Cater 2 Events

m delicious menus based on input from us and perfectly prepared and displayed all the delicious fare for us. They don't miss a detail and their staff is always so friendly and professional. We enjoyed rave reviews on the food from all 4 events and we had a great time working with them! We are so grateful for Lona, Gil, Lisa and the rest of their crew! They are truly the BEST!

ottesville, Virginia. From start to finish, it was a pleasure to work with Lona, Gill and Lisa. Planning the menu was easy. The tasting, which was actually an entire meal, was a memorable experience with delicious choices. The reception set up and service were flawless. The entire Cater2Events team showed outstanding professionalism and calm throughout – even as it was pouring rain outside the big tent where the ceremony and reception were held. Now for the food. We received so many compliments from guests about the food Lona, Gill, and their team provided. As one guest commented: “it was the best wedding food they’ve ever eaten.” We agree! It’s difficult to pick out “the highlights” without just listing the entire menu. Forced to choose a couple of highlights to mention, we’d have to say the main-course Jack Daniels-marinated beef tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes with cream was outstanding – we can’t imagine how they prepared enough for 130 people with consistent quality and transported it to Charlottesville and have it taste as if they prepared it table-side. Of course, Lona’s famous sweet potato ham biscuits were a big hit (even for those that don’t like sweet potato). Without reservation, we recommend Cater2Events highly for any catering needs.

testing, we experienced frequent & kind communication, creativity & support. The taste testing was a blast. Then when the weekend came, guests came out of the woodwork to exclaim how much they loved the food! Duck poppers, tiny lamb chops, pork tenderloin, pimento cheese cups using my own recipe, and the best assortment of cookies. Lona came up to me during the wedding to see how I was, make sure I was happy, and her team were absolute stars. 100/10 would recommend. For anything ever. Thank y'all!!

eam did an outstanding job serving our guests (family style) throughout the night and always made sure that my husband and I had what we needed. When nuts were accidentally placed on my salad, they quickly ran back and got me a new one to meet my food allergies. On top of the staff being outstanding, the food was even better. Nobody can beat the country ham sweet potato biscuits and the beef tenderloin! Thanks Lona & team for making our night amazing!

change with tremendous support and professionalism. They helped customize every aspect of our wedding day from dietary restrictions to their first time doing passed desserts so no one missed a beat on the dance floor. Our guests could not stop raving about the food and beverage quality and variety. The service was impeccable and our other vendors loved partnering with them. It’s a bonus you can continue to get Lona’s famous biscuits to relive your day over and over!

ft no stone unturned when it came to details and execution of our event. When we encountered hurtles, they handled them like pros and kept me away from any undo stress. They helped me acquire a fantastic florist, shout out to Starry Night Events, when my initial florist backed out 4 weeks before the wedding. They took care of everything, which made all the planning during covid seamless. In addition to all the above, they served the most delicious spread of food. From the beef tenderloin to the crab cakes, everything was amazing. They say that the food and the band make the wedding, Cater 2 Events did not disappoint. Guests are still talking about the wonderful and yummy food. I have two more daughters and will 100% be using them again when they plan weddings.

Gil, and the whole team were absolutely incredible! They handled food, bartending, dishware and bar rental, wedding coordination, and the most wonderful last minute rain plan I could imagine. From the start, I was impressed with Lona & Lisa’s responsiveness, menu options, and their flexibility on budget and any change in plans. In a short time, they really got to know us and made us feel like “part of the family”. Unexpected things will always happen - in our case it was rain - but when Lona shows up, you know it’s taken care of. Cater 2 Events went above and beyond both before and on our wedding day and I cannot speak highly enough of the service we received. Book them! And order the mini banana puddings - they belong on every menu!

h. Lona, Lisa and team were timely, thoughtful, and creative in their communication with us through the entire process. This team went above and beyond what our contract provided to make the event truly spectacular. We cannot recommend this team enough. They were professional, kind, and poured their hearts into our big day. We are already talking about when we can put in our next biscuit order.

e Covid hit, but they were willing to work with us and change things quickly and very last minute. They are honestly the nicest people. And the food!! It’s been several weeks since our wedding and people are still reaching out to ask who our caterer was and compliment how delicious everything was. They were absolute miracle workers for us and I will be recommending them to everyone that I know!

ut Lona and Gill!

you and your guests will love! We went to our tasting and fell in love with the menu we had selected and were so eager for our wedding day to be able to have it again! Our guests were super complementary of the catering and we couldn't have been more pleased with the preparation, service, or food! Lona takes such pride in her work and we are so grateful to have had her as an integral part of our day! She is so sweet and even fixed us a goodie basket with some of her treats for the night of the wedding! We can't recommend Cater 2 Events enough!

d amazing food for a brunch at Avenue 42 where we had hair and makeup done. I was dreaming about Lona's shrimp salad. At the reception, we got nothing but fabulous compliments about the delicious dinner. The bride refused to go out for her photo shoot at sunset because she insisted on eating to the bottom of the bowl of her shrimp and grits. During the whole process, Gill, Lona and Lisa took such good care of us. Good people. Amazing food.I knew I didn't need to worry about anything. Absolutely fabulous!

last minute changes. I would highly recommend Cater 2 Events for any occasion. Professional, flexible, high quality service and food. Lona and Gil are amazing, Lisa in the office was great too.

ood is AMAZING!!! Couldn't recommend them more

il make a great team and were a pleasure to work with, Lisa too! We expected a sampling at our tasting but we got a meal! The day of the event was seamless; the food was delicious, service and staff was impeccable, every thing went as planned, and clean up was thorough and swift. They responded to many, many questions, calls, and emails promptly while offering helpful advice and tips along the way. Lona even stepped in at the last minute to fluff the bride’s dress! I could go on and on… Bottom line - save yourself the time and look no further than C2E! You will not be disappointed!

rous with their time and creative energy. While the angel hair pasta (with staggeringly brilliant pesto and chicken) was the highlight of my meal, they also made a SOUTHERN SECTION with favorite Southern dishes to give my husband's Michigan family a taste of Richmond! Crisp fresh fried green tomatoes, classic shrimp and grits, and so much more. Their generosity didn't stop with just the perfect meal-- Cater 2 Events worked with us to learn exactly what we wanted from our reception. We wanted dancing and togetherness-- which meant positioning both a dance floor and dining area. Cater 2 Events regularly works with the venue-- The Estate at River Run-- and were able to find the perfect arrangement for everyone to share the evening with us. They kept us on schedule, were helpful and friendly, and even stuck around for the clean up. This caterer went above and beyond to make us feel important. From planning to dining to saying goodbye, our experience was all the richer with them alongside us.

r menu tasting, we were hooked. The food, the service, the presentation, everything was flawless. I would absolutely recommend Lona and her team for your wedding/event!

anywhere else. The food served at the wedding was even better for our wedding and our guest are still talking about how good the food was. The company went above and beyond to accommodate our requests and I would highly recommend them!

ce for the wedding couple. The food was exactly what we were hoping for and she really understood what we were looking for and gave us great recommendations when certain things weren't working out logistically. She has the best attitude and her staff is exactly the same. Everyone was so happy and cheerful at our wedding that it added to the fun of the day. I would highly recommend booking with Cater 2 Events!

ferences. Lona set up our tasting like a romantic date, my husband and I loved everything we tried. I had a special request on our wedding day, steaks from my husband’s favorite place, Lona was more than happy to prepare them for a sweet wedding surprise at no extra cost. They even picked up and delivered our wedding cake and cupcakes from the bakery without question. After our wedding, they left us a beautiful basket in the Bridal Suite with snacks and some goodies designed with Lona’s signature lemon pattern. There was a slight hiccup when they accidentally picked up our rehearsal dinner cake with the rest of their desserts but Lona got ahold of her manager on call Lisa who met us at the office and passed off the rehearsal dinner cake without incident. My only suggestion is to get an emergency number for the company just in case a mix-up happens again. Luckily my planner was working another wedding with Lona and was able to relay our message to get Lisa to meet us. I love this company and would suggest them to anyone who wants their wedding to be extra special.

eryone loved. She even made our favorite desserts for us to share with our guests. I highly recommend using cater 2 events!

cause they are so much more than a catering business -- they became like family to us and exemplified TRUE Southern hospitality! Lona, Gill, Kelly, and entire team are the sweetest, most genuine people, and it is without hesitation that we would recommend them to any bride or family planning an event. We knew we wanted to work with them as soon as we stepped into their lovely, quaint location where they hosted us for a tasting. They immediately made us feel at home and had printed out personalized menus for each of us. That was just the start of it -- as soon as we tasted all of Lona's incredible foods she had prepared, it was a done deal! Cater 2 Events worked with us and our wedding planner to help bring our vision to life by being flexible, working with our budget, being extremely organized and communicative, and inspiring us with creative, delicious ideas for hors d'oevres and dinner courses. They even let us come in for a second tasting to hone our menu again! Lona followed up on each interaction by mailing me a handwritten note expressing her gratitude for working with them...I mean, we were totally spoiled!! Cater 2 Events brought our vision of individual first-course cheese boards to life, and the beautiful pictures can hardly do justice to the way they were perfectly arranged and executed. Our guests still can't stop talking about them almost three months later! Cater 2 Events was punctual, preparing and distributing dishes to our more than 200 guests in a smooth, timely manner at the reception. They went above and beyond, such as adding in a last-minute late night snack and picking up our cakes from another local vendor the day-of. Their staff was warm and hospitable, and even as the busy bride the day of the wedding I will never forget their friendly smiles and the way they went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed from their cocktail hour staff, to bartenders, to dinner staff. They even made a personalized cheese board for my husband who had jokingly requested a special cheese, and Gill drove home a groomsmen of ours at the end of the night who had...um...a little too much fun.:) I could go on...but I hope it's obvious that these wonderful people truly show what it's like to earnestly and successfully run a client business the right way (especially in an industry as tough as weddings!) They have been so great at staying in touch since the wedding, and our family cannot say good enough things about them. You better believe we'll refer them to anyone and everyone who listens! Thank you, Cater 2 Events - we're forever grateful!

months prior to the wedding- they had the cutest printed menus and dinner set-up for us and we were pleasantly stuffed by the end! Lona talked through everything we had tried and together we were able to choose what we wanted for our appetizers and dinner stations on the wedding day. Lona even brought the cutest table decor on the day of that matched my wedding theme! The bar at the wedding was beautiful with bookcases behind that displayed all the glasses and my florist filled in with greens as well. I had a lot of people tell me afterwards how great the food was! We ended up choosing beef tenderloin carving station, shrimp and grits, and had crab cake sliders all for a fraction of what it would have costs with some of the other catering companies in Richmond. We were very pleased.

a menu that would delicious and palatable for a large crowd in June. They also were interested in hearing our opinions and tailoring it specifically to our tastes and budget. Lona and her husband prepared our tasting for us, and it was such an intimate, personal experience. They shared stories of their own marriage, while serving us each course. They took our feedback seriously, and they also offered their helpful opinions. For instance, Lona helped us realize the value in having a cheese and fruit display, which we never would have thought of, and it ended up being a huge hit! She also recommended a plated salad, so the guests would have something to nibble on while they waited for the buffet. She also attended our final walkthrough with the venue to ensure that we were all on the same page. Day of, everything was perfect. The presentation was beautiful, and we got so many compliments on the mixed-matched china that Cater2Events provided. The food was all delicious, and my husband and I both appreciated that they made sure we took the time to actually eat. Everyone we talked to left full and happy, and several of our guests are still talking about the mashed potatoes. Finally, the waitstaff was attentive and engaging. It was so nice to see them joking around with the guests, and (I hope) having as much fun as we were. If you haven't booked your catering yet, you should definitely give Cater2Events a call!

b. Ever. It was so bad that the lack of basic hosting by the catering staff encouraged guests to leave the wedding. Again, a first that I’ve ever heard of. First, the catering staff mismanaged the buffet dinner. I was at a table of seven that did not get to eat dinner. All three serving stations ran out of food. We were the last table to be served - and we weren’t. The xxxx serving station was empty as well as the two entree serving stations. The staff ran out of the main entree - a beef dish. The staff simply told us they ran out of beef. The father of the bride was mortified and obviously apologized. I felt so bad for the man. And he told us they had ordered enough food for 150 people and their were not that many people present. So it wasn’t an issue of not ordering enough food. So we didn’t eat. And then they didn’t refill water to anyone. After dancing on the on a warm evening you get dehydrated and would like some water. But the staff never refilled water glasses for any table. We asked for water and the wait staff filled our classes but they said only because we didn’t eat. Ridiculous! And as the dancing just began the wait staff cleared the tables before 9 PM, including water glasses - not that we had water- and drinks from the bar. (The dinner started at about 7:30). Repeatedly the wait staff would take away glasses of wine while someone was on the dance floor. They were literally rushing us to get out. And to top it off they were rude. As I said, I have never had a worse catering event in my life. And I typically do not write reviews but this was such a bad experience I was compelled to speak.

s seamless! On top of all of this, Lona took care of details we hadn't even thought of. We couldn't have asked for more! Rave reviews for Cater2Events!

y needs of us and our guests, and did everything with a smile. We knew at that moment, we did not want any other catering company! The staff greeted us kindly at each station and made a lasting impression on all of our guests. Thank you for an unbelievable meal and unforgettable evening!

red us so many incredible options! They were responsive to all of my incessant emailing through the decision-making process, and they even let me design some of the dishes myself. They also provided the bar service at the wedding, and literally everything went so well. People raved about the food. We couldn't have been more satisfied. Thanks Lona and Gil!!

time and date and where ready to go. So three weeks past or so and the week of our meeting, I get an email from the owner Lona, saying that we could not meet because Jammie was out of town and won't be back till end of the week. I think okay, may be they got the dates mixed up no worries. I emailed Lona back saying that is no problem we will reschedule. Well till this day and this was over a month ago I have still yet to hear anything back from them just to reschedule or even an apology. Will not be using them for my wedding!

this company to anyone!

ed them was outstanding! They truly care about making your catering needs for your big day come true! The staff on the day of the wedding was so professional! They event brought appetizers to me and my husband when we were taking pictures before the reception! They blew my expectations out of the water and I am so glad we had them apart of our big day!