Main Event Caterers

and dietary restrictions like a seasoned-pro. She made sure our day went smoothly at every turn before it even began. On the day of the wedding, Irina was assigned to take care of us, and we couldn’t have asked for a more attentive, warm, and lovely person to keep us watered and well-fed. We found ourselves smiling every time we saw her throughout the evening! Main Event knew our venue intimately, having supported dozens, or perhaps hundreds of weddings there in the past. They were experienced and prepared. And, perhaps most importantly, the food was delicious! Our guests especially enjoyed the speciality cocktails that Main Event designed. We would recommend them to anyone getting married in the DMV.

e institute, the catering experience fell far short of our guests expectations. The most significant issue was the lack of involvement and intentionally misleading positioning from the catering company's owners. Most disturbingly, we were led to believe that Main Event was a female owned company. A member of their sales team explained to us that the company intentionally promotes themselves as such, knowing it's false. Additionally, several changes were made to the menu and setup without proper communication or consideration for our preferences. It is unfortunate that such a prestigious event was marred by such a disappointing catering experience. I would strongly advise others to avoid Main Event at all costs.

ing. Staff was rude. I was embarrassed that my guests left disappointed.

uality of their rentals was high and there were many options to choose from. They were accommodating and respectful with our venue, which had numerous restrictions due to its historic nature. They were easy to work with, reliable, and punctual. Their tasting experience gave us a great impression that signaled the quality of their end product/service.

akes this review to heart because I remember how hard it was to know whether to trust the reviews or not. If you want the best food for your wedding then main event is 100% who to go with. We were blown away at the tasting but thought the food the day of would surely not be as good as the tasting meal for 2 once made for 120 people. Nope, the food made for our wedding for all these people was just as good as the day of the tasting, and every person who went is still raving about it. They were absolutely lovely through the whole planning process as well. We are so thankful we went with Main Event!

tire staff was so organized and friendly, ensuring there were plenty of hors d'oeuvres going around at cocktail hour and everyone's glasses were never empty during dinner. We also appreciated some of the logistical things that Main Event helped us with, from last-minute adds to the guest count to the room flip between the ceremony and dinner. A+ service across the board!

so many complements in the food. The day of staff was also amazing! We loved that they assigned a butler to us day of to take care of our needs. She followed us throughout the day, making sure we had drinks and stayed warm. The one complaint we have is our event designed. The first designer we had, Ali, was exceptional and a large reason we selected main events. However, a month out we were reassigned to Hasnaa. Hasnaa attended our walk through but seemingly did not pay attention as evidenced by the floor plans we received that did not remotely resemble what was discussed (thought we wanted the ceremony among ongoing construction). This lend to a protracted discussion which resulted in us not having a rain plan until less than one week before the wedding. She added so much unnecessary stress at the end. Overall, we highly recommend main events, but caution anyone to ensure their event designer is on the same page.

responsive and helpful, and we felt very assured that she was coordinating with us and on-site on our wedding day! The food and service were excellent. We got compliments all night about everything from the appetizers to the wine. Melissa was determined to ensure we got to eat at our wedding, and boy, did she deliver. We had a server assigned to us, who brought us a tray of champagne, wine and water as well as a selection of appetizers immediately after our ceremony. She checked in with us throughout the night, bringing us new trays of food and drinks. I probably would have left hungry if it wasn't for her! We were so thrilled with how everything turned out, from the actual coordination through to the presentation and service. We will definitely work with Main Event in the future!

d design. The tasting was so much fun and we knew we had chosen the right caterers - everything we tasted was delicious! They also have so many unique fun options to add - we chose an ice cream parlor which our guests loved in the summer heat. The service was also impeccable - the food came out quick and warm and wine and water glasses were always full. The special attention they gave to us as the bride and groom was also amazing - they made sure we got to try all the food we chose, and we were never lacking whatever drink we wanted! We are so thankful to Ali and everyone at Main Event Catering and would recommend them to anyone looking for amazing food and service!!

to our wedding planning without a lot of thought besides wanting "good food and alcohol" for ourselves and our guests' enjoyment. Main Event made it easy! They were responsive when asking for quotes and seeing options for menu items, were pointed in asking questions during our tasting so we could narrow down what we wanted, and were super helpful with rental equipment. Ali was always responsive and helped us to decide on our overall look for our table and dining details. They were flexible and responsive with our options and last minute changes, allowing us to be stress free on our wedding day! During our wedding, Ali, June, and the entire Main Event team catered to our guests with excellent food, drinks, and customer service. Every portion of the meal was outstanding, many guests commenting on both the food and drinks. Ali, June, and the Main Event team were kind and thoughtful throughout our entire wedding and we were truly able to celebrate and enjoy with our guests. We are so grateful to have had Main Event as our team to make our wedding perfect for all!

y made the whole process so easy. The food, drinks, and our donut wall for dessert was perfection. I can't tell you how many of our guests said it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding. They were also super accommodating and made delicious mocktails that could be easily mixed with alcohol for non-drinkers and drinkers alike. They also served my husband and I smaller portions of all of our meal options since the food was so delicious we couldn't decide on just one! The day of staff was wonderful and professional. One of the biggest reasons we hired them was because they assigned my husband and I our own caterer to make sure we were personally taken care of and had a chance to eat and drink! I love Main Event and 10/10 recommend them!

e and knew the ins and outs of how to pull off the perfect reception there. From our menu selections, to our tasting, they made us feel so comfortable and made the process of preparing for our reception so easy and actually fun! They helped us arrange equipment rentals and their linens and flatware looked beautiful in our space. They were so helpful and flexible as we finalized the number of guests, menu selection, and adding additional items later in the process like a small cake for cutting and colored linens. We were pleasantly surprised that our rentals included nice touches like gold-rimmed dishes and flameless votive candles for the tables, which helped us save on costs and make everything look classy. We were especially happy with the service their team pulled off. The bartenders were great and fast, the wait staff was kind and attentive, and the food was amazing! They even dedicated one specific staff member just to us, so we actually ate our appetizers and dinner!! We highly recommend Main Event, they did an amazing job!

y by the food, drinks, and especially the service. Cannot recommend MEC more highly!

in meals equally. Throughout the entire process the staff went above and beyond. Melissa and the chef were extremely responsive and patient as we worked through multiple iterations of our menu. The tasting was one of our favorite experiences of the planning process (make sure you come hungry!) We are foodie vegetarians, and the staff really worked with us to make all of our wedding dreams a reality, as the food was one of the most important details to us. The level of customer service was at the same par as the food. I cannot speak more highly of Melissa and Greg. Greg ensured that we were taken care of throughout the whole wedding, even down to ensuring that we both drank enough water and had time to eat. You cannot go wrong with Main Event, and I can guarantee you will be blown away.

e rentals added so much to the design of the event. Melissa and Daniella were responsive and went the extra mile to make all of our wedding dreams come true. They walked us through the whole process from helping us develop a menu, to a date and venue change, a great tasting experience, and flawless execution on the day of. While the food was amazing, it's truly the whole staff at Main Event that made the event so perfect. We were taken care of throughout the whole wedding with such friendliness and attention to us and our families. We know picking a caterer is such an important decision but you can't go wrong with Main Event!

d us for our tasting, and we truly enjoyed everything we tried. I particularly loved that they partner with another vendor for any upgraded rentals you might like – we got gorgeous linens, table settings, and even furniture while keeping Ali as our main point of contact. That was so helpful and convenient for me since I was planning the wedding myself! On the day of, they were ready on time and the servers were very attentive to our guests. The food was delicious and looked so beautiful. They kept our guests happy, and everything went off without a hitch. Thank you Main Event!

at. Main Event sure made that happen. We always had food waiting just for us. I really appreciated that type of care. Melissa and Greg were absolutely amazing.

ry about my allergies during my wedding. Melissa helped create our menu and was very responsive. We went through several changes due to covid and she was patient and helpful through all of them. The day of went off without a hitch! The food was delicious and they dedicated a server for my husband and I to make sure we ate some food. We have used them at several events and all have gone smoothly and had tasty food. Will use them again!!

la Aroujo was our event's team lead from this past weekend's event in Old Town Alexandria and we could not have been more pleased with the outcome of our experience. She was prompt with communication leading up until the big day and went above and beyond to ensure the success of our couple's day when we were faced with an emergent flooding scenario in the city. The team's servers and bartenders always come dressed professionally and are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure our couples have the event of their dreams. The food is delicious and the presentation is stunning. We would recommend this team to any of our couples and look forward to our next opportunity to work together.

ail was impeccable. Every guest we came in contact with could not stop raving about the food! This team is top of the line!

the area. These organically guided us to a potential theme for our menu. Then came our tasting, where Main Event pulled out all the stops. Our private tasting with the chef was incredible and we fell in love with the customized menu, elevated presentation, and top-notch service. Melissa nailed bringing to life the “Under the Tuscan Sun” ideas we had chatted about on the phone to life (think Aperol Spritz’s, Panzanella salad, Branzino, Chicken Picatta, and more). We opted with a Seafood forward cocktail hour -- don’t skip the mini lobster rolls -- our guests still talk about them!! Truly exceptional on all fronts from the food quality, service, and overall logistics.

e we were heard and taken care of during all of the decision making. The menu selections and the ability of M.E. to also bake our cake was tops, and that’s not to mention the food itself was to die for and raved about by plenty of guests. If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line caterer to give you the ideal banquet, Main Event is the way to go.

staff (from planning to serving) was exceptional. I threw so many last minute loops (thanks Covid) at Main Event and they accommodated every single one of them; two week notice to add a dessert bar to wedding reception AND my rehearsal dinner. When it came to the planning, I worked with Megan, who was such a gem! She helped and recommended so many different options for food, tables, menus etc. Knowing she was helping to run the show made me feel so confident in the company's abilities. I ended up using Main Event for my rehearsal dinner hosted at my venue, using stationary apps and a cookie bar. I requested "heavy" apps and basically got a full meal; the apps were enough to fill all of my guests (about 40). The food at my reception was incredible and everyone (even children) were so pleased with it. But the best part was the dessert bar, my guests loved having all the different options and the opportunity to grab what they wanted and when they wanted.

ded everything for us. On the day of our wedding, we had no concerns about the day going smoothly. The food was unbelievable - everyone told us it was the best wedding meal they had ever had! The service was also impeccable - there was never a line at the bar and we even had our own attendant (Greg) who made us feel so special and taken care of the whole night.

beautiful and delicious food options I’ve ever tasted! Such a first class experience! With such a wonderful tasting experience, we knew Main Event was the best choice for our wedding! The Main Event team ensured the food was perfect, drinks were always filled and no one needed anything. They took their jobs so seriously and made a personal connection with our guests, which meant the world to us! Thank you for the perfect day!

the other caterers we tried. We had 4 passed appetizers. 2 of which turned out fine, 1 I didn't try and 1, the French toast sticks with maple syrup shooter was served room temperature with a drop of syrup rather than the half shot or so given at the tasting. The texture was also a little off but that may have been the same at the tasting, just masked by the extra maple syrup. The eggs Benedict with beef tenderloin entree was served cold and the meat was grey. This is the entree I ordered and I was the first one served and no one we've asked got theirs warm. The cheese blintz, also cold, wasn't good but wasn't awful. The crab cake tastes good, but at least one person got shell in theirs. They stopped filling drinks during the meal, despite me being assured two weeks prior to the event that we had enough people on staff that I didn't have to worry about people's drinks running low. During the final meeting before the event it took ten minutes for me to convince them to add an a second bar tender, and the only catering related positive people had to say about our wedding was that they didn't have to wait in line at the bar. We ordered three flavors of donuts and only got two of the kinds we picked and a random third. We paid extra to have a bloody Mary bar with an assortment of add ons. But the bar tenders were pre making them all with bacon. When a kosher guest asked to have one without the bacon they offered to remove it but wouldn't make him a new one. They acted surprised when I asked about getting back the left over alcohol we provided. They packed it all up for us, but I don't know what would have happened if I wasn't standing next to the bar right when they started packing up. They "lost" the photographers meal, which we had specifically ordered for her, and she had to wait 20 minutes for them to "find" it. Currently we have been in a back and forth with the company for over a week while they try and figure out what went wrong. They first tried to blame us for the cold food because we started doing toast while the first course was out, but they were never told not to serve during the toasts and they wouldn't have been able to serve entrees while the first course was being eaten anyway. Even if they were waiting for us, it's a catered event, all the food is made before the wedding not right before it's served and is supposed to be packed in a way that keeps it at the right temperature until it's served. Food was our main priority for our wedding so we went with the more expensive caterer, but Main Event was not worth what we paid.

th different aspects of the wedding.

lped us realize our vision for a seasonal holiday wedding, complete with food that our guests RAVED about. One of our VIP guests emailed us after the wedding with this to say about the food: "Our dinner was amazing. Loved the salad and licked my plate to get every grit and crab cake...and the beef melted in my mouth! We had so much fun at our table and enjoyed every morsel!!!" Also wanted to give a shout-out to the superb chefs, servers, and bartenders, especially our butler who took such GOOD care of me and my husband during our wedding, making sure we had enough to eat and drink despite the whirwind of activity. From setup to breakdown, everything went SO smoothly. I can't recommend Main Event enough. You will not regret it!

re fed and had drinks it was perfect!! We did heavy hors d’oeuvres for dinner and people were going back for seconds!!

p of that, they had the best menu options with the most staff on-hand for over $1,000 less than our second choice. We totally customized our appetizers, and after we picked out dinner choices from their menu, the chefs customized everything again, down to the amount of poblano crust on the salmon. My only tips would be that, if you are providing your own alcohol or dessert, to discuss plans ahead of time for recovering leftover booze at the end of the night, as well as displaying desserts.

suring we had the best catering experience possible. They worked with us through all of the details of their food and drink offerings and provided a delicious tasting for us. They also had various check in meetings with us prior to our wedding to ensure things were on track and they were constantly updating our wedding catering plan to ensure it contained the most accurate and update information so there would be no surprises from a cost perspective. During our wedding, the staff was nothing short of amazing. Approximately 20 individuals were present to serve food and alcohol to our guests and one gentleman in particular made sure all of our requests were tended to personally. Immediately following our wedding ceremony, this individual helped escort us to a private area for a few minutes so we good catch a moment with each other as bride and groom. As we had our private moment, we were presented with a tray of hour dorves and our signature cockail drinks - ensuring we didnt miss anything from our cocktail reception. During the reception, the same individual constantly checked on us to ensure we had our needs tended to and made sure we had our dinners delivered ahead of everyone else to allow us additional time to tend to our guests and other scheduled events. The entire staff was high professional and a joy to work with. We highly recommend them to anyone looking for catering services!

use in DC and Main Event was one of the recommended caterers so we contacted them almost right away. (They had also done my sister-in-law's wedding a few years ago). They have endless food options and we had such a hard time figuring out what we wanted to taste. For our tasting we selected a salad, 5 appetizers and three different entrees and then had to narrow it down to 3 appetizers that would be served at the wedding. ALL the appetizers we tasted were amazing and we had no idea how to select just three, but Michelle and Melissa gave us great advice on how to have a variety for our guests. A few weeks before the wedding we last minute decided we wanted to get a cake as well and they immediately jumped on our request and we went back for a cake tasting of three different options that we had selected/ flavor combinations that we were able to come up with on our own. They even sent us home with the leftovers which are still in our freezer! They also did our linens and rentals (napkins, table clothes, tables, chairs, etc. - basically everything!). We had options on all of this which was a little overwhelming but again we were assisted by Michelle and Melissa during the whole process. They also attended our walk-through and had so many great ideas/ options to ensure that everything worked out perfectly. We also unfortunately had a few last minute regrets and Main Event made sure to remove the chairs and place settings from the tables those people were assigned to. For the actual day of the event the service was fantastic. We ended up choosing short rib and salmon for out meat options for our guests and everyone RAVED about them. They were so attentive to not only us, but our guests as well. All of the food came out at once and wasn't any different from when we tasted it originally! The bartenders were speedy and it never seemed like there was a line. Everyone always says they don't eat during their own wedding, but we had a dedicated server that literally followed my husband and I around. At one point I went upstairs to get my dress bustled and our personal server came up the elevator about a minute after me with a plate of appetizers and a glass of wine. It was incredible.

ur catering, we got extremely positive feedback, which we knew was a good sign before we even personally worked with them! Courtney was super helpful in assisting us on menu options and selections and overall design of our catering. While we continued to make some changes and reach out with questions leading up to our wedding, she was always super responsive and helpful with getting back to us. As we got closer to our wedding day, Liz, our Event Manager, was extremely communicative and made sure we knew exactly what information needed to be provided and when. We ended up also having to make some last minute adjustments, but that was not an issue at all. On our wedding day, all of the food was delicious, as we expected, but the service was even better than we expected. First course was plated beautifully for guests prior to their entrance into the reception and when it came to entrees, we had multiple guests tell us how nicely the entrees were served by the personnel (a full table all at once). Greg, our supervisor for the day, went above and beyond to make sure we were both taken care of and not once were we empty handed looking for a drink the entire night. He even came to find us in the crowd of wedding guests on the dance floor to offer glasses of water. All in all, the food was delicious, the service was impeccable, and we'd highly recommend Main Event to anyone looking for a caterer that will exceed your expectations!

really appreciate all the hard work you invested in our special day and the wonderful care you showed our guests. Thank you Michelle Gutstein for walking with us through this very important event, guiding us with your expertise from day one and ensuring our event was a huge success. We had heard from others about the stresses of planning a wedding, but you and Main Event Caterers made it fun and stress-free. We were so happy with our daughter’s wedding and just as happy to give Main Events Caterers our highest recommendation!

uld assure us great service! It was amazing, the food was SOO GOOD!!! And people care about food, don’t let someone tell you they don’t, because they do! They were flexible and easy to work with via email. I would definitely use them again!

ns throughout the process and worked with us every step of the way. Their staff is very friendly and most importantly, their food is amazing. As we walked around meeting guests, I saw that their plates were wiped clean! We worked with Liz Arline and she was really great and on top of everything. Everything was flawless!

lle at Main Event Caterers. My husband and I worked with Michelle and Melissa throughout the process, and they were both fabulous. Our vision was for a cocktail style reception, so we wanted the food to be playful and different from your typical fish, chicken, or beef menu. Main Event Caterers blew us away by what they could do for our wedding – every dish is expertly crafted. Michelle was wonderful in pulling together our menu and scheduling a tasting. We selected more of a Mediterranean-style menu that could accommodate any dietary restriction (vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, nut free). Michelle was very professional and patient as we went back and forth a few times changing the menu. Later in the process I worked with Melissa to select our linens and draft our floor plan for the wedding. Melissa listened to what we wanted and provided some great ideas/alternatives that would make wedding flow seamlessly. On the day of Michelle was our lead coordinator and she made sure my husband and I had food or drinks at any time. We had one or two guests drop drinks and within seconds staff were cleaning up the glass. If you work with Michelle or Melissa, trust their expertise - they have impeccable taste. Main Event Caterers staff is so talented and service oriented, they will make your wedding or event exceed expectations!

anners recommendation. We did the tasting and everything was made perfectly and well done with some critiques for the day itself. They quoted us for 150 person wedding and ended up have 109 total. The cost went up by 5k after the initial quote for 150 was dropped to 109 and they couldn't give me a valid reason why except they needed more staff to move furniture at the venue. The salad we chose was incorrect on the wedding day. The cost was dramatically more than was quoted upfront. The final straw was after the wedding and paying them over 20k to feed 109 people food that was incorrect to what we chose originally they send me a request to pay $33.72 6 weeks after the wedding. I would of never written this review until they were petty with the small extra amount they want due. Again no reason outside of saying we increased headcount, yet we had 3 less people than 109 at the actual wedding due to a few last minute cancellations.

ted their fast response times. The food itself was amazing and our guests loved it. We are so happy we went with them and highly recommenced them.

ur guests raved about the personal touch of the waiters who went above and beyond doing many things, like entertain kids, so their parents could eat. We actually ATE both dinner and hor d'ourves and DRANK. The waiter following us around during happy hour was fantastic. From other weddings stories, most of our married friends mentioned ordering pizza on the way to the honeymoon suite, but we felt well taken care of.

s. To me, that's a sign of a true professional: someone who cares that every single dish is delicious, every time. It didn't matter if it was vegetarian or a salad or an appetizer, all were fabulous. We love to cook, and we were proud to have Main Event's food at our reception. One of our favorite dishes was their orzo salad: it had fresh herbs, the orzo was cooked perfectly, it was balanced with some acidity from lemon... So good. We had a few suggestions for dishes that were sentimental to us, and they were more than happy to accommodate us. Our event also involved some complicated logistics: we were untented outdoors, and the ceremony space had to be flipped into dinner during cocktail hour. It went without a hitch. We also had a rain plan sketched out that involved moving indoors, just in case. I'm confident it would've been done right if that were necessary. Elyse, Cailyn, the chefs, and the service team were true pros! The highest praise we can give is that we didn't worry about the food - we just figured it was going to be amazing and it all just happened. Main Event was a valued member of our team, and I would recommend them without reservation to anyone.

ward and held nothing back in ensuring our wedding was as memorable and stress free as could be. Throughout the planning process, Main Event was responsive and detailed in response to all of our questions and ideas. We felt that Main Event could put nearly any idea we had in mind for food or rentals into action - and they did, especially with the donut wall we wanted for dessert! Main Event was extremely accommodating with dietary restrictions, and coordinated a beautiful tasting to help us decide our menu. At the event itself, Main Event was very receptive to ideas or last minute changes as we adjusted for weather. The Main Event Staff worked tirelessly outside in the pouring rain to ensure that our wedding was a memorable and enjoyable evening. Every server and staff member was pleasant and kind - some of the children in attendance made fast friends with one server in particular, who kept running in and out of the pouring rain to make them laugh! Liz and Michelle were both professional and more than we could have hoped for.

uet entee of shrimp and grits and bourbon glazed chicken and it was so yummy, my personal favorite being the shrimp and grits. The servers and staff are all very nice and helpful. They will ensure you receive drinks and appetizers while taking pictures and right after the ceremony! Thank you so much Main Event!

s so I could get an idea of cost. The tasting was phenomenal. It's in the cutest private dining area and makes you feel like a VIP. We had a brunch reception and loved the fact that all the flavors were seasonal. The chicken and waffles, mac and cheese, and gingerbread pancakes were instant favorites. On the day of, we were treated like royalty. We had our own private server to make sure we didn't want for anything. All of the food was delicious. We were given leftovers to take home and have been enjoying those as well. The only negative thing I'd have to say is that the Eggs Benedict, while delicious, was not runny. Bennies gotta run. But that has to be hard to accomplish, so no stars deducted for that.