Our rehearsal dinner was catered in our church hall immediately following rehearsal. Hess’s gives you a lot of yummy home-style food options for a really good price. We chose their hot buffet with traditional favorites like baked chicken, filli...ng, roast beef, ect. It also came with a tossed salad, rolls, accompaniments and all tableware. We added on their hot and cold drink option (coffee, soda, water) as well as dessert selections. You also have the choice of having them serve you the entire meal (full gratuity) or they can set up and drop off (partial gratuity). We opted for the set up/drop off since we were trying to keep this casual and allow everyone to take their time and mingle. Hess’s staff arrived promptly and we showed them to the kitchen facility and they took it from there. The food smelled wonderful as we did our rehearsal upstairs!!
I gave them 4 stars only for this fact – having to return serving items the following day – the day of the wedding. When I initially spoke to the catering manager and she explained the process of the set up/drop off, she told me that all food was packaged in disposable pans and came with disposable serving ware. What she failed to tell me was that in doing the drink option they would be bringing coffee in the large stainless pots, and obviously would need them back. When they arrived to set up the food they requested that the drink containers would be returned promptly the next day. It would have been easier to have paid the full gratuity and made them serve us, clean up after themselves, and take their items home. My Dad was the only one who could sneak away the morning of the wedding and make the 45 minute drive to take them back. They also forgot to bring bottled water.