Colleen Foley Walsh and Chris Payton were, simply put, amazing to work with. My fiance and I researched a ton of caterers, and were the most impressed with their professionalism, attention to detail, price, and quality of food.

We had a fusion wedding (Indian / American), but our food was all Indian. My husband's family and friends for the most part had never had Indian food (how is that possible?!?), and were very hesitant at the thought of them potentially not eating. Colleen and Chris were able to figure out a menu that fused the two perfectly. EVERYONE, literally, loved our food, which was a huge shock for us. They were also incredibly thoughtful to pack our left over food and give to our planner (who froze it for us so we could have it when we came back from the honeymoon---we ate every last bite!). No rubbery chicken here, and everything was flavorful.

Chris is actually the specialty, trained Indian chef. This is a huge asset for all those who want Indian food and/or have ethnic cuisines (he knows all!). But most importantly, Ridgewells runs a tight operations where quality and service are truly important (not just said for marketing purposes); they are not willing to sacrifice their name for weddings or events where that could potentially happen. They will be honest with you that they just can't do your wedding if that's the case. They were flexible with the fact that we didn't want a wedding cake (well, just a small one was fine...all we did was cut it and feed each other!). Instead, we had an ice cream sundae bar, which everyone loved, and then Georgetown Cupcakes as the favor (all proceeds went to the Komen Foundation, the main reason I chose that). Also, they have a great reputation with various vendors, so you can get recommendations from them and vice versa.

Every vendor I chose knew Colleen in some way. Chris was relatively new to the company, though understood the industry well. They were there on the day of the wedding, made sure everything was properly done, and not an ounce of problems came up from their end (or at least that I was made aware of!). We also had an incredible wedding planner/day of coordinator who worked well with them, and told me after the fact that she really enjoyed working with them.

They have flexible payment terms, and loved the fact that you're not charged extra for using a credit card. I financed my entire wedding on 0% credit cards, and being able to charge it on separate cards made a big difference. Given the fact that we used a beverage vendor instead of having them provide the alcohol, we saved a ton of money and they knew people at that company (Alma at CE Beverage) to ensure it went smoothy. Plus, they do a ton of weddings and events every year...they know all the key people in the industry and can even recommend venues if you're searching for them.

Overall, they went above and beyond, and I completely entrusted their position and professionalism. If you don't micro-manage the process, your vendor will shine and exceed your expectations (if you truly choose a vendor that knows the business and is professional). I didn't give many instructions to the caterer, but had very specific tastes for the food, and they definitely met those needs perfectly. One of our guests owns an Indian restaurant and is the main person behind their food creations. She thought highly of the food and was surprised to find it was't a restaurant.

For those who are considering to hire a restaurant to cater, be extremely cautious!! I wanted to do that, but they are in the business of the food aspect, not all the other intangibles necessary for your wedding day (like set-up, professionalism around guests, nice serving dishes, patience, etc). Restaurants just want to deliver the food, and most of their staff are not great servers. Can't go wrong with Ridgewells---really, they are exceptional and honest!