The caterer has a very important role in your party. Therefore, you should take extra care in hiring the right caterer for you party day. Just like hiring any other vendor, you have to make your selection based on facts not feelings. The caterer may be an individual or a business. Even if the caterer is an individual, she still has to operate as a business. The caterer cannot legally cook at home and serve the food at your party. It is illegal for a caterer to use an unlicensed kitchen to prepare food.
The caterer you hire should be experienced in catering parties you are planning. Some caterers may be more experienced with smaller events, some with larger events. It is your job to make sure that they are the right fit. During your interview process, you should ask about the kind of events they have catered. Ask about the size of the parties, how many guests they catered for. Ask if they had to deal with any emergencies or unexpected occurences. To learn about how they deal with emergencies may help you understand their level of professionalism.
You should never hire the first caterer you meet or the first caterer recommended by someone else. It may be tempting to...