Unconventional or red flag

I'm looking at catering for a wedding in June 2026. Most of the people I've contacted have said book a tasting it costs x amount of dollars. About 140-200 and if you book us we'll credit it to your bill. I've told all of them we'll be back in touch near the summer when David is back in town.

Editing my question to add clarity. I've gotten a quote from a vendor that we probably won't go with. Specifically he is asking for a 6k deposit before offering a tasting. I'm still looking into a couple other vendors so I was wondering how often I might encounter you need to put down a full service deposit, as opposed to just paying for food and labor, around $200 I might encounter. This isn't an all inclusive venue so I have options.