Catering By Design

, and our guests agreed! Further, the process of working with them was incredible. They made us a sample meal for our tasting, which was a total custom menu, and then made adjustments however we wanted. Their staff was friendly and efficient, and they made special effort to make sure that my husband and I got food! The value of their services was incredible, they were well within budget for an amazing experience!

s always a concern that the food will taste different when prepared in large quantities than what you tasted initially, but it was just as good as we remembered. I even had numerous friends and family members tell me that we had the best wedding food they had ever had! We worked with Ching, who was so kind, attentive and professional throughout the planning phases and Ching and her team executed a flawless event for us. We couldn't have been happier.

beautifully. We highly recommend CBD if you are in need of a caterer for your wedding!

nestly, we got so many rave reviews from our wedding guests about not only how delicious the food was, but how gorgeous it was set up - which isn't always the case with a buffet set up, but they made sure every last detail was on point. They brought our vision to life in the most outstanding way! They even ran out the day of to buy us bags for our trail mix bar after my poor mother forgot them at the hotel. Talk about customer service. These ladies literally took all my worries away! Amazing food, amazing service, HIRE THEM!

entative of both our cultural and geographic backgrounds (New Orleans and Colorado. When we went in for our initial tasting, the staff had a beautiful layout for us with delicious food and our favorite New Orleans drink, a hurricane. The wedding day was flawless. The food presentation was unique and clean. The staff made signs for each food station we had and the staff was extremely friendly. Everyone reported how great the food was, especially the deviled eggs, trout cake, and milkshakes.

had great food at our tasting. CBD was more expensive, at the top of our price range, but we were so impressed with the coordinator we met with, Ching, that we decided to go with them. She was extremely professional, knew our venue very well, and seemed eager to work with us. We were planning our wedding long distance and she was very proactive, asking to reach out to other vendors for us and thinking of creative ideas for the wedding. We signed the contract and went back and forth with Ching over email a few times before we were very confusingly passed off to a different coordinator via email who I'm not going to name. We never got an explanation as to why, but I assume she had a schedule conflict. Things went down hill very fast. Our new coordinator was not familiar with the venue at all, was not engaged in our event, and lacked attention to detail. He constantly made assumptions about what we wanted instead of consulting us, which meant I felt like I had to micromanage him. I hated this because being a long distance made it extremely difficult to keep all of the other details together on top of being on him about every small thing. One major issue was she he placed an event rental order without consulting me about anything (type of glasses for the signature drink, size of cake tables, and so on). He ordered a bunch of tables THAT OUR VENUE PROVIDES FOR NO COST, which if I hadn't caught we would have paid hundreds of extra dollars for. This is completely unacceptable as our venue was very upfront about the tables and chairs available. He was able to change this a few other things on the order but he never apologized and I felt his email response was snippy and unprofessional. Skip to the day of: We had a very limited amount of time to set up so we recruited lots of friends and family to help with decorations. We discussed the order of set up in great detail prior to the event with everyone, including the caterer. CBD was well aware they were supposed to get to the venue and set up chairs and tables first thing WHICH THEY NEVER ENDED UP DOING. I was getting ready so I'm not sure what happened or where the confusion was, but our friends and family had to set up the tables and chairs in addition to decorations creating a hugely stressful situation AND DELAYING THE START OF THE WEDDING. Our coordinator was never to be found and was of no use during the chaos. The food itself was good and wait staff/ bartenders were great during the event but it didn't make up for the rest. I'm still so disappointed and wish we had gone with the less expensive option. I would not recommend this vendor unless you can work with Ching.

al cost of the food was similar to other vendors despite the far superior taste and flavor but they service cost was definitely higher than others. While at first, this made us unsure, the night of the wedding took away any concerns. Things went off without a hitch, guests commented on the food and the service, the groom and I felt very well taken care of (special plates of appetizers, etc. to ensure we ate) plus they packaged up leftovers and even brought small plates of leftovers to our room in case we were hungry! Friends are still talking about the appetizers in particular which makes us so happy. Catering by Design worked with US to make a menu versus selecting from a set of items a caterer offers so we were able to have a completely unique menu to represent us! Can't rave enough about this company!!

meals. Brittany and Ching were easy to work with and quick to take our feedback into consideration and change things big or small – the amount of appetizers per guest, the flavor of the late night milkshakes, or the garnishes on the salad. Clearly this company knows what they are doing. Brittany even went as far as helping us decide on linens and table settings (as we weren’t the best at making decisions). On the day of, they showed up early and did everything they needed to in the background. I hardly noticed they were there and the guests were very complimentary on the food.

there waiting, or do it ourselves. We also were never brought slices of cake, which seemed like only a 2 second job. We also had requested that some food and cake be packed up for us that night so we could take it with us, and that didn’t happen at all. Additionally, the food had much less flavor than it did at the tasting. I expect some small difference between the tasting and a large customer group to serve, but I also know we paid a lot of money to know what food to expect; After spending that much money, we were disappointed in the service.

a dual entrée of stuffed chicken and steak with soup, salad, two sides and a desert table all of that for just under $100 per person was well worth it. The very best thing about this company is the customer service. Upper management and sales reps, especially Stuart Holden, are the most wonderful people to do business with. They were always courteous, prompt, and helpful. Catering by Design managed my contract with the event rentals too, which was just one less thing to worry about. During the event, I vastly underestimated the lighting in the garden and Stuart and his team very quickly saved me from utter embarrassment- this was above and beyond what they are required to do. That is what you get with Catering by Design- Above and Beyond.

but 100% worth it. They were speedy, kind, and attentive to detail. The only issue we had was a missed note from our final tasting so a certain component did not make the plates on the day of our wedding. The did contact us after the wedding though to make up for the error, taking complete responsibility. I would absolutely work with them again - the food was great, the service outstanding. Not to mention our guests loved everything from cocktail hour to the main course!

was a lot of fun and the food was delicious. Stuart was so nice, and worked with us on figuring out all the details, ordering the alcohol and rentals. I gave Stuart photos and descriptions on how to decorate all the tables, and was so relieved that they could do it all and I could focus on getting married. The staff was friendly and brought the groom and I drinks, appetizers, and dinner so that we wouldn't have to go through the lines. All our guests loved the food! Catering By Design helped make the whole day go very smoothly. I recommend them very highly.

We are still getting complements on how wonderful the food was at our wedding. CBD was very accommodating for our tastings, too. We had originally booked with a local Fort Collins caterer, but, after our tasting, we were very disappointed. We were about 10 months out from the wedding, but wanted to find a better company ASAP. Our wedding planner contacted CBD and they were able to squeeze us in for a tasting last minute on a very busy weekend for them! The food was fantastic and we immediately booked them. We were looking for unique, yet comforting dishes that were also presented beautifully and that is exactly what they delivered. They even allowed us a second tasting once we finalized our menu. We also had a special guest with a special diet and they were more than willing to accommodate her needs! When the wedding day came, we thought the food tasted even better than it had for the tasting! Their wait staff was very professional and organized as well and we received many compliments about them as well! Thank you for the wonderful experience, CBD! We wish you the best.

e was so familiar with the venue (Denver Botanic Gardens). The food was also amazing, I have had a lot of compliments from many guests!

he food on the Big Day was just as delicious as the food we tasted at their kitchen 7 months earlier. We have received numerous compliments from our guests about the food, especially the chipotle mashed potatoes and donut bar! Not only was the food delicious, but the catering staff was great. Very professional. I would recommend CBD to any bride.

mportant. CBD was responsible for the first two so we did not make our catering decision lightly. And we have NO regrets! I will cover 3 aspects - food, servers and planning/coordination. The food is by far the best part of the CBD experience - first at the tasting and then at the reception itself, the food did not disappoint. We had passed hors d'ouerves: Asparagus & 3 Cheese Tartlets, Coconut Fried Shrimp, Chipotle Cream Meatballs, Tomato Pesto & Brie Crostinis, and Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna. Our main dishes were a beef tenderloin carving station, lobster mac 'n cheese (delish!!) and a cajun station with shrimp & sausage jambalaya topped with mini fried catfish nuggets. I grew up in New Orleans so it's usually hard to impress me with cajun food, but CBD was amazing! We got endless compliments on the food and it was all topped off with a signature drink for the evening (in addition to our open bar) - a wedding cake martini that came with a white chocolate covered strawberry rolled in cake crumbs! CBD has a variety of menu options to get you started but then they customize each and every detail of the food you want. No one else will have a menu just like yours. The final product is unmatched and your guests will not be disappointed. The service is also the best I've seen at an event. There were no shortage of people supporting us the day of our event - I couldn't believe how many servers were there to make sure our guests didn't go one second without an appetizer or drink. In addition to having such great coverage, the servers are incredibly personable, helpful and HAPPY to be there serving you. Sometimes you think of servers as people who are just doing their job and going through the motions but these people actually enjoy what they are doing and it shows. Not one server walked by me without stopping me to genuinely express their best wishes which I thought was such a sweet and personal touch coming from people who had never even met us before! Our head bartender never let our drinks get empty (she would chase us around the floor to bring a full one!) and they made sure that our guests didn't miss out on any of the dishes. Our coordinator, Emily, was very thorough and definitely stayed on top of things for us since we planned the whole thing in 60 days. We couldn't have done it without her. She knew that the food was going to be the most important part of our evening so she took care to really listen to what we wanted and customize our menu as necessary. While they do itemize everything on their proposals - which I didn't like because it made me obsess over little details (like how much forks cost to rent) that I wouldn't normally obsess over - some people may enjoy that level of transparency. CBD is definitely not the least expensive caterer in town - if you are looking for cheap, this is not your vendor. However, if you are looking for the PREMIER vendor in Denver who will make your menu the highlight of your wedding, this is the only place to go. We have no regrets - it was worth every penny. Our guests were wow'd and so were we.

ny price adjustments throughout the process that seemed to keep getting higher but overall very happy with their services.

h but I was a little embarassed to find out about it later. They also forgot to plate food for the bride and groom first so that we could eat quickly while our guests ate.

d! We had a great experience at the tasting and they made accommodations to my food sensitivities and personal preferences. They also had great vegetarian options to choose from for a couple of my guests. The service at the wedding was good for the most part; they were attentive to my groom & I. However there was some confusion when it came to the cake, they handed it out to immediate family only, so everyone else was a little confused as to how to get cake. I also felt they cleared the food a little quickly, there was so much going on and so many people to greet, I wish they'd left out our food a little longer. They were pretty great though! Really Good Food!

their willingness to listen to our feedback during our tasting, and their flexibility with last minute menu changes when our guest count significantly dropped. My cousin even apologized for not dancing more, citing CBD's amazing mac and cheese as the reason. "I'm sorry," she said, "I just mac and cheesed too hard". Their price point is somewhat high (for our budget at least), but their quality and service more than makes up for it.

d, the rentals ordered, even the table layout was a struggle. At the Botanic Gardens, it's hard to not use Catering by Design, and the food was so tasty, but the customer service could use some help.

big hit!

when the food was coming out, when it was being taken down, when the ice cream bar was going up, and everything else. Even with details that were not catering related, Ally helped solve little snags and keep everything organized during the whole event. Thanks guys!!!

party appetizers while we were taking photos after the ceremony. Our guests were so impressed with the food and so were we!

lobster mac & cheese was amazing I am still sad I can't get more of it.

on't end up with the dreaded "wedding food." We chose them for this very reason. Everyone at our table let us know that the food at our event exceeded their expectations; my husband and I were also very happy with everything we were able to taste. I have just a few small complaints, which I feel I should mention to serve customers in the future. These are small details, thus I still give CBD a high rating, and I want to stress the fact that in the end I was content with our experience. We did have some issues with communication; we were always responded to very quickly, but sometimes our questions were not answered. It could be that our representative just didn't understand what we were asking, but it was a bit stressful at times. However, because they always responded so quickly, the stress never lasted long, which was a plus. Our pricing also doubled after our first meeting, in the end causing us to go over-budget since we had based it on the original total. However, because their pricing was initially so reasonable, I still don't believe we were over-charged, and we are very happy with the service we received on the day of the event. We did have a small issue at the wedding with the staff (we ordered a cake with two flavors so our guests would have a choice) handing out slices of cake to our guests without giving them a choice. However, they were very apologetic, and we felt that they truly cared about our experience. The final thing I wanted to mention is that we received some complaints from other vendors about how difficult it was for them to set up the reception space when CBD was a half hour late (out of a 1.5 hour total allotted time). They were stuck in traffic, which I know can be unpredictable, but I would have thought they might prepare for the unexpected. For this reason our reception space was not completely set up, but again this is nothing our guests were aware of. Overall, I am satisfied with our experience and I think that our situation (with such a short set up time) would be difficult for any vendor. I would use CBD again for future occasions. UPDATE (9/29/11)::: Unfortunately, I have had to lower my rating of Catering By Design by one star since writing this review. I had to contact our representative after the vow renewal about a potential issue with the linen company, and she came off as rude and very short. It seems that, now that she has our money, she has no interest in practicing politeness. I now feel as though she was merely "putting on a show" throughout our prior communications. In my opinion, common courtesy is something that should be used regardless of whether or not you are being paid to do so. Half of a business is based on the quality of the products and services they provide; the other half is based on customer service. For that reason, I have decided to decrease my rating, and I would insist on working with somebody else if I were to use CBD in the future.

helpful. They actually found my husband and I after the ceremony with a plate ready with hot appetizers and drinks. They also worked so well with the venue and the wedding planner.

t event!

uffet and those didn't go well in fact they weren't able to even make that part of the mean until after everyone had been served. The one thing that they did do well is serving the salad in martini glasses before everyone got up for the buffet. They also helped with the cake service as well as our tea ceremony.

e local Fire Station for us. Jennifer was wonderful to work with, changes were simple, easy to work with. I would recommend them for work or for play.

eat for the price. (Peanut Butter with Chocolate Frosting!!) They were always available. The service staff the day of were great! Very friendly and very used to working with Bride/Groom...they pampered us and made sure we were taken care of!

unbeatable service and the best food I have ever tasted. Everyone who came to our wedding raved about how delicious the food was. Everyone should use them!

Jennifer Quam, was a delight to work with and walked us through every step, from deciding appetizers and main courses, to finalizing rental orders. She made everything seem effortless, leaving us at ease on the big day knowing that all the details would be taken care of. Our food was simply divine! The guests could not stop commenting on how delicious each dish was. We even had a plate of appetizers waiting for us at our table, since we missed the cocktail hour. A full plate of food was served to us at our seats, even though the dinner was buffet style. It really made us feel fantastic to have such great service. At the end of the night, I was worried about tear down, but when I returned to the reception room, everything was cleaned, wrapped up, and stored in it's appropriate place. The day-of contact was unbelievably friendly and made sure to ask us about any outstanding items we might want to take home. Overall, the attention to detail, food and flexibility were all spot on. We would GLADLY recommend CBD to any bride looking for the perfect caterer.

ority of the planning even though I didn't meet them face to face until 1.5 months before the wedding. Very happy price and overall service. Served apps, dinner, and cake to 140+ people and the bill was just over $6K. Not bad for everything included.

reviews the next day. Thanks CBD, you really helped make our wedding day special!

or us. the staff was also amazing to work with. Up beat and a joy. The cost was surprisingly one of the lowest as well. The only reason they got 4 instead of 5 stars was we asked for food to go cause we didn't get to eat much at the wedding. Though we reminded them several times they forgot to make us a to go baggie. but other then that perfect!