When should I send my final headcount to my caterer?

Send it about 30 days before the wedding, broken down into guests, children, and vendors. Include dietary notes and, if you have them, meal choices by table and seat. Ask for RSVPs four weeks before the date so the number is settled by then.

When should the alcohol order be finalized?

Start about 60 days out. Your caterer and alcohol vendor will weigh service time, estimated guest count, and your bar menu, including any signature drinks, to set the variety and quantities.

When is the final catering payment due?

We suggest settling the final balance the week of the wedding, about 7 days out, so nothing is left to think about on the night itself.

May 5, 2026

The 90-Day Wedding Catering Checklist

Actual Food Nashville · Wedding Catering

Round reception tables set with glassware and linens beneath trees wrapped in string lights, with the words 90 Day Catering Checklist across the center

The last 90 days before a wedding come down to four check-ins with your caterer: 90, 60, and 30 days out, and the week of. Here is what belongs at each one, so your whole team can do its best work for you.

90 days out

Revisit your food and bar menus. It has likely been a while since you first shaped your menus with your caterer. Now is a good moment to make sure they still fit any shifts in your vision.

Schedule a site visit. Gather the vendors who need to be there and walk the venue together. You’ll start settling the plan for the day and see what each team needs to make it happen.

60 days out

Send your tentative rental order to your caterer. Have your team look it over. It confirms that every piece of necessary equipment is accounted for and lets you cross off anything you won’t use.

Build your alcohol order. Work with your caterer and alcohol vendor on the variety and quantities for your bar. Service time, estimated guest count, and bar menu details like signature drinks all shape the list.

Connect your planner or coordinator with your vendors. As the date draws closer, one of the most useful things you can do is bring your wedding team onto the same page, so everyone is pulling in the same direction.

Begin finalizing your headcount. If invitations haven’t gone out yet, send them, with an RSVP date four weeks before the wedding. A firm headcount early on makes every other detail easier to settle.

30 days out

Confirm your final headcount with your caterer. Send a breakdown of who’s attending: guests, children, and vendors. Include any dietary information you’ve received, plus guest meal choices by table and seat if that applies.

Send over all final documents. Give your team one last look at the rental order, alcohol order, timeline, and layout, so any final adjustments happen now.

Hold a one-month meeting or call. Bring your planning and catering teams together to answer remaining questions and tie up loose ends.

7 days out

Pay your final bill. Settling the balance the week of the wedding leaves you free to enjoy the night with a clear head.

You’ve done the planning

A wedding asks for a great deal of planning. When your vendor team is set up well, what’s left for you is the part that matters: a memorable evening with the people you love while everything is handled seamlessly around you.

Every wedding moves a little differently, but this timeline keeps you ahead of the details and gives your team room to deliver their finest work.

If you’re planning a wedding in Nashville, see how we approach wedding catering, then start planning your event with us.