Grounded

The Grounded team did an incredible job catering our wedding! We got countless compliments on the food, everyone saying it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding. The staff was incredible and went above and beyond for us, saving apps for us, making sure we were getting enough to eat, even wrapping up a plate of food for my Grandmother who had to leave early. We felt so well cared for, they really helped our entire day go off without a hitch! Chef Linda is doing gods work!

we used their drop off buffet style catering service for our wedding in beacon, ny. coordination of drop off and return of the catering supplies was easy, grounded is great at maintaining a line of communication. the food was amazing, linda and danielle worked with us to make sure all dietary needs and restrictions were met. highly recommend!

We got married two weeks ago at Windrift Hall and had Grounded NY cater and also provide cakes. Working with Grounded (Danielle and Linda) was a dream. They were both so fun to work with, great with all of the communication and organization and fully committed to making sure we had the wedding of our dreams. From the tasting to the wedding-day execution, it was such a pleasant and stress-free experience. High quality, locally sourced seasonal food was one of the most important elements of our wedding vision and Grounded definitely came through. We had sooo many rave reviews about the food and desserts from our guests (especially the duck -- wow!!). It all came together exactly as we hoped. Grounded even helped us procure the natural wine package that we really wanted. Highly recommend using Grounded for your upstate wedding or special event. Thank you for everything, Danielle and Linda!

This was my second time working with Grounded...and there is a reason we came back to them! They are leaders in what they do! Some of the most DELICIOUS catered food I've ever had. The first time I worked with Grounded was for my wedding in 2021 where they executed a delicious menu for 150 people. This second time working with them was for a group of 20 people for a catered pool party. Linda and the Grounded team put together an excellent, well-rounded menu, featuring seasonal ingredients. The on-site staff were friendly and attentive. They will forever be out go-to caterer in the Hudson Valley area. No need to think further Linda and the Grounded team are the ones you want to hire! You will not be disappointed!

We worked with Grounded for our wedding in the summer of 2023. All around we were very happy with their service and all the assistance they provided us with leading up to the big day. All our friends and family absolutely loved the food and service. Our wedding day was exactly how we dreamed it would be!

We had a great experience working with Danielle and Linda to customize our wedding cake. Danielle was always responsive to our questions and Linda was helpful with suggestions and our vision for the cake. The cake was delicious and turned out beautifully, and all our guests loved it! Highly recommended!

We had Linda cater sides for our wedding and everything was fantastic! She has a really great menu to select from, and is very helpful in making recommendations. The food was perfect, all of our guests raved about it! I would highly recommend Grounded for any catering needs and will be reaching out to Chef Linda again for any events we have in the future.

The one regret from our wedding was hiring Grounded. We hired Linda as the Caterer and Wedding Coordinator for our very expensive and thoughtfully planned-out wedding and it was the one bad decision that we made. Every other vendor that we hired was top notch. Starting with the Wedding Coordination & Setup, we showed up to the venue on our wedding day and Linda was nowhere to be found for HOURS. We were all scrambling before the first-look and ceremony and our Coordinator wasn’t even there! The bride’s father had to organize and direct the entire wedding party before walking his daughter down the aisle. Absolutely ridiculous. Then we made our way to Reception and every single table was set up wrong. It was so bad that it seemed as if it was done on purpose. We spent months planning out where each table would be located and how every little detail would be set up. We sent Linda floor plans and pictures every week with updates and revisions to the layout and honestly we don’t think she ever even looked at them. It was heartbreaking to go through that after putting so much time and effort into the planning. Also, the guests described the Cocktail Hour as a “trainwreck” because nothing was set up when they arrived, so all the guests stood around watching the staff set up for 30 mins. Overall, Linda didn’t set anything up according to the plan and she wasn’t around when we needed her and those are the two most important tasks when you’re hired as a Wedding Coordinator. As for the Catering, it was extremely overpriced. The food at our wedding did not match the quality and presentation that we experienced during the tastings. Numerous guests said the food was cold. Guests with certain requests (gluten free, no mushrooms, etc) did not receive a specialized dish even though the seating chart was provided to Grounded prior to the wedding. On top of it, we didn’t receive a small version of our wedding cake to share on our 1 year anniversary even though we spoke to Linda about it multiple times. Do yourself a favor and hire vendors that are respectful and trustworthy and actually CARE about your wedding day. Grounded did not have the capacity to put the required effort into our wedding and we suffered because of it.

Linda came to our rescue when our original caterer fell through, and from my first conversation with her, I knew that we were in good hands. Her passion for weddings and how deeply she cares about her couples shines through in all she does. Our tasting felt like a fine dining experience, with the chef by your side to walk you through each dish. She was open to our feedback about the selections and worked closely with us to help us create the wedding of our dreams. It was an abundant, unforgettable feast! Guests are still raving about the food! I have a lot of severe food allergies, and Linda accommodated every single one of them so that I could enjoy every dish on our table without fear or hesitation. Linda is an expert in her craft. She is passionate about putting the best food on your table, and does so by sourcing fresh ingredients from locals and even foraging for mushrooms to use in her dishes. I cannot recommend working with Linda and the entire team at Grounded enough. It will be a feast to remember!!!

There are no words to express how amazing Linda and the Grounded team are. Amazing food - obviously. But it goes so far beyond that. We wanted a caterer for our wedding who aligned with our vision: great food, locally sourced, simply done. Linda is vibrant and incredible to work with. At every opportunity, she found ways to help us save where we could and maximize our budget. She made special tweaks to make our food personal for us. We can't express how grateful we are and how much you need to go with Grounded for your event. PS get the maple mashed sweet potatoes - we're still dreaming about them.

We loved Grounded and so did our guests! The food was absolutely delicious and they were incredibly professional, clearly well seasoned experts in the wedding catering business. We had a less traditional wedding that was more of an extended cocktail hour and they totally got what we were trying to do and were super helpful with their suggestions.

Linda & her team rescued our group when our caterer dropped out last minute for a company event on the Rip Van Winkle II. We had 100+ guests and the menu was incredible. The food was delicious, the best of the Hudson Valley and our guests were delighted. Nothing but compliments, we cannot wait to work with Grounded NY again. Service was attentive and impeccable. I highly recommend them!

Grounded catered our wedding this September. Linda is an absolute gem. She makes you feel comfortable from the beginning. The tasting is an experience of its own. On the wedding day, our guests could not stop talking about the food - especially the ribs and the cider donuts. I could not recommend her enough!

Wow (in the best way) is the only word I can use to describe the experience we had working with Linda to cater our wedding this summer. I was coming from a culinary background and it was hard finding anyone who wanted to help me create the menu I wanted for the day. But with Linda, it was clear she was excited by the idea of collaborating. We did two different tastings, spent a few calls narrowing down the menu, and on the day of, it was everything I could have wanted. I’m so thankful to have had Grounded cater the wedding. I highly recommend them!!

Linda and her crew did open fire cooking for our wedding on what ended up being one of the hottest days of the year! Their passion and energy for their work shone through. The food was phenomenal. The attention to detail exquisite. Her direct involvement in every step made menu planning a breeze. And the cake was 5 stars all by itself.

We booked Grounded somewhat last-minute for a small family party at our house celebrating my niece’s wedding. Linda’s calm, friendly, and take-charge approach was immediately reassuring in the planning stages and made the actual event go smoothly. Her team was equally friendly and hard-working. The Grounded vibe was just that: grounded, pleasant, and efficient. They helped create good vibes with everyone. And did I mention the food? Beautifully plated, it got raves from everyone for its flavors, freshness, and inventiveness, including polenta squares topped with mushrooms foraged by Linda! Our non-meat-eating and allergic guests had plenty to enjoy. Afterwards, they packed up our leftovers, cleaned the kitchen, and left our house sparkling. We would hire Linda and team again in a second.

We came across Grounded when looking and comparing different caterers for our wedding. We needed someone that would cater to the Poughkeepsie area, someone that would work with our budget and of course someone that would cater not only to our guests but also my very vegan wife. We ultimately settled on Grounded because of they’re creative menu; Their menu had a pop that others lacked, such as the crustini topped with chocolate spread and chorizo (a personal favorite) or the successful vegan cardamom cake. Grounded exceeded our expectation every step of the way. From the amazing dinner at the menu tasting, to the quality service every couple wishes for during they’re wedding day! Cant say enough about the owner, Linda. She is so talented, experienced, and a hard worker. Not only for what we payed her to do but also things like making sure we, the couple, ate during our own wedding. We are so thankful, and we fully recommend Grounded to anyone looking for a professional caterer……….Ps. Ask Linda about her mushrooms (thank me later)

Linda catered my sister and now sister-in-law'[s wedding - she was someone we found through the Knot, and what I like to believe, FATE! Linda listened and made what we dreamt of entirely come to life and more. She was punctual, communicative, passionate, unique, seasonable, reliable, and FUN! All of our requests and hopes came to fruition and really made my family's special day that much more memorable. Thank you, Linda, from the bottom of our hearts for not only catering the wedding, but also being such an important piece of the puzzle of an event we will remember for the rest of our lives!! :-)

Linda and her team at Grounded did an excellent job catering and day-of coordinating for our wedding. It was tricky to find a caterer in the area willing to cook Korean food (and kosher at that!), but Linda enthusiastically leapt at the challenge and absolutely nailed it. Her and her team were helpful, adaptive, and flexible, and the ultimate execution of the food and the wedding made us, and more importantly our guests, very happy.

Linda and her team did an excellent job catering our wedding. Linda can make the best version of anything you can think of and day-of execution was flawless. Our wedding was sophisticated but warm and organic and she and her staff completely fit with that vibe. Not only was the food incredible but Linda and her team are so, so nice. We keep getting comments from our guests on how amazing the food and staff were. It was important for us to do business with vendors we liked on a personal level that could live up to our high expectations on deliverables and Linda and her team did not disappoint. Highly recommend!

We are so blown away by Linda (+ Team)'s talent! Planning a wedding from afar is challenging enough, but doing the bulk of it during winter lockdowns was next level - from our very first phone conference, Linda made everything feel possible and fun. We had an initial tasting about 8 months before our wedding and fell in love with so many dishes that it was challenging to narrow down our menu! We hired Grounded for our dinner, bar, AND wedding cake. We're still getting compliments about how delicious the food was, and at LEAST half a dozen people from our wedding (of 80 guests) said that ours was the best wedding cake they ever had. Linda helped us build the menu of our dreams AND of our needs (no nuts, no onions, vegan options) all while keeping to our budget. Our wedding day was effortless for us and our families. I didn't have a single worry on my wedding day about food/drink... and then immediately after our ceremony, Linda found the perfect balance of celebration, love, and giving us space to just BE a newly married couple, all while making sure we had a full plate of cocktail hour treats and a drink before pictures! We heard so many times that the bride and groom sometimes miss dinner because they're so busy... My husband (!!) reminded me when we made our entrance, "remember, we worked with Linda because the food is so good! Let's eat!" To be honest, we may break the tradition of saving our top cake tier until our first anniversary because I'm dying for another piece :-) Thank you Linda and the Grounded Team!

There are not enough words to describe how incredible Linda is. She is a phenomenal chef, business woman, and just an all around warm and wonderful person -- exactly who you want to work with for your events! Grounded catered our wedding August 2021 - Linda hopped on board just shy of 50 days before the big day after our initial caterer cancelled. Linda not only saved the day, but she knocked our socks off! We wished we had contracted her from the start, but regardless are so happy we got to work with her in the end. Linda collaborated with us to devise a menu that included some of her specialties with a mix of some custom items we wanted to include that were special to us. Her communication is clear and consistent. The food was delicious - I am super sad I didn't get to eat more of it! As a bride & a producer in the events industry, I was extremely pleased with my experience with Grounded and highly recommend them for your event!

Linda and her team made our wedding super special! All of our guests raved about the food and the presentation. Everyone enjoyed getting to know Linda and her staff went above and beyond for us. I cannot recommend Linda enough!

Linda and the entire grounded team were fantastic. Our original caterer bailed 5 days before our wedding and Linda swooped in and literally saved us. She worked with us until 9PM the Monday before our wedding to get the menu set and also helped get pricing to a comfortable spot. The food was delicious and we received so many compliments (especially on the pulled pork tacos). Her team was extremely professional and VERY hard workers. I can't thank her and the whole team enough.

Linda baked the cake for our wedding of 50 guests. She made us a gluten free, olive oil and lemon cake with macerated raspberries, and it was delicious! Further, she was a pleasure to work with - so kind, energetic, and happy to explore ideas with us for the cake.

Linda catered our 30 person wedding, and as others have said, our guests are still talking about the food. It was incredible. Linda was extremely flexible when we were putting together our menu, and offered a multiple hour tasting/discussion to help us choose the perfect combos. Although our needs/requests were pretty basic, Linda offered to make us basically whatever we wanted. We caught Linda and her team as vaccination numbers were increasing and the wedding season was picking up, but she still had a skeleton staff. Despite this, she was still helpful, kind, and available. Linda also made our wedding cake, which was also a big hit with guests (funfetti!) Beyond the amazing food she offered, Linda was a joy to work with, and her staff was professional and thorough. She and I also share similar taste, so I trusted her fully when it came to setting up tables and making sure everything looked beautiful. This is not your typical wedding catering. Book now!

We are so happy we chose Linda and Grounded Catering for our wedding. We had a last minute change of plans, like every other COVID bride, and Linda and her team were so helpful in figuring out what we could afford. She put together a beautiful menu that our guests are still talking about. Linda and her team took care of everything the day of, I didn't get one call or text. She is also super kind and just a joy to work with. We didn't want to say goodbye. Please choose Linda and her team for your event, thank me later!

Linda and her staff truly came through for my wife and I after the caterer we talked to for months before our wedding dropped the ball. She worked with us and helped us make sure we had the perfect party. The food was absolutely incredible, we could not have been happier choosing Grounded for our wedding. Linda and her staff even made sure our dog was fed and had water throughout the night, not something we were expecting but just an example of how thoughtful they are.

Beautiful farm to table local food presented in a warm, sophisticated manner. The best 40th birthday party ever! And truly the best cake I’ve ever had.

Working with Linda from Grounded was amazing from the very start. We knew right away during our cake tasting that we had found the right place; the cakes are absolutely delicious, and Linda is so kind, personable, helpful, and flexible! We went with a pumpkin flavored cake for our October 2019 wedding and it was an absolute hit. We couldn’t have imagined anything better. Thank you for everything, Grounded!

Our experience with Grounded was amazing! To start, Linda came into the picture two weeks before our wedding after our original chef bailed. She was lovely and quick and enthusiastically willing to step in during a stressful time. What a blessing! The food was unbelievable; all of our guests continued to comment into the next morning. The service was perfect–everyone was so nice and made us feel so special! We could not have asked for more. Thank you, Linda and co., for making our (24-person) COVID wedding special and delicious! 10/10 would recommend.

Linda catered our tiny Covid wedding on August 18 and blew the doors off with both food and service! We and our guests loved all of: A delicious poached salmon, perfectly cooked flank steak with Chimichurri, roasted vegetables with fennel, a delightful tomato/watermelon salad, a perfect cheese plate, focaccia....and our amazing wedding cake (chocolate with chocolate mousse and a butter cream frosting.) We will go with Grounded for any and all future catering needs.

I have ordered 3 cakes in the last month and they were all magnificent - each a creation of art. We are so lucky to have Linda close to us!

Linda was very professional & guided us through with helpful suggestions & did a wonderful job on our daughter’s wedding ! It was a beautiful cake & tasted amazing!

Grounded catered our backyard wedding in September, and Linda really came to the rescue! We were very late planners compared to most couples, so she was very kind in even agreeing to accommodate us despite her schedule already being packed for the season. We were able to work with her on the menu until we got it perfectly right for our 'rustic outdoor grilling' vibes, while staying within our budget. Her staff was very professional and easy to work with on the day of the wedding, arriving on time and checking in during set up to make sure we were happy with everything. They even packed up the leftover food for us so nothing went to waste. Our guests loved the food, and we would be happy to work with Linda for any future events.

Working with Linda at Grounded was one of the best parts of our wedding planning process. She was very open to our design vision and had great options for guests with dietary restrictions. The tasting phase was really fun and we got to try a variety of amazing cake flavors. Narrowing down our choice was probably the most difficult part. Linda did an amazing job and baked us a beautiful three tiered semi naked frosted cake and even was kind enough to arrange the flowers we provided to match our decor onsite at our venue. My biggest regret of my wedding was that I didn't eat more cake!

Linda was absolutely amazing to work with! My wife and I loved our wedding cake which was hazelnut with macerated raspberries inside and a very light plain butter cream on top. So good all of our guests raved about it! We definitely devoured the leftovers the next morning! Thank you, Linda :)

Ah! Where do I even begin?! Linda was an absolute angel to work with. My husband, J, and I we're looking for a simple rustic cake BUT with a really special taste and until this day, we still dream of having our cake one more time. We got a hazelnut cake with macerated raspberries in the middle and a very light plain butter cream over it (aka HEAVENLY). We even saved some for breakfast the morning after our wedding. We're already planning a little getaway to Upstate New York to pay her a visit! x

Linda made us a dream wedding cake. It was the most delicious out of every other bakery we tried - her chocolate and buttercream are perfection, and her pumpkin and cream cheese frosting is some of the best cake we've ever had. The cake was perfect and absolutely gorgeous, and we are still getting compliments from our guests on how addictive it was. If you're getting married in the Catskills, just pick Grounded (and definitely go for her truly amazing tasting!!).

Linda made us a beautiful and delicious wedding cake! Our guests all commented on how tasty it was. We had a lot of fun with the tasting process, and chose vanilla cake with salted caramel filling - scrumptious! Linda was totally professional , and after we decided on our flavors, everything was in her hands. We definitely recommend her!

My daughter and her husband are vegans. We had a very hard time finding a baker in whom we had confidence but after we went to a tasting with Diane at Grounded we knew her vegan cake would be wonderful and it was. Linda was very accommodating and helped us make our choice of a coconut cake with maple icing. Everyone at the wedding (many were nervous about eating a vegan meal, let alone a cake) raved about how delicious and moist the cake was. Vegan or not, choose Grounded if you want a great tasing cake beautifully decorated. The only less than perfect thing I can say is that Linda is slow in getting back to you so don't expect quick answers to your emails or texts. Also, a vegan cake made by Linda (or any baker) is way more expensive than a regular cake so be prepared.

Linda is the best. She was legit my favorite part of the entire planning process. We are a pretty laid back couple and she was quick to keep me focused, managing all of the details while totally going with the flow. Also the food. Does everyone get people telling them for months after the fact how delicious the meal was at their wedding? Polenta, crab cakes, short ribs, she made green beans memorable. Not to mention, she worked with our budget and offered a low cost / higher cost option for every single thing I wanted. She never made me feel like I was skimping OR being too extravagant. Her staff was great and it made me so happy to work with the entire crew. She also managed my day-of coordination and made sure I ate plenty of food, kept the evening on schedule and I didn’t even know about any issue with our shuttle because she seamlessly handled it without me having to get involved. The next day she came and helped us break down the venue (who does that?) and sent us home with a giant loaf of focaccia. It was such a pleasure to work with someone so professional and fun who works so bonkers hard and truly loves what she’s doing.

Horrible! Do not use grounded. Linda did not show up on my wedding day. They were scheduled to show up at 1pm to set everything up and prep food. At 2pm they were not there so I called and Linda said “oh no Kim your wedding is scheduled for tomorrow”. I burst into tears and had to scramble to set everything up instead of get ready. My guests were arriving at 330! Linda showed up at 430 (the time of the ceremony) on the phone begging people to come help. At this point I hadn’t even done my hair and make up because I had to carry chairs, set up the table, the bar etc. asking guests as they arrived to help! The food was cold and thrown together. The only edible dish was the ribs. The other two entrees were wrong - not what I even ordered! Worst part is when we contacted her to receive any type of refund she had the nerve to tell us that grounded fulfilled their duties to us! I can’t believe it, I’m still in shock from dealing with such a nightmare. Linda is horrible, extremely unprofessional and should not be in the hospitality business!

Grounded ruined our wedding. She didn’t show up when she was suppose to and said she thought our wedding was Sunday the 1st not August 31st. We had multiple emails confirming the date and every email was subjected “8/31 event”. She finally showed up hours late with horrible food that was rushed and thrown together. Many dishes were incorrect and not what we ordered because she rushed to give us something. Because of her EXTREME tardiness everything was ruined and ran an hour and a half late. Worst thing is she is ignoring all of our emails and refusing to apologise or refund us any money. Looks like things will have to be handled in a legal matter. Shame on her, she should not be in this business.

Linda really is the best! Her personality, her confidence, I was also blown away by her creativity. She can do anything from vegan to roasting. I will definitely be in touch with Linda again!!

As two people who had no idea what they were doing, we did know one thing, exactly the kind of food we wanted, and the mentality and ideal of the person cooking. Our only regret was not meeting with Linda Laestadius of Grounded Catering earlier! Due to distance/schedules our relationship with Linda was primarily on the phone, it was always very clear she knew what she was doing, and was willing to work with a couple figuring out everything on their own, and all our questions. We didn't have the most ideal budget, but we knew it was important for us to support a small business, and one that had likeminded beliefs: sustainability, seasonal ingredients, support to local farmers, simple but delicious feel-good real food and recipes. When we did finally make it up to meet her a week before the wedding, we knew we had made the best decision, she was the perfect match for us! We didn't just meet our caterer, we had met a new friend, a soulful, down to earth, enthusiastic, motivated, honest, hard working, passionate human being, who truly cares about what she does. Our conversation about food, people, life, was to us what the whole experience, the wedding, was really about. We felt honored to have her be a part of it, and relieved to have someone we felt aligned with, to trust with such an important part of the ceremony. With all that she is also serious when it comes down to business and manages to get it all done with only a small intimate team, and keeps everything local. She is truly an amazing, integral part of her community, a value they are lucky to have! Not only was her food delicious, it was plated beautifully, artfully, we even had her do a simple cake for us at the last minute. All around we are so happy to have met Linda, and to support Grounded, and can only hope her the best success with future endeavors, and that her business thrives and continues to grow!

When my husband and I were looking for caterers for our wedding, we found Grounded on-line and figured we'd check them out. We knew Grounded was a little on the higher end than what was in our budget and the food we were thinking of serving at our wedding. Once we met Linda and tasted the food, we knew we had to have Grounded. Originally we were thinking backyard bar-be-que, but quickly changed our minds once we did the tasting. My husband, who doesn't usually like Salmon - said, "this is the best salmon ever!" This is what cemented Grounded for us. Linda worked with us to make sure we had what we wanted and made it affordable for us. As the wedding approached Linda made herself available and meet our needs and questions. Our guests are still raving about the food. Because Grounded is so good, they are busy - make sure to communicate clearly your needs for communication schedules. Because I had a day-of coordinator, I was unaware of any mishaps. Which is my mind, means there was none. If you are doing a backyard wedding and need to bring in your own rentals (from tent to chairs to silverware, we had our wedding at a friend’s estate) take Linda’s recommendation to use clear plastic cups. Since we were serving wine and beer, we ended up never using the majority of beer/water glasses we ordered because our guests used their plastic cups all night. If you are looking for a caterer you can trust and guide you, Grounded is the right choice.

My husband and I booked Grounded NY for our August 2018 wedding after an absolutely delicious tasting. We did not opt to hire a wedding planner/coordinator, so I had the opportunity to work closely with Linda not only on food, but also figuring out rentals leading up to the big day. Linda was incredibly helpful during the planning stages as we crafted a menu and other minute details that were perfectly suited for us. The Grounded team was incredibly professional during our cocktail hour and reception and would frequently check in with us to make sure that my husband and I were also able to enjoy the food! Our guests absolutely loved the food and the apple cider doughnuts we had for dessert were a hit! We highly recommend hiring Grounded NY for your catering needs.

Linda and the people of Grounded worked so well in creating the cake of our dreams! She was very responsive to our design and was thrilled to create our Fall Dream Wedding Cake! She was able to take our design/flavor choices and work with us to creat the best wedding cake! My husband and I were so happy that we chose Linda; she is the BEST!

Working with Linda was no less than a dream! Her food was spectacular and she is a lovely person inside and out! Our guests are still raving about the food months later and saying it’s the best they’ve had at a wedding. Not only was the food delicious, but the presentation as well. She is the way to go if you’re looking for a fresh, farm to table wedding! We are so glad we got to work with Linda and her crew. Thanks you guys!

Linda catered my son’s rehearsal dinner and the food was fabulous. She was wonderful to work with; she helped to make choices that worked well and accomodated our requests. I highly recommend Linda and Grounded.

Linda was such a pleasure to work with. We had such a wonderful experience getting to know Linda and having Grounded be a part of our big day. Everything from the appetizers, entrees, desserts, and cake exceeded our expectations! Highly recommend!

My taste buds were first introduced to Linda and Grounded at my friend, Emily’s, Catskill wedding in 2015. From the delicious pulled pork rehearsal dinner meal to the heavenly fresh rosemary focaccia bread, prosciutto, mozzarella sandwiches at the picnic lunch before the wedding (of which I stole extras and kept them in my bungalow) I couldn’t help but think “Man this is so delicious”! Then later in the evening it was time for wedding cake… which for me is usually a big yawn for they are often terrible! But not this one! Almond cake with macerated raspberries and Italian buttercream. It was light, refreshing and again DELICIOUS! So I knew when my big day came I needed to have my cake from Grounded. I was getting married in NYC where every vender is at your fingertips, but was certain it was worth it to travel to Kingston to get a Grounded cake. My fiancé thought I was nuts, but that quickly changed after our tasting. Linda greeted us in her shop that was only opened for us. The tasting should have taken an hour but we ended up bonding with Linda, chatted and ate for over 2 hours! We left feeling like a member of the family would be creating our cake. It was really hard deciding what to choose. We shared our menu with Linda and she help guide us to pick a cake that would compliment the rest of the meal that our guest were enjoying. When asked if we wanted extra cake to freeze and save for our 1st anniversary, my fiancé and I decided to make a tradition and travel to Kingston and try a new cake each year! Our big day finally arrived and guests raved about how good the cake was. We will probably have the pumpkin spice cake, buttercream filling, with cheesecake frosting that we had at our wedding for our first anniversary…but man I am looking forward to the sweet treat that awaits us for the remaining years! Maybe chocolate, peanut butter with fresh raspberry for year 2?

Initially, I was excited to work with Linda at Grounded for our wedding cake, after reading such wonderful reviews about her cakes and desserts. We used Main Course in New Paltz for the catering, and they offer nice cakes and desserts, but we decided to go with Grounded for our cake to support another local vendor. In retrospect, based on the spotty communication, relatively high cost, and overall quality, we should have used Main Course for the cake as well. In the weeks leading up to our wedding, I emailed Linda several times to ask questions or confirm the design and flavor of our cake. However, I felt the need to follow up on these emails because I didn't receive timely responses. It became frustrating, especially during the final days before the wedding. As an example, the day before our wedding we still hadn't heard from Linda about whether she could deliver the cake to our venue in Rhinebeck (her shop is 10 miles away) or if she approved of the cake stand we planned to use. In the end, we paid $500 for 2 pies and a small cake (serving ~50 people) + a delivery fee of $175, and a tasting fee of $100. The cake tasted fine, but not outstanding as we expected from prior reviews, and we didn’t receive compliments from our guests.