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About

On WeddingWire since 2008

Catered by Design brings your wedding to life with sumptuous food presented in spectacular fashion. Our creative and friendly team of event specialists will be with you every step of the way, so you can enjoy your special day with total confidence and peace of mind.


While we can answer general inquiries, using a digital storefront does not allow our sales team to receive and get the most accurate information to help with getting your proposal and information for your big day. Please visit our contact form for you to get a response from a sales team members. Our contact form can be found here:
https://cateredbydesign.com/contact


For more information around your big day and the process of working with a catering company, please feel free to visit our weddings page to help get you started and answer some questions that you may have. That link can be found here:
https://cateredbydesign.com/weddings

About

Catered by Design is a wedding catering company based in Morton Grove, Illinois. Their mission is to bring your events to life with sumptuous food and refreshing beverages presented in spectacular fashion. This also includes being a good steward of the environment. Our goal is to continually improve our sustainability practices by working closely with our vendors and partners to minimize the impact on the environment.

Sam Gray, the President of Catered by design, started in his grandmother's kitchen as just a young kid, working up into Executive Chef positions at multiple restaurants and opening a few of his own, Sam has a lifetime of experience under his belt. Deciding to settle down over 17 years ago and began his journey with Catered by Design, he has built a loyal team to create and serve thousands of food & event-seeking clients in Chicago and the greater area.

Catered by Design provides catering services all around the Chicagoland area. For the past 20 years, their friendly & dedicated staff has provided delicious food along with flawless presentation ensuring happy customers. They offer any serving style you are envisioning in a variety of cuisines. Catered by Design is exclusive or preferred by a handful of venues.

Cuisine
Enjoy a chef-paired menu or create a custom menu specific to your event. From a picnic or brunch to a plated, buffet or stations meal, the options are endless. Their menus include a wide variety of vegetarian, vegan, seafood, poultry & hors d'oeuvres options. Plated meals are served in three courses, and arrangements for children's menus can be made. Some sample plated meals include:

  • Roasted, Frenched White Truffle Chicken Breast
  • Flat Iron Steak
  • Marinated Snapper
  • Saffron Risotto Cakes

Here at Catered by Design, we look forward to bringing your big day to life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average catering price per person for plated service?

$115

What is the average catering price per person for buffet service?

$120

What is the average catering price per person for stations?

$125

Which of the following are included in the cost of your full service wedding catering?

Delivery
Set Up
Clean Up
Cake Cutting
Dessert
Cocktail Reception
Server(s)
Tastings
Chairs
Tables
China
Linens
Flatware
Glassware

What event services do you provide?

Delivery
Set Up
Clean Up

What catering services do you provide?

Breakfast / Brunch
Buffet
Cake Cutting
Cocktail Reception
Custom Menu
Hors d'oeuvres
Plated
Server(s)
Stations
Tastings

What types of cuisine do you cater?

American
Asian
BBQ
French
German
Greek
Indian
Italian
Latin American
Local
Mediterranean
Mexican
Seafood
Southern
Spanish

What dietary needs can you accommodate?

Gluten Free
Lactose Free
Kosher
Nut Free
Organic
Vegan
Vegetarian

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Open Bar
Champagne Toast
Signature Drink

Which of the following items can you provide?

Chairs
Tables

Which of the following items can you provide?

Barware
China
Chocolate Fountain
Flatware
Glassware
Linens
illustration question

Any other questions?

Message vendor
4.9 out of 5 rating
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
129 Reviews
  • Quality of service
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.9 out of 5 rating
98% Recommended by couples

30 User photos

129 Reviews See all
Erin
Erin M. Married on 08/27/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Everything was delicious and they have the best staff

A month later and everyone is STILL raving about the food at our wedding!!! Matt is SO professional and kind. He answered so many of our questions (even ones unrelated to food — we asked about ceremony logistics, music, seating, linen choices) and was always willing to provide guidance and help along the way. He made us all feel so at ease and I felt confident choosing him and his team! Everything was seamless at the wedding. The dessert table was equally as delicious as the food! The apps at the cocktail hour were so delicious. The bartender was excellent. The staff knew what they were doing the entire time. I would not hesitate to hire them again for any event. Even the salad was delicious !! People told us it was the best food they’ve had at a wedding. You cannot go wrong choosing them for your big day.
J
Jesse L. Married on 08/19/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Catered By Design was amazing.

Rachel and the entire Catered By Design team were absolutely fantastic throughout every phase of the wedding planning process. We couldn't believe how delicious the food was at our tasting, and every guest we've heard from felt the same way about the food at the wedding. Moreover, Rachel and her team were unbelievably flexible – they made so many adaptations to accommodate our needs and desires, big and small, even adding custom dishes that weren't on their already-exhaustive menus. Everything was delicious, incredibly professional, and done with love! And the service and timing on the wedding day was impeccable, leading to the smoothest possible evening, with every guest well-fed and cared for, properly fueled for the dance floor! And on top of everything else, they were definitely more reasonably priced than other caterers of the same caliber. Can't recommend highly enough.
Amber
Amber S. Married on 02/19/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The "Everything" Caterer

Our wedding venue provided Catered by Design as a recommended/preferred caterer. We looked into 8 different caterers, narrowed down our choices to 5, connected with 5 caterers, and, including Catered by Design, did tastings with two caterers. During our selection process, Rachel was fantastic. She provided exceptional care and attention to detail, she always answered our questions (with timeliness), made us feel important and setup memorable tasting experiences. The tastings we did with Catered by Design were flawless. The team ensured the experience would be a reflection of what we could expect on our wedding day. The food taste, quality and presentation were exceptional. Once we selected Catered by Design for our caterer and as we finalized our menu, the top-notch service was ceaseless. Rachel helped us to feel confident that the Catered by Design team would impeccably execute the dining component of our celebration. On the day of our wedding, the Catered by Design team arrived at our venue and truly executed a flawless dining experience. Catered by Design bartended for our event and we also utilized them during our cocktail hour, during plated dinner service and for cake cutting. The event captain for the day, Auske, is truly an MVP. She led the Catered by Design team through our event with a calm, proactive, “get it done” presence. To our knowledge, the day went off without issue. She made sure we had cocktails and hors d'oeuvres during our cocktail hour. She also checked on us throughout dinner to ensure we had everything we needed/wanted. After our big day, Rachel reached out to congratulate us and check in. Both Rachel and Auske are gems and we are so grateful for them and the whole Catered by Design team involved in supporting our big day. Choosing Catered by Design for any event is an easy decision to make and we’d absolutely choose them again and again.
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Awards

129
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2021 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2013 Winner

Real Weddings

Emily & Ramtin
98 photos · 06/02/2018

Team

Sam Gray
Sam Gray
President

Starting in his grandmother's kitchen as just a young kid, working up into Executive Chef positions at multiple restaurants and opening a few of his own, Sam has a lifetime of experience under his belt. Deciding to settle down over 17 years ago and began his journey with CBD, he has built a loyal team to create and serve thousands of food & event seeking clients. As President and Owner of Catered by Design, he still finds time for a round of golf or attending an Escoffier dinner.

Tami Henry-Zimmerman
Tami Henry-Zimmerman
Operations Manager

Being an Operations Manager means wearing many hats and that is certainly true for Tami. She brings to the table over 25 years of administrative experience coupled with her training as a chef from Kendall College. Having the kitchen acumen allows her to make the administrative functions work more smoothly. Tami is particularly adept and creating custom recipes/menus for clients looking for an exceptionally unique experience. In addition to all her duties at CBD, she is also a cooking instructor.

Matthew Gray
Matthew Gray
Catering Sales Specialist

Matthew has been a part of the family-owned company since his teenage years and has excelled ever since. Now, he is the driving force behind Catered by Design's drop-off division. His knowledge pours into creating flawless orders for both social and corporate entertaining.

Professional Network & Endorsements

3 Endorsements
Anita Dee Yacht Charters Anita Dee Yacht Charters Boat Weddings

Catered By Design is one of our longest standing preferred caterers and for good reason! They provide excellent service to our clients. Delicious, high quality food along with polished and professional staff. They are highly organized and easy to work with from the planning process up until the event date. On the day of the event, they work with us seamlessly to execute an event and experience that exceeds the client's expectations!

Aberdeen's Wedding Florists Aberdeen's Wedding Florists Wedding Florists

Sam and the whole company are amazing. There food and their service is as good as it gets.

The Grove Redfield Estate The Grove Redfield Estate Mansion Weddings

For many years Catered by Design has provided excellent full service catering for the events at the Grove Redfield Estate.

Preferred Vendors

The Grove Redfield Estate
4.8 out of 5 rating , 205 Reviews
· Mansion Weddings
Community House Winnetka
4.7 out of 5 rating , 32 Reviews
· Historic Weddings
ShutterBooth Photobooth Chicago
4.9 out of 5 rating , 98 Reviews
· Photo Booths
P3 Events
4.8 out of 5 rating , 4 Reviews
· Wedding Planners
Anita Dee Yacht Charters
4.9 out of 5 rating , 11 Reviews
· Boat Weddings

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