Catering services are ideal for all sorts of happenings, including wedding receptions, birthday parties, corporate events, and many other occasions. While great caterers will make fast and efficient service a priority, you must also give them ample time to create your menu with aplomb. Here are a few tips on how to determine the proper catering timeline. 

Factors That Can Impact Your Timeline

The size of your party or event is a major factor in your catering timeline. Large gatherings naturally require a lot more notice simply because more people will be in attendance. On the other hand, a smaller party of ten people or fewer may only require a week or so of notice. 

The complexity of your requested menu is another factor to consider. Special requests to honor food restrictions may take longer, since catering staff will need to take additional steps to ensure that the requests are honored. In the same token, complicated recipes take longer to execute, so caterers require more notice than they would for simpler items. 

How the Type of Event Can Also Play a Role

In addition to considering the above factors, the type of event you're planning can also impact your catering timeline. When it comes to weddings, schedule service from six months to a year before the big occasion. And the larger the wedding, the earlier you should reach out to caterers for assistance. 

For large corporate happenings, such as networking events and conferences, about two months notice is required. As for holiday celebrations, make arrangements at least one month prior to the celebration. Keep in mind that many catering services are extremely busy around the holidays, so you may even want to provide more notice just to play it safe. 

When in need of catering services in Greater Cincinnati, Lother's Catering offers the benefit of more than four decades of experience. They have experience with all sorts of events, from weddings to corporate gatherings. They also feature a tasty selection of menu items, including sandwich buffets, pig roasts, boxed lunches, and more. Visit the website to see their menu for yourself. You can also call (859) 689-4030 to plan for your next event.