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About

On WeddingWire since 2016

Wooden Paddle is a catering company based out of Lemont, Illinois, serving weddings and milestone events. Owner Joelle and her team believe that weddings should be liberated from stuffy traditions and customized to your needs and wants. Moving away from overpriced, overcooked chicken breasts, this team takes a fun and innovative approach to cooking, delivering delicious dishes that appeal to your tastes. Passionate and dedicated, these expert chefs will create a unique and memorable wedding banquet.

Cuisine

Get the ball rolling by contacting the team at Wooden Paddle for a friendly consultation. They will guide you through all the options and book you in for a tasting so you can start planning your menu. Their specialty cuisines are American and Italian, and they offer a wide selection of sweet treats and desserts for after dinner. To accompany your dining experience, they provide a wide array of fine wines, beers, and liqueurs. They can also make you a signature drink to honor your celebration. They do their utmost to accommodate dietary requirements and can offer alternatives to lactose, nuts, and gluten. Their professional staff will serve all their dishes and look after set up and clean up, allowing you to enjoy your meal in tranquility. Additional items include china, linens, barware, glassware, flatware, and much more.

  • Woman-owned

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

House Beer
House Wine
House Liquor
Signature Drink

What event services do you provide?

Delivery
Set Up
Clean Up

What catering services do you provide?

Cake Cutting
Cocktail Reception
Hors d'oeuvres
Server(s)
Tastings

What types of cuisine do you cater?

American
Italian

What dietary needs can you accommodate?

Gluten Free
Lactose Free
Nut Free
Vegan
Vegetarian

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Open Bar
Champagne Toast
Signature Drink

Which of the following items can you provide?

Barware
China
Flatware
Glassware
Linens
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Any other questions?

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5.0 out of 5 rating
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
129 Reviews
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
100% Recommended by couples

47 User photos

129 Reviews See all
Bre
Bre B. Married on 09/16/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The BEST Wedding Catering There Is

We had Wooden Paddle cater our wedding and it may have very well been the best decision of the whole wedding planning process!!!

From start to finish, the Wooden Paddle team was an absolute pleasure to work with. Chloe and Miriam were the dynamic duo that worked with us to figure out what was best for our special day.

We enjoyed the tasting in their restaurant and were completely blown away with that process as a whole. If we weren't already sold at the thought of having their pizza at our wedding, trying every delicious additional item was the "nail in the coffin" as they say. Every darn bite was more amazing than the last. We both were in AWE of everything. The hardest part of the whole process was narrowing down what we wanted. SO MANY DELICIOUS CHOICES.

As we got closer to the event, Chloe was absolutely wonderful with helping us make any changes to our menu, pick out the perfect linens and prepping us for what's to come on the day of.

On the day of our wedding, let's just say we blew everyone out of the water with having Wooden Paddle as our food choice. They brought a massive pizza oven on site and cooked every pizza live in front of our venue/guests. Talk about leaving a lasting impression huh?

Not only was the setup wonderful, but the service was a 12 out of 10! The servers were prompt, extremely friendly, super genuine and looked to be having an amazing time just being there. I remember many people commenting on how wonderful the service was. Just IMPRESSIVE!!

Now....to the most important part...the FOOD! All I can say is WOW. Just absolutely blown away with how wonderful everything came out. From the apps (the charcuterie table was a game hanger) to the fantastic pizzas coming out flaming hot and just melting in our mouths, it was THE BEST food I've ever had at a wedding...and even more so since it was our wedding. We had an insane amount of compliments on the food that night and still have people reminiscing about the delicious pizzas. It truly was the best decision we made during our wedding planning process.

I would recommend Wooden Paddle to any and everyone looking to make a lasting impression with a catered food...or even just a fun night out for dinner. This team is sharp, incredible and super fun to work with. I always appreciate working with people that feel like friends and I can easily say that Chloe and Miriam are now like friends. THEY ROCKED!!!

Thank you Wooden Paddle for everything. We absolutely cannot wait to come back and enjoy your delicious food on date nights and are already planning on celebrating our 1-year at your restaurant. You are wonderful and we appreciate all that you helped us do on our special day.
A
Adrian B. Married on 06/23/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Great food!

Wooden Paddle catered my wedding and it was honestly the best and easiest decision we made. We knew we wanted pizza from the start and Miriam was a great help throughout the entire process. She answered every question we had, responded quickly, and worked great alongside our venue coordinator. Everyone loved the grazing table we had during cocktail hour and they all enjoyed the wood fire pizzas we selected, Sausage fest and Rocketman. 10/10 would recommend
C
Carli B. Married on 06/23/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Great Service & Amazing Food

Wooden Paddle was our caterer for the wedding. They provided amazing support throughout the entire process. Joelle and Miriam helped with all of our questions and quickly adapted the plans as there were some unexpected changes on our end. I don't know how we could have done our wedding without their constant support. They were in continual communication with our venue and made sure that everything went smoothly. Our guests raved about the great food. My personal favorite is the Buzzkill pizza. I also appreciate how they went above and beyond to accommodate my request for a special cocktail that was not on their menu.
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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 2020 Winner

Team

Joelle, Chloe, and Miriam
Joelle, Chloe, and Miriam
Directors of Catering

Hey there! We are Joelle, Chloe, and Miriam. For every event, there are loads of little details that play a crucial role in making your vision become a reality. And we believe that when they all come together seamlessly, you’re able to be fully present and really, really enjoy celebrating with your nearest & dearest. We work behind the scenes to ensure just that. Let’s chat and see if we’re a good fit!

Professional Network & Endorsements

1 Endorsement
Tim Tab Studios Tim Tab Studios Wedding Photographers

Their pizza is amazing! We sampled a few varieties from one of their remote catering locations and were blown away. The menu is eye-catching and I like their flavor combinations and whole ingredients. Definitely recommend for a fun, delicious wedding food idea to wow the guests!

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