Key Takeaways
A Summit County wedding caterer covers most of your big day’s details, including menu, staff, as well as setup and cleanup.
When you’re thinking about working with a Summit County caterer, make sure to ask about availability and service style, as well as any staff and rentals that come along with any package.
Raise a Glass quotes each event based on the number of appetizers and entrées, and whether dinner is plated or buffet.
Travel and clean-up, tax ,and a 20% gratuity are often added to any quote, so make sure to ask for those numbers to be included.
Always taste the menu before you commit to a caterer! At Raise a Glass, our tastings are $25 per person at Timberline Craft Kitchen & Cocktails.
Weddings are a big day for everyone involved. And the last thing you want to focus on during such a special moment is whether or not the food has arrived and is ready to serve.
We’re Raise a Glass, the catering team from Timberline Craft Kitchen & Cocktails.
And as an experienced wedding caterer in Silverthorne, we’ve worked with a variety of wedding parties and event styles, and we’ve learned a thing or two about how to make sure catering complements your event!
Here are a few things we’d want you to know before you hire any caterer for your Summit County wedding (us included!)
What does a Summit County wedding caterer do?
The answer? A lot. At least, a lot more than you might expect from a caterer.
A wedding caterer is often involved in the wedding planning from the early stages. They help design the menu and determine how much food and drink you'll need for the event size. They can often staff the event itself, including serving the meal and cleaning up afterward.
At a mountain venue, that usually means bringing the whole operation with you, because you can’t always guarantee that the venue will have everything you need.
But don’t worry, your caterer steps in to figure that out for you, so you don’t have to lift a finger (except when it’s time to put on the ring!)
What does Raise a Glass offer for wedding catering?
At Raise a Glass, we’re all about helping you manage the details of your day, so that you can stay present and enjoy the moment. We love to personalize our services to each client, but the average event may include:
Staff. One to three servers plus a manager for the entire event, depending on guest count and service type.
Logistics. Pickup and delivery, setup, plate clearing, trash removal, and cleanup.
Tableware. White melamine plates, silverware, and paper napkins are included, along with black linens for the buffet table.
Menu. You choose 2 to 5 hors d’oeuvres, 2 to 4 entrées, a salad, and bread, which can be served plated or buffet.
We’re also passionate about the food being just as excellent as our service. Our hors d’oeuvres run from bacon-wrapped dates with gorgonzola and maple balsamic to stracciatella, prosciutto ,and fig jam bruschetta.
The entrées can vary based on your requests, and typically include braised beef short rib with wild mushrooms, honey-glazed salmon, and togarashi shrimp and grits. You can browse the catering menu for the full list.
How far in advance should you book a mountain wedding caterer?
There are only so many weekends in a year, and the season can fill up quickly. The best advice we give is to contact caterers as soon as you have a date and a venue. Give yourself plenty of lead time to get a quote and make your decision before your date is booked by another wedding!
Ask every caterer on your list about your date before you fall for a menu. A caterer who’s booked that weekend can’t cook for it, no matter how good the short rib is.
How does off-site catering work at a mountain venue?
This can be tricky for any venue, and our Summit County wedding spots are no different. Off-site wedding catering often means that the kitchen travels.
For Colorado mountain wedding catering, that means you’ll want to have a few questions ready when you start getting quotes. Some of the questions we encourage you to ask include:
Power. Is there enough to run warming equipment, and where are the outlets?
Water. Is there a tap nearby for prep and cleanup?
Weather. What’s the backup if rain or snow moves the meal indoors or under a tent?
Access. When can the team load in, and how close can the vehicles get?
Rentals. Who supplies tables, linens, and glassware?
You’d be surprised to learn that altitude can impact how food cooks and bakes. But a caterer who works in the mountains plans around it, and we know exactly how to make sure your food tastes just as good, if not better, than your tasting.
What should you ask a caterer before you hire one?
Here’s how to make this easy. Just screenshot and crop out this list of questions, and take it with you to every caterer tasting:
Are you available on my date?
What’s included in the per-person price, and what gets added?
How many staff will be there, and for how long?
What do you need from the venue?
What’s the plan if the weather changes?
Can we taste the menu first?
What goes into wedding catering costs?
Costs will vary depending on a few different factors, but there are three that typically have the biggest impact on the final price you may pay:
How many dishes you choose
Whether dinner is plated or buffet
Any fees around the food and the event prep/cleanup
Our menu page lists $30 to $100 per guest, and we quote each event by the number of appetizers and entrées you pick.
Here’s how you can get a feel for how the price may change based on different preferences and event-specific needs. You can learn even more on our FAQ page.
A plated dinner adds $2.50 per person. Buffet dinners don’t carry that fee.
Travel and clean-up are $5 per person per event.
Tax and a 20% gratuity are added to every quote.
Water glasses and refill service are $1.50 per person, and cake cutting, plating, and clean-up are $3 per person.
Upgrades such as linen napkins ($1.50 each) or ceramic dinner plates ($3 each) are priced separately.
Ask any caterer for the all-in number, with fees, tax, and gratuity included, so you can compare quotes on equal footing.
What about a tasting? Is it necessary for my wedding?
Not always, but a tasting is great for getting a sense of what different dishes will taste like, and how they might look on your wedding day.
You can request wedding catering tasting from Raise a Glass prior to booking. Ours happens at Timberline Craft Kitchen & Cocktails: $25 per person, with up to 4 appetizers and 3 entrées.
Ready to talk about your date? Let’s chat!
Send us your date, your venue, and a rough guest count, and we’ll start from there. Email Tanecia@TimberlineCraftKitchen.com or call 970-406-1819.
We can’t wait to chat with you about bringing the best food and drink to your special day!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you cater weddings outside Silverthorne?
Yes. We serve Colorado mountain-town weddings and events, and every quote includes a $5 per person travel and clean-up fee.
Can you handle vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free guests?
Tell us when you book, and we’ll plan around it. We can provide individual kids' meals upon request.
Do you offer tastings?
Yes. Tastings are $25 per person at Timberline Craft Kitchen & Cocktails, with up to 4 appetizers and 3 entrées.
Is dinner plated or buffet?
Either works, depending on your preference. Plated adds $2.50 per person, and buffet doesn’t.