Purple Onion Catering Co.

We Create Memorable Events

DMV area, Northern Virginia, DC nearby suburbs.

Service area

Paige Carney

OWNER

Typically responds within 24h

AWARD WINNER (9X)

Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot

The Purple Onion Catering Co. that we know and love today has grown dramatically over the last year as we welcomed a new Owner, Paige Carney in August of 2022, after a 30+ year history of catering memorable events in the DC area. Continuing on as a proud woman-owned company, Purple Onion Catering Co. focuses on elevating our events with a modernized design in our food and equipment while serving as a sustainable and Green-Certified Company since June 2022. In addition to being featured in Washingtonian Weddings and Virginia Living publications, Purple Onion Catering Co. is recognized in the industry as a leading vendor reflected through numerous awards including The Washingtonian’s Best Wedding Vendor, The Knot’s Best of Weddings, and Wedding Wire’s Couple’s Choice Awards for over two decades. With a strong foundation to build off of, Purple Onion Catering’s future is glowing bright, rejuvenated, and in-demand. Join us as we take you on this “event-urous” journey!

Woman-owned Business

+35 years in business

Speaks English, French, Spanish

150 team members

Pricing details

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Details

Cuisine

American

Dietary Options

Vegetarian

Food & Catering

Buffet

Catering Delivery & Setup

Chef Stations

Family Style

Menu Tastings

Passed Appetizers

Seated Meal

Servers

Awards and Affiliations

Any questions?

Meet the team

Paige Carney

Owner

Paige joined Purple Onion Catering in 2013 as an Event Producer and quickly grew into roles as a Sales Representative and Event Designer. Her passion for hospitality and dedication to creating unforgettable experiences led her to become General Manager, where she spent two years refining operations and fostering team growth. In 2022, Paige proudly became the Owner of Purple Onion Catering, carrying forward the company’s commitment to excellence while embracing the core values of Kindness, Care, and Elevate. She believes in cultivating meaningful relationships, delivering exceptional events, and ensuring every client’s vision comes to life with warmth and creativity. When asked, “What do you do for a living?” she simply smiles and says, “It’s easy—I get to make dreams come true every day.”

Availability

4.8

out of 5.0

99 reviews

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Review Summary

This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.

Purple Onion Catering Company receives glowing reviews for their exceptional service, delicious food, and attention to detail for weddings. The staff, including Phoebe, Cassie, Paige, and Margaret, are highly praised for their professionalism and responsiveness. Reviewers highlight the accommodating nature of the team, from customizing menus to handling rental arrangements seamlessly through Select Events. Guests rave about the quality and presentation of the food, with specific mention of standout dishes like Mac and Cheese bar and farm-to-table freshness. Purple Onion caters to various needs, such as dietary restrictions and personalized requests, and provides a top-notch experience that exceeds expectations, making them a highly recommended choice for wedding catering needs.

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Alexandra F

Highlighted review

12/03/2024

We hired Purple Onion Catering Company for our September 2024 intimate wedding held at Hope Flower Farm. From my initial conversation with Phoebe, I was immediately impressed with her knowledge, attention to detail and her professionalism. We explored quite a few catering companies and Purple Onion is definitely the best value and the best quality! We communicated with Phoebe throughout the planning process and also met with her at our tasting (which was absolutely phenomenal by the way!). Phoebe also handled all rentals with Select Event Co. We were absolutely thrilled with our experience from initial inquiry to wedding day and could not have asked for anything more! The quality and service on the wedding day was top notch and we are so glad we hired Purple Onion! We highly recommend their company for your catering needs!

Amanda S

4/14/2025

Hands down, this was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. So often I have been to weddings where the food was not good- overcooked, soggy, not impressive for the money spent. Not so with Purple Onion. They delivered on everything! They cooked things the way we requested, including cooking the sliders medium well at my request, and taking cranberries out of one of the dishes. They could have been offended by the requests as some chefs are, but instead they were accommodating and just wanted everything to be the way that we wanted it. The tasting was one of the most fun parts of the wedding planning process! We were welcomed with the drinks of our choice, and the food was so good! They really made us feel special. The linens and settings appointment was fun too - they had place settings that allowed us to customize to our theme and colors with a starry night blue and bronze/gold theme. It turned out so beautiful! They were very helpful in helping us customize our place settings, napkin presentations, and more! The food was amazing on our wedding day. They cut the cake for us, and placed a dessert that we had made (my grandma's recipe) out for us. At the wedding they were very attentive to me and my new husband, getting us drinks, etc. They were great for working with us to make a wonderful menu, complete with mocktails (my husband doesn't drink), apple pie water at the reception site, amazing entrees, entrees for the vendors, a hot apple cider station, and a late night snack. We were also allowed to bring our own alcohol which saved us tons of money. Everyone raved about the food and said it was delicious. The biggest thing that I'm sad about is that we live in Maryland and I wish so much that we had an occasion to use them again! I highly recommend the coordinator Margaret that we worked with, she was so good! You can tell she has tons of experience. They also helped us order the extras we needed for other things, such as the covered DJ setup that the DJ had requested for the outside ceremony site, they set up the chairs for us outside, and they setup inside as well. The price was extremely reasonable for all that they provided.

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Maddy G

2/22/2025

We found Purple Onion because it was on the approved vendor list for our venue. We talked to several caterers and decided to do a tasting with Purple Onion first. The tasting was excellent! We got to try so many options that we couldn't finish them and took our leftovers to go. Cassie was wonderful to work with and she and her team were really flexible as we made changes along the way, even subbing in guests a few days before the wedding. They allowed us to use a family recipe for one of the appetizers and provided pre-ceremony drinks (infused water and hot cider) at no extra fee. They managed dietary restrictions without issue, as well. Purple Onion also handled all the rentals through Select Events. It was nice to have one stop shopping for tables, chairs, linens, cutlery, etc. We went to a showroom to pick out our place settings and it was easy to make changes to our order. All of our rentals were included on the food invoice, making it easy to track our expenses. We highly recommend Purple Onion!

Kyra M

11/12/2024

We worked with Phoebe and Purple Onion Catering for our wedding, and could not have asked for a better experience! Leading up to our wedding, the experience at our tasting was delicious and fun, they had amazing attention to detail when it came to the nitty gritty things like rental details, and they were helpful and responsive whenever we had questions. Most importantly, the food, drinks, and service on our wedding day were incredible and completely seamless! I could not recommend the Purple Onion Catering team enough!

Patrick B

6/30/2024

Purple Onion catered our summer wedding (2024) in Washington, D.C. We were very impressed with their professionalism and with the quality of the food they served. Ellie at P.O. was a huge help in guiding us through the planning process. From the linen/furniture rentals to the food, everything was fantastic. They were easy to work with, and open to our requests (for example, adding signature drinks, doing a dessert bar, etc.). I would highly recommend hiring Purple Onion for your wedding caterer.

Pam P

6/25/2024

The food was amazing, the price was affordable and presentation far exceeded our expectations!! Our guests raved about the delicious food!! Not only was the food prepared beautifully, but so was our table setting. The entire night was magical and it was a privilege to work with Purple Onion Catering!!

Julie O

6/17/2024

We were so thrilled with our choice to work with our event designer Phoebe, Lindsey, and the rest of their team from Purple Onion to cater our May 2024 wedding in Leesburg. From proposal to tastings to finalizing the menu and executing day-of, they were very responsive, flexible, professional, and willing to tweak dishes to fit any requests or preferences. We didn’t want “just your average wedding food,” and Purple Onion delivered to be able to serve our guests just the right type of elevated, yet relatable and yummy, food we were looking for. I am still thinking and talking about the parmesan risotto we had as a side and my notorious favorite dessert, the raspberry cheesecake shooter. Beyond just food, Phoebe and her team helped execute our vision with a beautiful set up and rentals from Select Event Group. Phoebe worked extensively behind the scenes with our coordinator to navigate several possible scenarios due to inclement weather, and ensure that everything went off without a hitch to flip our indoor ceremony space to be reception-ready on our rainy wedding day. Booking our wedding catering with Purple Onion was a fantastic choice that we would make again!

Kate H

6/06/2024

Purple Onion Catering more than exceeded our expectations in terms of providing delicious food, drink, staffing and equipment that made our wedding especially tasty and beautiful. Our guests raved about the food and the catering/wait service during our reception, and the staff was friendly, attentive, and easy to work with. The food selections -- entrees, salads, passed hors d'oeuvres -- were top-notch and innovative with a farm-to-table freshness and thoughtfulness. Phoebe and her administrative staff expertly minded the details and made sure everything followed our timeline and budget. Our wedding more than exceeded our expectations, thanks in no small part to Purple Onion Catering!

Terra D

5/31/2024

Purple Onion was incredible! We are so happy we chose them for our wedding! We were confident in their food after our tasting, and after having our wedding, every single guest commented on how delicious the food was! Cassie and her team were incredible during what can already be a stressful planning process- they were easy to get a hold of, transparent and up front with all information, and very flexible with us when we made changes to our proposal throughout the process. Our day of coordinator also so impressed by their professionalism and thoughtfulness in checking in with after finishing up our wedding and having to head home late at night. 100000% recommend using them for your wedding or event!

Devin B

4/13/2024

Purple Onion provided great food and great service for our wedding! Everything we sampled at our tasting was delicious and it made it difficult to decide on our menu options. Purple Onion also had significant experience with the challenges of operating at our venue (limited prep time, non-standard spaces) and projected confidence that they could make the event happen successfully, which they did. They also made it easy to work with their preferred rental partner, Select Event Group, who had many options for seating and plating to match our design. We appreciated that they integrated rental and catering costs together, as it meant one less contract to manage. Our guests loved the food and the service provided by Purple Onion. We enjoyed their flexibility in customizing our event to fit our designs and budget by providing our own alcohol and Cookie Table dessert station.

Joelle J

4/04/2024

My husband and I are so glad we chose Purple Onion to cater our rehearsal brunch and wedding! The food was superb and Phoebe was a dream to work with. We look forward to having them cater for our events in the future; the quality of the product and the service is unmatched!

Alex K

10/31/2023

Purple Onion was phenomenal, from the moment we contacted them for a tasting through the day of the wedding. First of all, the tasting experience was very fun and helpful. Once we booked Purple Onion, they continued to be excellent, answering our every question and helping us achieve our vision. They also provide linen, plates and flatware through a contractor, streamlining the process. On the day of the wedding, they were so helpful and professional. They set up the centerpieces that we had created when moving the tables. My mom had baked pies for dessert, and they sliced and displayed the pies for us. Moreover, they made sure we had time to ourselves after the wedding, providing us with a special plate of all the hors d'ouevres. Huge thank you to Cassie, Tala, and the whole catering team. One more thing: the food is AMAZING. Best wedding food we've ever had!

Sarah D

10/24/2023

We had an exceptional experience working with Purple Onion to cater our wedding from beginning to end! My husband and I are vegetarian and we wanted our menu to be something that both we and our meat-eating family members would love. The menu they helped us put together exceeded all expectations! They were incredibly flexible and open to our feedback to make it exactly what we envisioned. Throughout the process, their team was always friendly and responsive when we wanted to tweak or swap something. We had so much fun at our tasting and on wedding day, every single staff member was conscientious and professional. They are well established in the catering space and it shows in their efficiency and care for presentation. The whole night we got compliments on the food including "I can't believe this is vegetarian, it's SO good!" and "We've been to 4 weddings this year and your food is the best by far!". What more could you hope for! The care that they put into our event from the pre-ceremony refreshing drinks to the gorgeous centerpieces they helped set up and of course to the insanely delicious food they made really took our event over the top. We couldn't recommend them more highly for your next catered event!

Laura G

10/04/2023

Purple Onion is one of the best caterers you can hire for your wedding. Event Designer Phoebe was very responsive and easy to work with, our plated dinner looked and tasted great and was served hot, and the menu options are diverse. The tasting was a lot of fun - we got to try at least 8 appetizers and 4 different main meal options. The reason for the 4 stars is that we were charged for two upgraded rental items when we were very careful to only choose one upgraded item at the rental appointment. They also selected a table and linen that didn't match my theme for my ceremony. Admittedly, our minds were blown by wedding planning by the time we got the final quote - I wish we had taken a more careful look and requested to see all rental items before signing off. They also didn't provide a box to take the leftover wedding cake home in. But overall good experience from a company that knows how to cater weddings.

James M

10/02/2023

Purple Onion provided incredible catering services for our wedding! From our first tasting with Purple Onion, we knew that Cassie, Elle, and the rest of the team at Purple Onion were perfect for us. The food was incredible, and the team was super friendly and helpful. With catering representing such a large part of the wedding budget we really appreciated how Purple Onion worked with us to create a menu and service that fit into our budget while creating a perfect experience for us and our guests. Their patience with us while we went back in forth on a number of options was exceptional. The service they provided at the wedding was very professional and the food was super tasty! Everyone raved about the hors d'oeuvres especially!

Julie R

6/19/2023

Purple Onion catered a wedding party for us at our home. They were amazing to work with Phoebe was great and understood exactly what we needed. Sandra and her crew were professional, friendly, helpful, and unobtrusive. All of the guests raved about the food which was plentiful and delicious!

Taylor L

5/15/2023

Margaret was great! She was very responsive and knowledgeable about our venue, Blue Valley Vineyard. The only issue was the staff during the reception. Requests from guests did not translate well. Specifically, I had to ask the person waiting on my husband and me four different times for something. She was having trouble understanding so I just did it myself. Guests enjoyed the food and the dessert bar.

Kelly W

1/30/2023

Purple onion did an amazing job for our wedding! When they prepared our proposal, it had so many delicious options to choose from! We chose to do a duo plated meal meaning our guests got both a chicken and beef option so they didn’t have to choose! Which made it super easy the day of the wedding since 95% of our guests chose that. When we did our tasting, everything tasted AMAZING! It was so hard to narrow it down. The food tasted just as amazing the day of our wedding! We had so many compliments about how delicious our food was. Someone told us they wanted to lick their plate it was so good haha. They also made our wedding cake, which we just wanted a simple cake for us to cut but that came out gorgeous! There service was superb! We had someone checking on us all night asking if we needed anything and getting us drinks, etc. definitely so happy we chose purple onion as our caterer!

Cindy H

11/08/2022

Purple Onion catered our daughter’s wedding and we could not be happier!! We worked with Paige and Delorvy and both were exceptional. All of our questions were answered quickly. Delorvy worked with us in selecting a menu which was fabulous and oversaw all aspects of the catering on the wedding day!! She even made sure the bride and groom got to taste all the appetizers! Our guests loved the food! The wedding was over 200 people so pretty incredible that dinners were all served hot and were delicious! We interviewed several catering companies and so happy we chose Purple Onion as they were exceptional to work with and every detail was perfect!!

Nikki L

9/29/2022

My husband and I used Purple Onion Catering for our wedding at Stone Tower Winery on 9/23/2022 and they did not disappoint! The Purple Onion staff was absolutely incredible and the food was out of this world! We had so many people coming up to us throughout the night telling us how amazing the food and service was! Purple Onion has some really wonderful people on their team and we are so grateful for each and every one of them! It was an absolute pleasure working with Paige and Delorvy throughout the wedding planning process. They made everything run smoothly and were so responsive to every question my husband and I had as they came up. They also made my Mac and Cheese bar dreams come true! I have always wanted was a Mac and Cheese bar during cocktail hour and they built a completely customizable one for me! My husband and I just couldn't be happier with how everything turned out and cannot thank Purple Onion enough!

Leslie Anne L

9/25/2022

We are so happy we went with Purple Onion! From start to finish they were easy to work with, reliable, quick responders to the many questions we had and very kind/ approachable employees! Our friends used them and after we heard their experience and tasted the food we knew we wanted to! They are super awesome to if you have to do rentals (tables, chairs, linens, fans, etc) they were fab! LESS IS BEST when planning and the least amount of people you have to deal with the better. All in all they were so amazing and if you are wanting to get great good and easy people to work with, they are your go to peeps!

Kathryn H

9/23/2022

Purple Onion was amazing to work with. They made sure we had everything we needed for the day of the wedding when it came to cocktail hour and the food service. They also were very thoughtful by making sure the bride and groom had food and were hydrated before, during, and after the wedding while trying to take pictures and greet guest. On top of that, the food was AMAZING! Enjoyed working with Cassie leading up to the wedding! Highly recommend this caterer.

Dianna S

9/22/2022

I have nothing by wonderful things to say about Purple Onion! Margaret was amazing throughout the whole planning process. My daughter's wedding day was a complete success with delicious food and impeccable service from beginning to end! I would 100% recommend this catering company to any and all engaged couples planning for their big day!

Jackie P

9/17/2022

Our experience with Purple Onion was fantastic! Margaret was very helpful and responsive throughout the planning process, and the service during the event was outstanding. Everyone told us we wouldn't have any time to eat during our reception, but they couldn't have been more wrong! The wait staff was incredibly attentive, asked us when we wanted our dinner served, and made sure we were able to eat our entrees with no problem.

Natalie M

9/09/2022

The communication with purple onion was really great and they were good about sending updated contracts as things changed and decisions were made. They were fine with us bringing our own alcohol and signature cocktails for them to serve. We did a Pittsburgh cookie table and they graciously plated and set up the cookie table display beautifully. They also provided a cake stand for our cake ordered from elsewhere. The food was incredible--- the portions were generous and everything was hot and delicious. The passed apps were fun, innovative and special for the wedding. The reason for 4/5 stars instead of 5 is two things: 1) One of the servers at the wedding refused to give one of my bridesmaids any apps. She was standing by the door where they were coming out, but had just moved there and hadn't had any apps yet. They didn't even let her take one app and told her no and walked away from her and was apparently very rude. I'd hate to think that happens to any guest. 2) It was frustrating that the rental equipment appointment wasn't at the same place or time as the tasting. It was an hourish drive for us, and we opted to do it virtually (which they accommodated kindly), for a 20-30 minute rental equipment appointment, it seems a lot to go twice and take time off work twice. I'd encourage more coordination of the two. Overall: I'd 1000000% recommend Purple Onion and use them again. The food was so great and the coordination was amazing. I thought the price was fair for what you get. Shelia was lovely!

Maggie M

7/08/2022

We loved working with Purple Onion and especially Delorvy! The food was amazing (everyone was raving about the salmon macaron), the wait staff were awesome (we always had a drink in our hand and got to try every bit of food) and Delorvy handled everything flawlessly (even little hiccups felt smooth). We are so glad that we went with this caterer and would recommend and choose them over and over again! Delorvy was a joy to work with and even helped make our signature drink sign! We can not recommend her and Purple Onion enough! -the happiest of foodies

Andrea V

6/15/2022

We had an incredible experience with Purple Onion. From the beginning they were so responsive and attentive to all of our needs and changes. We had the pleasure of working with Cassandra DeLisle (Cassie). From our initial meeting, to the tasting, to the final walkthrough, and day of our wedding Cassie was an absolute dream and was with us every step of the way. She is extremely knowledgeable and was responsive to all of my crazy late night emails. Everyone complimented on the delicious foods and the service was incredible. All of our guests felt taken care of. Purple Onion was the best decision we could have made.

Ashlee N

6/12/2022

Purple Onion was amazing start to finish - from the tasting to the day of the wedding. The food was excellent and creative, the service was good, and Paige/Delorvy were so helpful throughout the planning process (even with a COVID reschedule). We would absolutely recommend them to anyone!

Kari J

6/12/2022

Purple Onion catered our spring wedding, and I can't recommend them enough. True professionals that guided us throughout the process for both our rehearsal dinner and wedding reception. Staff do the heavy lifting, make it look easy, and deliver on the deliciousness.

Natalie H

5/09/2022

We had a fantastic experience with Margaret and the staff at Purple Onion. They were very professional and worked well with the rest of our vendors, and the food was fantastic. Our guests really enjoyed the appetizers, and the night went off without a hitch. We highly recommend Purple Onion.

Alessandra C

4/27/2022

We worked with Margaret Zagrodniczek to host a small, intimiate wedding reception at my parent's house. Margaret and the team were fantastic in helping us navigate so many aspects of hosting an event at your house: timelines, equipment rentals and suggestions, creating a backup plan should it rain, etc. We c changed the timeline and headcount a number of times right up until the event, and the POC team was able to accommodate. Day of, we had to shift our timeline 45 minutes prior than planned and they made it happen. They always presented themselves with a positive attitude and willingness to serve! The POC team made my dreams come true and made a stressful planning process so much easier! Bonus: the food is always on point, especially the mini southern fried chicken and waffle cones, which always impress a crowd!

Eryka D

4/20/2022

Margaret Zagrodniczek was our Senior Event Designer and was absolutely fantastic to work with for Joey and I's wedding at the Winery at Bull Run! Margaret's eye for design made my wedding venue look more spectacular than I could have ever imagined. Margaret is an absolute gem and I'm so unbelievably happy she catered my wedding. Our tasting sessions were always so fun and she took the time to really understand how I wanted the big day to go and what my type of food style was. She had great recommendations, especially for guests with food allergies and dietary restrictions, and the day went perfectly! If anything went wrong, I had no idea, and I think that is a true testament of what an amazing caterer Margaret is. She really went above and beyond and I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for the best food for your big day! All the guests raved about the wedding menu, particularly the mini jumbo lump crab cakes with a key lime aioli, the oak barrel bistro tender, and the chocolate chip cookie dough pops. Thank you so much again for our beautiful wedding day!

Caitlin H

9/30/2021

Purple Onion is the best catering company! The food is so good and they are so helpful. They pulled our day together beautifully and the staff was attentive and kept the day flowing. Alison Von Brendow was our event planner through Purple Onion, she went above and beyond for me. Taking our calls and making sure everything went smoothly. I would definitely recommend them for any of your events.

Emily N

12/13/2020

The Purple Onion team is excellent. I’d highly recommend them for a gathering of any size. Paige, our main point-of-contact, was helpful, kind and professional at every stage, from inquiry through to execution. We had already planned a full menu for a 120-person wedding when COVID-19 struck, and Paige helped us pivot to a safer plan: a backyard microwedding. She and her team were extremely supportive, helping us develop a new menu that was appropriate for the season and a service plan that accommodated the reduced guest count. Everyone in attendance agreed that the Purple Onion team made the day feel special, safe and seamless. They worked closely with our day-of planner to make sure service followed strict COVID-19 protocols and CDC guidance. Every course — from the fall salad to the braised short rib — was delicious, especially dessert. We asked them to create a couple different flavors of small, one-tier drip cakes in lieu of the traditional wedding cake and dessert bar we’d originally planned. The result was stunning. Even guests who don’t typically love cake went out of their way to tell us how much they enjoyed these particular cakes. We’re so thankful for this team. They went above and beyond for us, navigating a totally unprecedented set of circumstances at a time when "business as usual" did not exist.

Louise D

10/23/2020

100% 5 STARS!! Can't say enough about the staff, the food, the care and attention to detail with Purple Onion! They were amazing to work with in re-planning a Covid wedding. They were flexible and made it just so easy to work with them. The food was incredible! We literally had compliments from every guest at our wedding - "this is not your standard wedding food! This is delicious!" I want to thank everyone at Purple Onion that made our day so easy and special - we couldn't have had the most special day without you all!!

Courtney E

10/15/2020

We were blown away during our food tasting, so many great options to select from! Kristen was a great coordinator for our event, and was very patient as we made decisions, and changed those decisions on the menu. She even provided us additional food to taste during our linen selection meeting because we were still deciding on items. She worked with us and our planner, Lisa Havard, on the linen and table settings. They have a great relationship, as they have worked a lot of events together. Each of them knew our vision for our wedding and provided examples of what they thought worked best. On the wedding day, the servers and bartenders were fantastic. Very fast and clean, we hardly had any lines for food or drinks. I liked our mashed potato bar in the martini glasses, and their ability to accommodate our ask of chocolate chip cookies and cannoli’s for a dessert table. The most talked about item was our chicken and waffles, one of our late night snacks. Highly recommend adding late night snacks to your wedding menu!

Lisa A

9/28/2020

Purple Onion catered our daughter’s wedding in August. People raved over the meal and how amazing it was! They are very professional and service was impeccable. Margaret helped us design the perfect menu! She was patient during the pandemic as we had to lower our guest count to provide social distancing. The wedding industry has had a lot to deal with, as well as, the parents putting in weddings. Margaret was awesome and we highly recommend you use their catering service!

Jonathan L

9/28/2020

Paige and the team were FANTASTIC. They just did our wedding on 9/25. Responsive, friendly, and very helpful through these crazy times. Highly recommended.

Sarah L

9/24/2020

Paige and all the staff at Purple Onion were so wonderful with whom to work! I had a very busy schedule as a surgical resident when planning my wedding out of state, and they did everything they could to accommodate me! Our guests said that the food was the best wedding food they'd ever had as well! Paige takes all your preferences in food very seriously, and when we said no cilantro there wasn't a speck anywhere ;) They were also so flexible with the changes to our wedding date as we had to reschedule it THREE times due to COVID-19- and there were no extra or hidden fees due! Would absolutely recommend them and use Purple Onion all over again! Thank you SO much, Paige!!!

Lynzy W

9/16/2020

Purple Onion was an amazing vendor for our wedding Margaret is simply the sweetest and best to work with!! Our guests could NOT GET ENOUGH of the food!! After our wedding, we had guests still ask about our caterer and want to book them for their events! The staff was so helpful and kind to everyone, especially during a covid wedding. They are one of the BEST!

Rose A

5/07/2020

I attended an event at the Middleburg barn and Purple Onion was the caterer and it was so amazing! The food was to die for. I felt like I was a 5 star restaurant that I need reservations for months to get in. The catering staff was so friendly and kind and the food was SO SO GOOD! I'll be recommending this caterer to my friends who want an amazing caterer. I'll be hiring this caterer myself!

Megan P

1/18/2020

We were provided Purple Onion as a potential wedding caterer by our wedding planner (Pollyanna Events). The selection process was daunting, there was so many details to compare among vendors. We chose Purple Onion based on their food choices, preliminary quote, and our tasting. We had a tasting with two other caterers and Purple Onion was by far the best. We worked with Margaret. She had worked many events at our venue (Top of the Town) and put us at ease. We met with Margaret again for a tabletop decor selection meeting at their warehouse and again for a venue walk through. The contract process was the most detailed out of all of our wedding vendors, that was to be expected. I am very detail-oriented and tried to track too many details before finally accepting that Margaret knew what she was doing and trying to figure out a $50 change in pricing (for example) as we finalized things wasn’t worth my time or energy. It was tricky to understand who was in charge as we got closer to the wedding date and were trying to finalize the timing and floor plan of the reception, Purple Onion, the venue coordinator, or our wedding planner. That was just something I noticed, nothing bad happened. The food at the reception was great, we received many compliments on it. Margaret was right there and I felt confident that she had everything under control. Her staff was friendly and efficient. They kept things moving. Margaret was friendly, efficient, and excited for us. The food was great, we were happy with the service and the amount we paid. We highly recommend Purple Onion.

Whitney F

10/08/2019

Hiring Purple Onion was one of the best decisions we could have made for our big day. Paige and Anna were amazing and made our vision come to life better than we ever could have imagined. The food was delicious and everyone loved the signature cocktails. Highly recommend!

Kimie V

10/07/2019

We were recently married and wanted to share our amazing experience with Purple Onion. During our initial search, we spoke to and sampled multiple catering services. We also scoured through countless online reviews and found Purple Onion to be on top of every list available. While Purple Onion offers an extensive selection that were high-quality, elegant and delicious, we attribute our stress-free experience to Brooke’s exceptional support. She worked tirelessly from day 1 to the end of the event to ensure every detail (no matter how small) was perfect. She’s been responsive to all my questions (and there were a lot) and provided great recommendations based on her extensive experience. One instance I wanted to share occurred during the beginning of cocktail hour. I was able to quickly step away from the commotion to take a peek at dinner preparations and in my walk-thru, noticed Brooke thoroughly engaged & focused; ensuring every individual dish was ideally plated (even down to the amount of salad dressing served to keep ingredients fresh). As I made my way back to the event a few minutes later, Brooke quietly approached me with a plate full of my favorite hor d'oeuvres (she wanted to make sure I enjoyed them before the long evening ahead)! While these might seem like very small gestures, it meant everything to me knowing she was doing a fantastic job and allowing me to enjoy quality time with family and friends. Thanks to Brooke and the team (from the captain, to the servers and bartenders) for making our wedding day so memorable. It likely wouldn’t have been so perfect without all her hard work and dedication. For those interested in having your wedding or special event catered, not only will you (and your guests) enjoy an amazing meal but you’ll also work alongside a very talented professional, like Brooke. We definitely recommend!

Rachel R

9/24/2019

We had an extremely positive experience with Brooke and the Purple Onion team for our wedding this month. Throughout the process Brooke was patient, helpful, and friendly, building a menu, updating the menu (several times...), and planning out the day-of schedule. We were so happy with the support setting up the reception area and the tables looked beautiful. The servers couldn't have been kinder and made sure my husband and I had some food throughout the event. Finally, the food was excellent! They made a custom menu item for us that turned out well, and everything from the chicken entree to the vegan potato cakes received compliments from our guests. Would highly recommend Purple Onion!

Mimi C

9/16/2019

When we booked a venue for my daughter and her fiance's wedding a year in advance, I immediately started looking for a caterer. We needed a company that would not only cater an all vegan wedding, but one that would customize recipes selected by my daughter and her fiance from my vegan cooking classes. Although most caterers offer some vegan options, few are willing to customize an entire menu. Six months and 8 caterers later, our venue kindly referred me to Purple Onion Catering in Vienna, VA. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I was encouraged when I talked to Kristen. A former chef at Purple Onion. she later became vegan and continued to work there as an event coordinator. Best of both worlds! Kristen and her staff were excited about our vision to have an entire dairy-free and gluten-free cheese table including Miyoko's, Follow Your Heart, Daiya, and Field Roast cheeses, Edward & Sons Rice Snaps crackers, Divina dolmas, and organic grapes and dates. Prior to the tasting, I gave the chefs my vegan recipes including my homemade seitan recipe (along with a sample to taste) for our Teriyaki Kebabs. Never having tasted these recipes before, the chefs couldn't guarantee that their dishes would taste exactly like mine, but they sure came close! We all left the tasting feeling like we were in capable hands. Kristen responded to all of my emails with 1 - 2 days. Her demeanor was relaxed and accommodating, which struck a good balance with my high anxiety. She was extremely thorough and organized, and she left no stone unturned in the planning stages, which made executing everything go smoothly on the day of the wedding. Our guests loved the 3 hors d'oeuvres, the 5 buffet lunch dishes, the vegan cupcakes, and the fresh organic fruit. Some of our guests are still talking about the non-dairy cheese table, which our niece jokingly called the "table of lies." Purple Onion Catering will be our first choice should we need to cater any future events. Mother of the bride

Anna G

9/04/2019

We highly recommend Purple Onion for wedding catering! It was wonderful to work with them Paige made the entire process so easy for us! She was relatable, had a sense of our style, and made excellent recommendations to us. As we got further along in planning, it really felt like if catering does not run smoothly at a reception, it can really effect the entire experience and the Purple Onion did not disappoint! Our wedding ran so smoothly and everything was timed perfectly. Our guests loved the menu we created from our tasting and we really appreciate how helpful Purple Onion was with all dietary restrictions. We had guests who were gluten free, vegetarian, and had shellfish allergies, and they were able to accommodate all of this so everyone enjoyed dinner. We are genuinely impressed with their food, service, and planning!

Joyce S

8/13/2019

Paige from Purple Onion was an amazing partner in helping to design my wedding from the very beginning. She has a great eye and Purple Onion was great in providing the service equipment to achieve the vision I wanted for our big day. In addition, the food was amazing and we honestly did not have any food left over as all our guests loved it - especially the Mac & Cheese! They partnered flawlessly with our venue and really made the experience and day such a fun and special day for us. They were quick with responses and respectful on the day to ensure my mind was on enjoying and handled all the last minute things that typically happen. I would work with PurpleOnion and Paige again and would recommend them to anyone.

Katelynn C

7/15/2019

Paige from Purple Onion was our point of contact for our wedding and she was so nice and helpful. On top of that, all of the food was so delicious! Many of our guests came up to us during the wedding and mentioned how the food was some of the best they've had at a wedding. Would highly recommend!!

Amber S

6/06/2019

Purple Onion was so incredibly flexible when it came to helping us pick a menu and options within our budget. Even after me changing my mind a million times they still were so patient in building something perfect for us :) The food was incredible and we had a great variety for our guests. We got so many compliments on the dinner and late night tacos! Not to mention they were so attentive and doted on my husband and I all day. They kept our plates and glasses full and grabbed us anything we needed the entire night. They brought us appetizers during photos (so clutch) and got us drinks before the reception! I think if it hadn't have been for them we wouldn't have even gotten the change to eat. These guys are serious professionals and highly recommend booking with them :)

Lisa B

3/27/2019

We chose Purple Onion to cater our March 2019 wedding at Stone Tower and were so pleased with the outcome! We have had so many compliments from guests about the food! I was very pleased with everything that I tasted on the wedding day, and Paige was very helpful in all of the planning! After our first tasting with her, she let us come back again to try a few additional cake options and other sauces for the filet, which was extremely helpful! We really enjoyed all of the appetizers, meals, and desserts, and the cake was so delicious that we wound up getting our cake from Purple Onion as well! We also wanted to add a late night snack before we sent guests home, and Paige worked with us to add a grilled cheese and fries station towards the end of the night that our guests loved. Many people told us that it was the best wedding food they've had. We also really appreciated that Paige was waiting for us right after the ceremony with drinks and appetizers ready so that we would be sure we got to eat/drink something before heading into the cocktail hour since she knew we would be swarmed by guests. Paige was also really helpful in giving recommendations for how much beer and alcohol for our signature cocktails we should buy (we bought it at Costco so it would be more affordable, but we never would've known how much to get without Paige's help). All in all, we were really pleased with our experience working with Paige and extremely happy with how all of the food turned out for our wedding!

Paloma R

3/21/2019

We chose Purple Onion for our wedding reception and they were great. Margaret and Kristen were wonderful. I had my moments because I had something very specific in mind and like any good bride, was not very receptive to "No or That's not a good idea". However, they were very accommodating and the chef incorporated several Puertorican dishes to the menu which was very important to us! We had one mishap with a bartender who was rude and not very knowledgable making the drinks requested but the rest of the crew was amazing.

Claire C

11/16/2018

We chose Purple Onion for our wedding reception, and were very happy with the results. From the initial tasting to the week of the wedding, Brooke was extremely helpful. The food was delicious and plentiful. The dishes, table cloths, and chairs all helped tie our elegant fall themed wedding together. Brooke was so patient with answering all of our questions and expedient with her responses. We'd definitely recommend Purple Onion to anyone planning a wedding in the NoVA area.

Melanie J

11/06/2018

Brooke was such a pleasure to work with and helped us make our wedding amazing. Our wedding was Harry Potter themed and Brooke had some wonderful ideas to make the table settings look beautiful and not kiddish. Even the names she came up with up for the menu cards were a delight. The food turned out amazing and I loved it all. The server that followed us around during happy hour to make sure we got something to eat was so kind and thoughtful. The crab cakes were so delicious I'm sure that I ate about 5 or 6 of them. I have three different people wanting the recipe. Everyone said that dinner was delectable and enjoyed the family style service. Nothing was overly salty and the meat wasn't overdone. Having the after dinner treat of the pork bun doughnut was such a good idea. It was the perfect after dinner snack and I had lots of fun carrying the tray around to make sure everyone got to try them. You were such a help during this whole endeavor and we greatly appreciate all the work you and the caterers did too make our wedding such a spectacular success. I have suggested your company to my friends that are also planning weddings and hope they take my advice because working with you was such a great experience.

Lauren D

10/26/2018

Thank you Purple Onion and Brooke for helping to plan and implement our wedding day, it was amazing! Kristen was so lovely to bring us some apps after the ceremony before we started taking pictures. Everyone loved the food and service. The tent looked spectacular! ~Lauren & Sean

Amanda L

10/14/2018

We worked with Brooke and fell in love with Purple Onion at our tasting. We really liked that it fit into our budget to do a plated dinner and that they included linens and table settings. They did such a great job on our wedding day with speediness between the salad and main course with serving and cleaning. It was so sweet that Brooke even took the time to come to our table to make sure we were happy with everything! Definitely recommend!

Erica M

9/30/2018

Hats off to Paige and the entire purple onion team!! They were attentive throughout the planning process and flexible when numbers changed or when I request blue cheese stuffed olives for martinis haha. The guests raved about our food and how quickly drinks and food were passed during cocktail hour which was a big factor for us. We feel so lucky to have worked with such a professional catering team!

Kristin T

9/28/2018

We had an amazing experience working with Purple Onion Catering, and especially our Event Designer Paige! Catering was one of the highest priorities for our wedding. We had a unique and specific vision for not only the food itself, but also for the entire experience. Specifically, we wanted an Oktoberfest inspired wedding with themed small-plate-style food stations all around the room. We spoke to at least 8 catering companies attempting to describe our vision and give them an opportunity to come up with a plan to bring that vision to life. Paige and Purple Onion seemed to "get it" more than any of the others and nailed it right from the initial conversation and first proposed menu! We were so impressed right from the start and were even more impressed at our tasting. The food at the tasting simply blew us away and the tasting experience was incredibly professional. Paige continued to be wonderful to work with throughout the rest of the process. Purple Onion was able to deliver everything on our wedding day exactly as we had dreamed! The food was just as wonderful as we experienced at the tasting (which I know that cooking for a small tasting vs. 150 people can be completely different, but they absolutely pulled it off!) and our guests have been raving about how much they enjoyed the food and entire experience! We highly recommend Purple Onion Catering!

Rachel B

9/16/2018

Kristen and Margaret were a pleasure to work with. The Purple Onion team served an attractive and delicious meal at our wedding. They were very organized throughout the planning process and made sure everything ran smoothly on the wedding day. Highly recommend!

Jennifer M

9/14/2018

Purple Onion Catering was flawless in helping us plan and execute our big day. Food was one of my priorities when planning because I wanted to feed my guests right! I continue to get compliments on the food and the quality of it to this day. Working with Margaret and her team was wonderful. Margaret makes sure all of your needs are met and works effortlessly to ensure the service provided is top notch. I felt confident in giving Margaret and her team the space needed to do what they do best - I didn’t have to worry about a thing on the day of the wedding, which is exactly what I wanted. We thoroughly enjoyed working with Purple Onion Catering and would highly recommend their services to anyone else planning their day.

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(703) 631-0050

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Purple Onion Catering Co.

Paige Carney

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Purple Onion Catering Co.

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