We chose City View for our wedding because of their incredible reviews and they catered our venue before. To begin with the positives: the food on our wedding day was outstanding. ...Guests are still talking about the vegetarian lasagna, the presentation was beautiful, and the on-site staff did an amazing job. Our bride and groom meals were delicious as well. The day-of experience was truly 5 stars.
Where our rating drops is the planning process, which was much rockier than expected.
Tastings:
For our first tasting, we provided a detailed list of specific items we wanted to try, but several of those selections were missing and replaced with dishes we never requested. It felt like we were being served whatever happened to be made that day, which was disappointing after carefully curating our list.
At our second and final tasting, Rachel, our main point of contact and the person who scheduled the appointment, was not there and had not informed us she’d be out of town. We were instead assisted by Sarah, who was incredibly kind and patient, but she wasnt fully informed on the dishes. Some items were misdescribed, which caused confusion later when we learned that certain options we thought were available were actually not.
Bride & Groom Meals:
We were told throughout the process that we could choose any entrée for our bride and groom meals, even if it wasn’t on the main menu. However, when we asked to taste those meals, we were told they dont prepare those separately for tastings. We were even told we might be able to pick them up one day, but that never happened. Ultimately we had to choose our own wedding meal without ever trying it beforehand which was stressful, though thankfully, the meals were great.
Vendor Meals:
This was one of the biggest communication issues. For months we believed vendor meals were included in our total cost because when we specifically asked we were told, “Oh we’ll take care of the vendors, dont worry about that.” No one ever mentioned an additional charge. Then, about 1 month before the wedding, while finalizing the contract, we were suddenly asked for our vendor headcount and sent an updated invoice with extra charges for “prorated” vendor meals. This was never discussed previously. We pushed back because we paid for 75 meals, only 59 guests attended, and we had 5 vendors, plenty of meals already covered. It felt like a last-minute fee that should have been communicated upfront.
Leftovers:
We also learned that leftovers cannot leave the venue due to liability rules. With so many unused meals, it felt like wasted money. When we asked about signing a waiver, we were told they couldnt provide one, even though we were also told that “hypothetically” they cant stop guests from taking food. Again communication felt inconsistent. It was also disappointing after hearing stories of couples enjoying leftovers for days after the wedding, and we didnt get to have that experience at all, especially after hearing how amazing everyone said the food was.
Overall:
Despite the frustrations, most of which stemmed from Rachel’s unclear communication, the actual food and service on the wedding day were excellent. Sarah, although misinformed on some menu details, was genuinely kind and deserves recognition for her professionalism.
If you can navigate the communication bumps, the final result is fantastic food and a smooth event. Still, future couples should be aware of these issues so they aren’t caught off guard the way we were.