Gretchen Sent on 01/24/2014

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We worked with Lauren Levine of Festive Foods and we could not have been happier with our experience. I cannot just describe Lauren as a caterer, because she is so much more than that. Lauren stepped in as a wedding planner and made the process of wedding planning very enjoyable and stress free! Deciding to work with Lauren was a simple decision because from the get-go she was very quick to respond to my initial inquiry and this responsiveness continued throughout the entire planning process. Lauren helped me out by providing recommendations for the rest of my vendors, including hair, makeup, florist, deejay, and transportation. All of which, we were beyond pleased with. We had stations at our wedding and the menu the Festive Foods chef produced for us was exactly what we wanted and delicious! All of our guests are still talking about how much they enjoyed the food at our reception. Lauren and all of the Festive Foods staff were very attentive and professional. The entire reception flowed effortlessly and not once did I feel an ounce of stress. I completely trusted Lauren and her capable staff of putting on an amazing and elegant affair for myself and my guests.

Michael Sent on 09/08/2013

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We hired Festive Foods Catering as our wedding caterer. Festive Foods’ performance during the months of planning, set-up and execution stages of our wedding was absolutely remarkable and far exceeded every expectation we had of their service. We could not recommend Lauren Levine and her Festive Foods crew more highly. Organic, cruelty-free, healthy and gourmet foods are Lauren’s forte and the primary reason we chose Festive Foods after a tasting that lasted several delicious hours at their rustic office. While the quality and taste of the food was foremost on our minds, we were also highly impressed with Lauren’s patience, responsiveness, attention to detail and innovative style. Lauren was truly as excited about our wedding as we were and her responsiveness proved it: she responded to myriad calls and E-mails generally within a couple of hours and often within minutes. She really pulled out all the stops to accommodate and recommend special flourishes and customizations that only a highly experienced professional could do. Lauren and her team worked her magic within our budget. She made expert recommendations regarding décor, menu, bar items, linens and even other vendors. The result was an exceptional value. Lauren’s service and expertise easily rivaled or exceeded other DC caterers who would not even consider our business unless we were able to increase our budget by 30%. On the day of the event, Lauren coordinated almost every aspect of the wedding with our other vendors to ensure the event was perfectly flawless. Our tables, seating cards, linens, place settings and bar were breathtakingly beautiful. The Festive Foods catering staff were efficient, professional and well dressed. The whole evening flowed due to Lauren’s choreographed direction. We received numerous praise and compliments on the meal from our guests, both during and after the wedding. Festive Foods made our most special day a memorable success and we have no doubt they could do it for you, too!

User1294662 Sent on 08/20/2013

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We would highly recommend Festive Foods. Lauren is a pro and she was great to work with. Everyone loved the food. The staff was great and very professional.

Angela Sent on 05/29/2013

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I cannot praise Festive more highly or recommend them more strongly. We were thrilled to work with them for my daughter's wedding of about 115 people for a seated dinner at Woodend Sanctuary. From the start, Lauren Levine, our catering manager, quickly responded to any question I had and worked with me to land on a creative, seasonal menu at a resonable price. Since Lauren was so familiar with our venue, she was able to suggest seating plans that worked perfectly for the look and feel that my daughter wanted. We made a number of last-minute changes to our reception table layout, and our changes were easily accommodated. She was also incredibly helpful in deciding on the furniture and linens rentals; her familiarity with Woodend made our decisions easier.

At the wedding itself, Festive Foods staff was fantastic, and our guests were well taken care of. The wait staff and the bartenders at the wedding were great -- and very attentive to my daughter and her husband. People had warned them that they wouldn't have time to eat at the wedding itself, but Festive's staff didn't let that happen! They made sure that they were supplied with drinks and appetizers during the photo sessions and frequently asked if they (or I) needed anything throughout the day.

And most importantly, the food looked and tasted wonderful! I received many compliments from the guests on how much they enjoyed the food. It was truly a special day and choosing Festive Foods was one of the best decisions we made. Many thanks to Lauren for her help and guidance, and the entire team for making everything run perfectly!

Carey Sent on 05/08/2013

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I cannot imagine having another caterer for our wedding. Lauren and Khoa from Festive Foods gave us personalized attention and were with us through each step of the planning process. Lauren even referred me to a florist, who was able to give me exactly what I wanted in my budget. Speaking of budget, our wedding was on a budget and Festive Foods was reasonable. Great food was extremely important for me to have at our wedding and they delivered. We received so many compliments on the food. Even months after the wedding guests were still talking about it. You will not go wrong with this caterer.

Czarina Sent on 04/15/2013

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I did a lot of research before choosing our wedding caterer, but I used three key criteria when we were deciding on our caterer: their responsiveness, their price, and the taste of food. Festive Foods right from the start was the best at addressing these criteria, and were very willing to do anything to make wedding planning easier. I was planning our wedding for about 11 months, and I had a lot of questions, and Eduardo Carrasco answered all of them promptly and was a calming presence because they were one vendor I didn't have to worry about. They were also the most cost effective based on my comparison, and worked with me even when I would change my mind on the menu ideas. We were on a budget, and they were also flexible with how we can break down the payments in several installments, looked for ways we can save money, and even eased my mind about day of coordination by offering staff support on the day of. Lastly, their food was delicious; and our guests raved about! My absolute favorite are their cakes and pies! Overall, Festive Foods made my wedding day wonderful, and they exceeded my expectations not only in the food, but the service, and coordination of the wedding. I didn't have to worry about any of the set-up because I trusted Festive Food staff Khoa Ly who made everything flow smoothly and on time. I would definitely use Festive Foods again if given the opportunity and highly recommend.

Beth Sent on 12/04/2012

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Festive Foods (FF) did a fantastic job at our wedding! This team defines the concept of true professionals of their trade. The food and service were top notch. Opposites attract and FF catered to some serious meat loving and some serious vegetarian contingents. All went home satisfied. If Festive Foods is available for your wedding day, without hesitation, we'd say sign them! We did a tasting and it was worth the drive to their headquarters. The tasting was the best we'd had compared to the others. All courses of the menu, including the desert, was the freshest, the warmest, and the most delicious of all we sampled. Notably, the tasting was consistent with what was served on the day of the wedding, even significantly scaled. We had a FF wedding cake and several stations that were fantastic. Lauren's expertise, attention to detail, and grounding throughout our planning and on the big day was invaluable, and they were able to create and execute on a menu and other stations that were truly inspired and wonderful.

User1028848 Sent on 11/27/2012

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We have received so many compliments on our wedding! Festive Foods provided our guests with a fine dining experience that caught everyone by surprise. Absolutely unbelievable and they took care of every detail. We fell in love with Lauren's enthusiasm and her love of fine dining. An added bonus - they were not the most expensive in the area.

User1024571 Sent on 11/23/2012

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Our food was amazing and Lauren was absolutely wonderful to work with, I HIGHLY recommend festive foods!

Bonnie Sent on 07/22/2012

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Delicious food and amazing communication! Lauren and her team were on-point with everything! Our guests kept commenting how delicious the food was - and how great it all looked and was presented. I didn't need a wedding planner because Lauren is a Superwoman and practically was one. Our wedding was flawless and a big part of it was because of Lauren and Festive Foods!

Jeff Sent on 12/30/2011

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My wife and I had a wonderful experience with Festive Foods! Lauren was fantastic and provided excellent ideas as well as a great attitude. The food was delicious and our guests loved it. Her team was efficient and friendly. They coordinated with the other vendors and made things run smoothly.

IMO, Lauren went above and beyond my expectations and acted like a day of person.

We certainly recommend Festive Foods.

Stephen Sent on 10/22/2011

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Festive Foods catered our wedding and was fabulous in every way. Our guests raved about their food, presentation and service. Festive’s price was also very reasonable, and was flawless in executing its commitments. We expected as much based on our past experience from events we attended which Festive had catered. But what we did not know was how important the caterer can be in terms of planning your wedding day. One of the reasons why our wedding and reception were so memorable was because Festive’s owner, Lauren, was extremely helpful in our planning for the day, and. Lauren was also always accessible for the months leading up to the wedding and continued to work with us to make our wedding “perfect!” Her positive approach to all that we were seeking to accomplish was so helpful. We can not overstate how important Festive was to the overall success of our wedding day.

Celeste Sent on 09/26/2011

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Festive Foods, through Eduardo catered my July 30th wedding in DC. Hands down, Eduardo made our ceremony a night to remember.
We started by meeting Eduardo a little under a year before our wedding. We instantly hit it off, and could see that Eduardo and FF were extremely professional and very experienced in the catering world. Eduardo immediately got the idea of what kind of ceremony we were looking for and was able to give us suggestions. A few months later we met for a tasting and were blown away at how delicious the food was (and it was just as good the day of). Eduardo worked very closely with us to make sure that our ideas were being covered, while staying within our budget. Leading up to the wedding, Eduardo was very responsive to my emails, and made sure to answer all of my many questions. Eduardo and I had a run through at the venue to get the final idea of how everything would run the day of. The day of, the space was BEAUTIFUL. I left instructions to Eduardo on how I wanted everything set up and he went above and beyond on making sure everything was just right. His team was so impressive. There was a separate mini-bar and a tasting of hors d'oeuvre set aside especially for my bridal party as we arrived. The wine and dinner service ran incredibly smooth. We got so many compliments on how delicious the food was and how wonderful the staff was. Every time I looked around, someone from Eduardo's staff was there to ask if I needed anything. The staff was so incredibly efficient, professional and friendly. I can't stress enough how amazing FF and Eduardo were. It was surely a night to remember, and we don't have any doubts that FF was a big part of making it possible.

Thaisa Sent on 05/03/2011

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We worked with Lauren Levine of Festive Foods for our April 9 wedding. If we had to plan it all over again, we would choose Festive Foods in a heartbeat. Lauren was a treasure: she always had a "can-do" attitude and made sure that our choices--from the menu to the linens--reflected our personal tastes and worked with our budget. She was also helpful with suggesting other vendors (she referred us to our wedding photographer) and working with our day-of coordinator. Her professionalism inspired confidence from our first meeting and really made the planning process fun. The food is tops. We are foodies, so it was especially important to us what was served to our guests. They have told us it's the best catered food they've had. Even the coffee was a hit. Festive Foods helped make our wedding day truly memorable.

Meagan Sent on 04/13/2011

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We had a wonderful experience with Festive Foods. Lauren was amazing and made the whole planning process so much easier and smooth. She was flexible and responsive and helped us make a lot of important decisions. She provided advice about other vendors, made great suggestions, and always listened to us. Our guests said the food and service were amazing (they were) and we were really impressed overall. I would recommend Festive Foods, and especially Lauren, to any of my friends getting married. I can't say enough good things about them.

Cassandra Sent on 02/21/2011

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Eduardo and the team at Festive Foods were an outstanding group of professional caterers and a group that gets my highest recommendations. I spent more time finding a caterer than any other vendor. I researched more than 50, contacts about half of them, liaised with about 18, narrowed to a dozen, selected the top 4 for tastings. Festive Foods came out on top on nearly every dimension, most important of which were food quality and presentation, value for money and customer service. There were several things I wanted to do that were "out of the norm" that Eduardo was very flexible in accommodating and actually excelling in supporting, surpassing my wishes.

One things that was not a usual approach, but one I HIGHLY recommend, is family style dining. Guests loved it and so did we. Buffets were too informal and for a couple family members, not a comfortable option. Platted dinners were too regimented and required too much upfront work (and I planned my wedding alone, so I needed help). Family style gave flexibility and helped guest to mingle across the table. Eduardo worked with me to create a beautiful family style approach, using local foods that were appropriate for the Fall season of my November wedding. Eduardo was also flexible. My brother, a chef, suggested a rather elaborate fish dish and Eduardo and his team were able to replicate it beautifully.

And the food was great! My brother, the chef, thought so. My friends, some of them big foodies, raved about it. I relished in the leftovers he bagged for us and was sad as I completed each dish.

The wait staff were attentive and kind. They ensured we had our food and drink and no else was for wanting. Our guests felt cared for and had a great time.

Eduardo was incredibly thoughtful in helping me work through the details of the day. He gave me suggestions, but was never pushy. He helped me cut corners in cost, without sacrificing the quality of the event. My brother made the cake, and he was incredibly accommodating. I made a homemade liqueur for dessert, and again, Eduardo helped showcase it.

In effect, Eduardo served as the day of coordinator. He made sure everyone did what they were supposed to do and be where they should. We made a few adjustments to the timeline as the reception progressed and he made it happen across all vendors. I extended the end time of the reception, and they helped keep the party going. Eduardo even met me just before I walked "down the aisle" (in my case, across the meadow) to wish me well and let me know that all was going to be great.

Hands down, I recommend Eduardo and Festive Foods. Everything about them met or exceeded my expectations. They hit the perfect intersection of value for money and I am grateful to them for making my day so special!

Shelagh Sent on 02/14/2011

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I cannot say enough positive things about Festive Foods. The food was delicious, but that's just part of it. FF was sensitive to our limited budget and really worked with us to find a menu we were comfortable with at a price we could afford. Lauren, the head of FF, is calm, collected and truly knows here stuff. She was honest and forthcoming with her opinions about where to cut corners and where not to, but not pushy at all about it. All of the staff we encountered with FF were professional and top notch - we got tons of compliments on our bartenders. They cared about our wedding and truly went the extra mile - when the liquor store (a totally different vendor) delivered the wrong beer the day before the wedding, they drove all around DC to find what my husband had ordered. That is just one example of the fine service FF delivered for our wedding. We couldn't have been happier...

Briana Sent on 07/27/2010

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I can't say enough good things about Festive Foods. From my first meeting with Eduardo over a year ago, I knew they were the right choice. They worked tirelessly to create the vision we had in mind for our day - and it was certainly unique! Eduardo is so easy to talk to and very responsive - no matter what time of day. I would work with them again in a heartbeat! Needless to say, the food is superb and the service excellent.

Briana Sent on 07/26/2010

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Eduardo of Festive Foods Catering was so wonderful! He and I worked for over a year to create exactly our dream wedding - festive fajitas and margaritas. He was so dedicated to making our night so unique and special, and I would love to work with Festive Foods again. The food quality was superb, and the service impeccable. You truly can trust them to do whatever it is you ask of them! Thank you so much, Eduardo, for all you did! It truly was amazing!

Nophar Sent on 07/23/2010

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My husband and I both love our food, and we knew it was going to be the most important part of our wedding. When we met with Lauren Levine and then preceeded to have our first tasting, we knew Festive Foods would not only fit the bill, but exceed expectations at a reasonable price!

We had a buffet and kept adding food to the list, and each added menu item tasted even better! Everyone at the wedding found food they loved and got seconds of. We even had guests that work at the "Modern" (fancy restaurant in NYC in the Museum of Modern Art) in restaurant management that were impressed with our food! It was undeniably delicious! We also had Festive Foods make our cake, which they baked to perfection with amazing flavor and moistness, while matching the look we were going for at the same time!

Since my husband and I are both the first children/grandchildren in our families to get married, we were newbies to the wedding food etiquette, as were our parents. Lauren Levine stepped up and took on the task of answering all of our millions of questions and concerns and made sure we were stress free on the day of our wedding! She did such an unbelievable job making everyone in the family comfortable in addition to making sure our food was top notch! Thanks to Lauren and Festive Foods, our wedding was unbelievable!

Claire Sent on 06/18/2010

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Delicious food, great service, beautiful arrangements. We worked with Lauren, and she was even more helpful and responsive throughout the whole process that we could have asked for. Our wedding catering was exactly as we planned and imagined, and more! . The price was reasonable (believe me, we did our research/comparison shopping) to boot. Many weeks after our wedding we were still getting compliments on the delicious food and attentive service.

Camila Sent on 06/04/2010

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Eduardo and his staff at Festive Foods did an absolutely amazing job at our wedding--we have nothing but the highest praise for their work. When we started planning the wedding, one of the highest things on my list was the food. The food was incredible, the staff was extraordinarily attentive, and the set-up and organization of everything were absolutely flawless. Eduardo was a joy to work with throughout the entire process--he was patient with our decision-making over menus and costs, very responsive to our many questions and emails, invited us to see the set-up of other events, and just fun to meet with. We also never felt pressured to exceed our budget or change our vision of what we wanted our event to be. Our guests were so amazed with the food and how professional the staff was, making us and all of our guests feel welcomed and special. We were ecstatic with how everything turned out, and would highly recommend Festive Foods.

Barbara Sent on 12/14/2009

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We couldn't have been more pleased with the food and service we recieved from Festive Foods. Lauren, Edwardo and staff were terrific!

Alison Sent on 12/08/2009

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I'm so glad we booked Festive Foods to cater our wedding - we were so pleased with Eduardo's and Lauren's service! Very responsive, professional, friendly - the planning experience and the day of were so enjoyable because of them!

Sam Sent on 11/11/2009

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Festive Foods exceeded our expectations in every way and we would recommend them to anyone getting married in the dc area. They provided exceptional service, creative and delicious food choices, and they were extremely professional. Our catering planner (Lauren Levine) was very attentive to all of our needs and preferences, and was dedicated to making sure everything went perfectly.

The food was top notch - all of our guests were impressed and many people commented that it was much better than typical wedding buffet fare. FF were very sensitive to our likes and dislikes and came up with a creative and fun menu that matched our unique tastes. Their cheesecake is incredible - it was so good at the tasting that it convinced us to forgo any other type of cake. The day of the wedding, the staff was very attentive to us in particular and made sure we had everything we needed.

Best of all, the price was very reasonable in comparison to the other quotes we got!
Overall, we couldn't have been more pleased with our choice to have festive foods cater our reception.

Megan Sent on 09/22/2009

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Festive Foods was one of 10 or 12 approved vendors that we could choose from at our venue (Woodend Sanctuary) -- and we unquestionably made the right choice. Our event coordinator, Lauren Levine, was fantastic. She was with us every step of the way, providing advice and guidance, but still making sure it felt like "us". She was extremely professional, responsive and attentive and had a real calming influence on us and our parents. The service was absolutely five-star -- I have never seen better at a wedding. Our guests were very well taken care of. And of course, the food was fantastic and beautifully presented. Festive Foods is a great choice in the DC area, where it can be hard to find an affordable, high quality catering option. We got just that and more. Highly, highly recommended.

Neil Sent on 02/19/2009

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One of the best decisions we've ever made throught the wedding planning. Food was awesome and they were kind enough to allow us two taste testings because we couldnt make up our mind. They provided a wedding coordinator who was very helpful throughout the planning as well as the reception. Thank you Krista! the service at the recption was top notch. we even had our own designated personal waiter! they work fast and efficient.

Nia Sent on 12/23/2008

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Many people have told me that at the end of the day all people really remember about a wedding is the food. My wedding was 5 months ago, and when I talk to people about the wedding they still talk about how good the food was! Beyond that, I had an outstanding coordinater and Festive Foods named Khoa. I think I changed my mind 100 times about the tableclothes, tableware, menu, etc.... He was extremely understanding, patient, and flexible, and in the end, the room was absolutely perfect. He worked well with the other vendors, and the evening was the one I wanted to remember for the rest of my life.

John Sent on 08/13/2008

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As the father of the bride I know how hard my daughter shopped for food quality and price. The food and service were comparable to some of the best restaurants in DC. We received sit down dinner and full bar services at a cost competitive with buffets. Besides that the caterer acted as an expert wedding planning consultant without any extra charge! Fabulous!

Winifred Sent on 01/03/2012

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Festive foods was amazing and, Lauren, who handled or wedding coordination was outstanding! She answered every question we had and was always available to talk with us. Her recommendations were always spot on and she always put us at ease. They went above and beyond for us at our wedding and we appreciate all that they did. fast, efficient, and fun. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone! Thank for making our day so special.

Karen Sent on 12/04/2009

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We were very satisfied with Festive Foods. I can't say enough good things about Lauren-she was wonderful to work with, she was quick to respond to any questions/concerns we brought up, she also had great advice. In fact the day before our wedding I was getting worried about the weather and she even took the time to reassure me about the weather! I think that speaks volumes about the quality of FF!
Initially I thought that FF was slightly pricier than some catering options we had(our venue was Woodend Sanctuary) but after the tasting I knew I had to go with them! We had wonderful options to pick from including several delicious vegetarian options which was great. The food was excellent both at the tasting and at the wedding(I have to disagree with recently_married's comments plus our wedding was in the summer-August which I believe would be more difficult being an outdoor event and warm/humid weather to compete with)!
Many of the guests commented on the delicious food and the incredible dessert buffet(my only regret is that no one took a picture of the dessert buffet and I was too busy to partake of it myself). We also did a small cake to do the cake cutting-FF did the cake and it was delicious!
Also I love their philosophy of local, sustainable foods which I believe made the food even tastier.

Sheri Sent on 10/15/2009

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The food and service at our wedding were amazing! I reviewed 4 proposals, and Festive Foods came the closest to my budget (although all caterers in the DC area are overpriced, in my opinion). This was mainly because they gave me a good deal on the linens and equipment if I signed by a certain date.
They did a wonderful job setting everything up and making it look beautiful. And they really catered to the bride and groom - every time I turned around a waiter was offering me a drink or something else. They had a lovely plate of hor devours waiting for us after the ceremony and again after our pictures, as well as a tray full of drinks for our wedding party after the ceremony. All of guests thought the food and service were impeccable. I'd highly recommend them - I worked with Eduardo. They also did our cake - it was delicious and pretty.

Jennifer Sent on 09/01/2009

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5 out of 5 rating

We had so many people tell us that the food was the best they'd ever had a wedding. This is an especially huge compliment because we threw a vegetarian wedding for a mostly non-vegetarian crowd. We wanted the food to be so good that the guests didn't even notice the lack of meat and Festive was able to do just that. The only thing better than the food was the service. Lauren spent so much time helping us pick the perfect menu and accommodated us through the dozens of changes we made. We had a personal server during the wedding who took care of us the entire night without being obtrusive. Every time we turned around there was some to offer us food or a drink. Finally, the cost was incredibly reasonable for all that we got.

Jesus Sent on 07/13/2013

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We didn't know how important choosing the right caterer was until our wedding day.

Festive Foods did a FANTASTIC job to help make our wedding day full of great memories and have everything run smoothly. Lauren was such a pleasure to work with! We were a little stressed from our previous caterer backing out 2 months before the event after having the menu and details set. However, that turned out to be a blessing as we then contacted Festive Foods and felt so much better after our meeting with Lauren. We looked at 4 other caterers and nothing came close to the service and attention she gave us. She was extremely responsive and very easy to work with. Going out to their tasting restaurant in rural VA was at first off putting for me but it was well worth the trip. The food and venue were great and it is always nice to be treated like royalty for an evening.

On our wedding day, we had very little time to set everything up due to venue time restrictions. However, Lauren and her team were able to get everything ready on time, even with Lauren being occupied for a good 30 minutes sewing suspender buttons on one of the grooms pants. :) They were also very helpful in keeping the live band a surprise for one of the grooms which was a big moment of the day. During and after dinner, everyone was asking us about the caterer and complimenting the food. Food isn't always the highlight of the wedding but for us it was extremely important and everyone is still talking about how good it was when they remember that night.

We were so happy with Festive Foods and highly recommend them! You will not regret it.

I don't give out fives often but it is well deserved here and I will recommend Festive Foods for any event for the price, service, and experience. You only have one chance to make the event work and if it wasn't for them, I don't think it would have turned out as great as it did.

Cecelia Sent on 06/18/2013

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I recently got married and the reception was held at the Woodend Sanctuary at the Audubon Naturalist Society. They had a list of caterers you had to choose from - I was initially upset by this since I wouldn't be able to shop around as much, but Lauren Levine and her team at Festive Foods were absolutely amazing. I think they were one of the more affordable caterers on the provided list, and Lauren was absolutely fantastic. She was prompt in answering emails, incredibly calm and flexible with last-minute adjustments, and was helpful at making suggestions when I was unsure with details. She has a wonderful knack for putting a bride at ease!
And of course, the food was excellent. We had a free tasting, where we were served with such professionalism and care. I know the bride isn't supposed to eat a lot at the reception, but I couldn't get enough of the appetizers - and I definitely filled my plate. We ended up doing a buffet line, which worked very smoothly for the guests. Festive Foods also took care of our bar and alcohol service, which I have absolutely no complaints about. We gave them some home recipes (both for an alcoholic drink and for some of the dinner items), which they were able to accommodate and serve with no problem.
Lauren has worked at Woodend numerous times and knew the venue and rules like the back of her hand. She is a fantastic coordinator, and Festive Foods is a fantastic caterer. I recommend!

Shari Sent on 10/27/2011

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Festive Foods was a dream to work with. Eduardo was in charge of our day and he did a fabulous job. When we had our trial tasting the food was superior and I was worried that having to make multiple quantities at the wedding would lower the quality. However, I was proven wrong because the food was all excellent and we had many people approach us to tell us that it was the best food that they had ever eaten at a wedding. Definitely try the mini crabcakes, the tomato soup and grilled cheese passed appetizer as well as the mozzarella caprese bites. I especially appreciated how they assigned my husband and I our own personal server who ensured that we ate and drank enough and provided for our every need. Highly recommended!

Marten Sent on 05/16/2011

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Great caterer. Experienced, competent, thorough, professional. Very flexible -- they were happy to accept food from other sources (e.g. restaurant food, cupcakes from Baked & Wired, snack trays from Giant) and handle the presentation and serving duties. Great attitude -- our contact, Lauren Levine, made such an impression over the phone that we basically hired her as our wedding planner. Not the cheap option, but definitely worth the investment as they know how to solve problems and reduce the bride's and groom's stress levels. We recommend them without qualification.

Elena Sent on 12/06/2010

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Hands-down, the single best decision I made was choosing Festive Foods as my caterer. My venue (Woodend) provided me with a list of vendors to choose from, and I ended up selecting Festive Foods because of their quality and use of organic/sustainable/local ingredients. I worked with Lauren Levine who was absolutely top-notch. I cannot tell you how many of my guests told me the food was the best they'd ever had at a wedding. The steak was served at the proper temperature, the hors d'oeuvres kept coming even when we extended the cocktail hour by 15 minutes, and the staff took nothing but the best care of us (bringing me and my now-husband plates of hors d'oevures, never letting our glasses be empty, etc.). There is a reason they are known as one of the best and even though they are pricey, you absolutely get what you pay for.

Amie Sent on 10/24/2008

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Quality of Service/Professionalism: Our guests are still raving about how good the food was, and how efficient and friendly the Festive Foods staff was. I know I was the bride that day, but I felt that the staff went to great lengths to pamper me that day! Usually you don't think twice about the catering staff during the actual event, but its a testament to how great the team is when everyone (the coordinator, the event captain, servers, and bartenders) were noticed and are still receiving praise. The food was wonderful, and garnered praise from the self-professed foodies/toughest critics among our guests.

Value for Cost: Having done extensive research and rounds of consultations with various catering vendors, I would rank Festive Foods among some of the top (ie popular, high-end cuisine) catering vendors in the DC area. Within this category, FF is definitely more reasonably priced. Also, having tasted the food from some of these other vendors during various events, the quality of food from FF really stands out. If you're a foodie and you want a high-end reception without breaking the bank, FF is the way to go.

Flexibility: The staff was very amenable to various schedule changes during the entire wedding day. Their flexibility and professionalism allowed for a smooth and well-executed event.

Responsiveness: FF may be in high demand, as the event coordinator was sometimes hard to get a hold of. However, never did I feel like FF was being careless or overlooking my requests. When they focused on our event, you could tell they were attentive and ready to deliver.

Debbie Sent on 05/28/2008

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Festive Foods was terrific! The food was impeccable, the cake was gorgeous and delicious, and the coordinator (Lauren Levine) was friendly and accommodating. Our setup required some quick turnarounds, and they were able to manage it seamlessly and professionally. The staff also kept a close eye on the bride and groom, and made sure we had anything and everything we wanted!

Cj Sent on 06/07/2011

4.3 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
2.5 out of 5 rating

We were very excited about this caterer but we ended up not booking them for one simple reason: they refused to give us a tasting prior to us booking with them. When we explained we were planning a long distance military wedding, they said we could do a tasting but we would have to pay for it. It was very disappointing and the only catering company we spoke with that had this policy. The contact staff was very polite and efficient but explained they work based on word of mouth and so they don't provide tastings because most customers have already experienced them. Well, we were planning a long distance wedding and felt very uncomfortable booking a caterer with whom we would get no actual experience before committing, so we chose a different vendor.

L Sent on 08/18/2008

4.3 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
3.5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

Festive Foods is one of the best for a reason. Their food is wonderful and their service is pretty darn good. The only reason I hesitate to say their service is equal to their food is that our contact took a "leave of absence" right after we booked them. All of our dealings with Festive went well except they kept losing our details. We wanted a few linens from them and they lost that information a couple months before the wedding. We had to review that and also the fact that we wanted the votives that are "included in our cost". We reminded them several times about the votives and they were missing from our tables at the reception. It didn't ruin our tables but it was irritating. We also weren't invited to take a look a the reception before our guests. It wouldn't have made a difference, but I would've liked to see it before everybody else. I also could've asked where my votives were. We also had several complaints about a very nasty women on their waitstaff. Which is just ridiculous after paying all that money that someone would be rude to your guests!!
All in all, it was delicious food and we were happy with them.

Chenda Sent on 06/23/2010

3.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
3 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
3 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We had FF do our rehearsal dinner. The food was fantastic, and the waitstaff were very nice. The only thing was there were carpet stains after the event. Not sure if our guests had done that or if the staff was a little careless in cleaning up or if the venue just made it up (as there were some stains there already). These things happen, but there were a lot of "new" stains on the carpet. Would have been nice if someone from the catering staff had informed us. All in all, we thought the food and service was good, particularly the food.

Ashley Sent on 12/04/2008

3.4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
3 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
3 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

The food was good, service was good, but not nearly as good as what was showed to us at our tasting. Also, the cake did not look much like the picture we had given them to replicate...some people were thrilled, some weer dissapointed. Staff was very friendly and accomodating.

Jeff Sent on 10/27/2009

2.2 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
2 out of 5 rating
Average response time
2 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
2 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
2 out of 5 rating

Despite the glowing remarks that others have provided regarding Festive Foods, my wife and I are extremely disappointed in the choice we made of FF (we wish we had chosen Uptown Caterers instead). In particular, we found the level of customer service offered by FF to be regrettable. Perhaps our volume of business was too low to justify anything better, but FF always claimed to be "too busy" to meet with us and, in fact, claimed to be too busy to even have us come in for a second tasting. As a result, much of the food served at our wedding was never tasted by us. Of the food that we did taste prior to the wedding, the quality was dramatically lower at the wedding versus the tasting.

FF's imperious attitude towards us also carried over to the foods we were even allowed to choose. For example, knowing that many of our guests have ice tea as their preferred drink we explicitly requested that FF provide this. On the day of the wedding, though, FF informed us that they would rather not serve ice tea. Other items that we had specifically requested were also denied.

The level of organization displayed by FF was lamentable. We had to remind them (the week before the wedding) that we had not yet chosen linens and place-settings. Even after reminding them of this, we were only shown a limited selection of options and felt that FF was largely dictating what we could use.

Lastly, for those hoping to support the local economy and "buy Maryland", don't be fooled by FF's North Bethesda address. They, in fact, have exclusively been located in Virginia for the past year.

Festive Foods Catering, Inc. Reviews

Reviews

Festive Foods Catering, Inc.