurant in a matter of hours, serve, clear, clean and break it all down before the
clock strikes midnight. When I send out an estimate it is just that.. an estimate! The cost
per person for food will reflect the menu that is attached. However, all the other costs are
going to be based on what I think you might need or the hours we will be there to pull it
all off. All of my costs are black and white. I will not add this fee or that fee. If you don’t
see it on the invoice it will not be added later.

• The biggest thing I would ask a caterer is for a tasting. If the price of the estimate is in line
with your budget, before signing anything, make sure they can actually cook! Some
caterers do really well when cooking for 2-4 people, but can they pull it off for 200? I
know we can! However that’s not always the case with everyone out there unfortunately.

A big question couples always ask is about gratuity! How do you typically see couples
calculate gratuity? A percentage based on the subtotal like at a restaurant? A dollar amount per-staff member (and how much)?  Is it best to give one lump-sum that the captain divvys out, or individual envelopes?

If I had $100 for everyone who asks my about this… First of all, the staff is extremely
grateful for anything that is given as a tip. Calculating it can be difficult though. I would
love if everyone gave 18% on the total. However, I know that isn’t necessarily easy since
we are dealing in the thousands plus most of the time. I tell couples to take the total
number of staff (Servers, bartenders and kitchen… kitchen is often left out of tips for
some reason) and decide what you would like to give them ($20, $50, more per staff). Or
include a lump sum in the final payment that I can distribute. Typically I don’t like the
individual envelope solely because (as I mentioned above) some staff isn’t always
accounted for in the total. I prefer if the couple wants to give cash (vs into the final
payment) to give it in one envelope that I am able to hand out to the staff evenly.

Is there anything else you’d like couples to know?

Enjoy every aspect of the wedding. It’s stressful and over before you know it. But try to love
every minute of it. If something doesn’t get done, no one will know but you. My last
thought… I tell this to a lot of couples: You get what you pay for! Just because someone
or something is cheaper somewhere else doesn’t mean you are going to get the same
product or service in return!

Just for fun, if you were getting married again today, what would your ideal menu be?

So, I actually did the food for my wedding… crazy right?!? If I was to do it over again I
would probably do stations or family style service. Maybe something fun like a sushi
station or low-key like tacos and sliders. And of course CAKE! As long as it’s white cake
with white frosting… I don’t need any of those fancy flavors or fillings!