wedding planning? need ideas for catering!

[mipiace]

I just got engaged and thought I would check here first for ideas about venues with good food or options for great caterers in the Boston area. I'm a vegetarian so it is important that they can provide creative (read: NOT eggplant parmesan or stir fry) veg entrees but also food to satisfy the carnivores. Also, organic/seasonal minded caterers are preferred. Any tips are great!!!

[rachybaby]

The Catered Affair is the absolute best. They catered our wedding last year. We are also vegetarians and no one noticed there was no meat! The owners and staff are patient and creative and the food was sublime!

[Boiled Egg]

Try Tiger Lily Caterers (www.tigerlilycaterers.com). Granted, I have been out of the wedding planning thing for a little bit, but Tiger Lily was amazing! Our wedding guests are still talking about the food more than 5 (6....7...?) years after the wedding. We had to cater to kosher, Asian and vegetarian tastes, so we were very finicky about the food. Tiger Lily came through with flying colors. They are a little expensive. I think their minimum starts at $85pp for a wedding now, but they are worth every penny. They have a tasting, for which you have to pay, but it is a really wonderful, private dinner. My husband wanted to get me another tasting dinner with them after my Ph. D. graduation, but they only do tastings for potential clients. I believe they can work with most sites, but they are located in Beverly. Good luck!

[FastTalkingHighTrousers]

Try Gourmet Caterers:

http://www.gourmetcaterers.com/

They will satisfy the veggies as well as the carnivors and they offer seasonal and some organic goodness.
Congrats on the engagement!

[cambridgejen]

Congrats! You are in for a wild ride! :) I got married last September at Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, with catering by Domenic and Anthony of Norwood. I'd recommend both wholeheartedly. The location is gorgeous, interesting, and extremely affordable for Boston. The caterer was creative, budget conscious, friendly, and amazing. People still talk about how amazing the food was, both vegetarians and omnivores alike.

[mipiace]

Wow thanks for all the great tips! I am touring Nashoba Valley Winery in two weeks and their restaurant menu looks great, but I am keeping an open mind and have written down all of these suggestions :) Thanks again!

[sfumato]

I recommend Cuisine Chez Vous wholeheartedly. I have worked with them on various events (through my job), and they are fabulous. We did one event with them where they made sure that I got enough to eat, even as I was running around like a crazy person manning the event... and if there are problems, you'll never know because they handle them so discreetly ansd seamlessly. A really warm, professional, and fun-to-work-with operation.

[Scruffy The Cat]

I'm sure they're not cheap, but I got an email yesterday telling me that Lumiere in Newton is now catering as well. They do a great job with local/seasonal produce and even have a vegetarian dinner event on September 8th so you can see what they're all about. I feel certain their veg entrees will go WAY beyond stir fry.

http://www.lumiererestaurant.com/fram...

[stay_classy]

First of all, congrats!

As for locations, the Gamble Mansion is actually a great deal for a beautiful setting for a wedding. I know that the building was recently sold, so I'm not sure how long they're accepting new events, but it's definitely worth checking out. You can find the information at http://www.gamblemansion.org/gamblefr....

If you do decide to go with the Gamble, or with many other locations for that matter, I would highly recommend The Catered Affair as your caterer. Having worked in events in a couple of different locations, I have been most impressed by the consistency and level or service provided by TCA. They'll take great care of you!

[newhound]

Agreed-- Catered Affair is not cheap, but they did our wedding and it was spectacular; very flexible, they can do anything. Holly, the owner, really "gets it" and knows how to work with her customers. They set up a travelling kitchen in a garage and can work around most conditions gracefully, including the torrential rain we had that day.

[sousdicky]

few venues that would might work with music luckys lounge, or maybe behive

[steinpilz]

I was at a wedding at the French Library in Back Bay years ago, it was very nice and the food very good as I recall. I just heard this weekend of a place in Beacon Hill called the Hampshire House -- seems to do a good business in weddings, it's in a townhouse overlooking the Public Garden, but I haven't been able to find anything on Chowhound about the food.

There have been other threads here on weddings with more and better options than I can suggest.