About This Vendor
Mobile Wood-Fired Pizza + Craft Cocktail Catering
Based out of Lemont, IL, Wooden Paddle is a catering service accommodating weddings and milestone occasions. Owner Joelle and her team of expert culinary staff create custom menus to suit your needs and budget. Stepping away from outdated culinary traditions, they use fresh ingredients to make tasty dishes that you and your guests will love. The team at Wooden Paddle leads the way in contemporary catering, replacing old-fashioned dishes with exciting and innovative creations. Your preferences matter to them, and they approach their menus collaboratively, taking your dietary requirements into account. They love what they do and take great pride in delivering high-quality cuisine that will blow you away. Elevate your wedding banquet with catering by Wooden Paddle. They invite couples to book a tasting, the first step in designing your wedding meal. Their main area of expertise is in American and Italian cuisine, which they recommend pairing with picks from their fine selection of beers, liqueurs, and wines. Their skilled staff is at hand to serve your dishes and look after setup and cleanup. To furnish your tables, they offer a wide range of china, linens, barware, glassware, flatware, and more.
Details
Business Attributes
Woman-owned Business
Cuisine
American, Italian
Dietary Options
Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Food & Catering
Catering Clean Up, Catering Delivery & Setup, Family Style, Menu Tastings, Passed Appetizers, Seated Meal, Servers
Awards and Affiliations
Pricing for Wooden Paddle Wood-Fired Catering
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Wooden Paddle Wood-Fired Catering Reviews
5 out of 5.0
161 reviews
5 Star
98%
4 Star
1%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
1%
Considering trying Wooden Paddle? Do it! Considering having Wooden Paddle cater your wedding? DO IT! I’ve been a fan of theirs since they had the location in Orland Park and have happily followed them to their beautiful new location in downtown...
Lemont. So, when it came time to pick a food vendor for my wedding, I was already sold. My wife and I got married in a super cool warehouse venue, so we knew we needed to serve super cool food. And damn, WP is cool! Even their aprons are cool. We stopped in the restaurant a few times before the wedding (we told ourselves it was so we could try and decide which pizzas we wanted to serve, but really we just can’t quit this place) and made friends with Jonathan. Jokingly (not jokingly), we mentioned how we wished he could be there on our big day, but never expected it to actually happen since he’s the freaking owner and all. But fast forward and there he was, in his cool apron, cooking up pizza and apps at our wedding! When we saw him and gave him a hug, he simply smiled and said, “I made it happen!” Everyone throughout the entire process was so friendly and extremely pleasant to work with! I have to give a shoutout to Celina, their Catering Coordinator, because she was just the best! She answered all of our many questions so quickly and was eager to help make our day as perfect as we saw it in our heads. Oh yeah, and the FOOD! Our guests have not stopped talking about it! We love asking what their favorite pizzas were (the buzzkill is winning) and hearing that their bellies were happy and full before dancing the night away. Don’t even get me started on the fried crab ball appetizers (specially made, per our request. Maryland represent!) because I won’t be able to stop! I can go on and on about this place (clearly), but Wooden Paddle just makes it too easy. I’m so happy they will forever be a part of our special day!
We had Wooden Paddle cater our wedding and it was the talk of the whole night! Everyone raved about the apps, pasta, and pizza. The food staff was efficient and attentive. The bar staff was so fun and happy to serve. And the event coordinating ...
staff were a pleasure to work with from the tasting to the wedding day! I would highly recommend Wooden Paddle catering and I know my husband and I will be dining in at the restaurant in the future :)
Response from the Vendor on 11/28/2023
Melissa, thank you for your kind words! It was a pleasure being a part of your lovely wedding day!
My husband and I used Wooden Paddle for our wedding in October 2023 and everything was phenomenal! The team was consultative and helpful from the time of our tasting through the event itself. Our guests were raving about the pizza, some stating...
that it was the best pizza they've ever had. Coming from an Italian family, that is high praise! One other standout feature was that WP was able to offer gluten-free and dairy-free options for our guests with food allergies. The guests with allergies were so grateful to have a special pizza all their own and shared that it was delicious and tasted like regular pizza. I could go on and on about our experience, but the long and short of it is, whether you're looking for a place to grab a great pizza with even better cocktails or want a unique experience for your wedding, Wooden Paddle has you covered. Thank you, Joelle and Miriam for making our day so special!
Response from the Vendor on 11/28/2023
Morgan, what a great day! So happy we were able to play such an important part in your big day! Happy marriage!
Any questions?
One word ...Amazing! Amazing food. Amazing people to work with. Amazing memories. We chose Wooden Paddle to cater our wedding and they did not disappoint. The guests all raved about the pizza. We had a few guests who have allergies which Wooden...
Paddle accommodated for and "the best gluten free pizza I have ever had." Aside from the amazing food, Wooden Paddle is great to work with. Quick response time, flexible, and the day of the event helped out with all facets of the production. We cannot say thank you enough.
Response from the Vendor on 11/28/2023
Jeff, so glad we were able to help bring your vision to life!
We had an incredible wedding catering experience with Wooden Paddle - we can't recommend them highly enough! Having pizza at our wedding was a dream from the start, but we didn't know if we'd be able to find somewhere that had the variety, tast...
e, and style we had in mind. We were lucky enough to stumble upon Wooden Paddle early on in our search, and it was immediately clear they offered exactly what we were looking for on paper. After we attended their tasting, we immediately cancelled all of our other scheduled catering trials, as we knew we had found the one. They delivered on the big day as well in every way we could have asked for. The service was so smooth and worked so well with our other vendors, and the food (especially the pizza!) was beyond awesome! We got so many compliments from our guests about our chosen pies. We also had many positive remarks about the absolutely beautiful charcuterie table they put together for us. Along the way, the event coordinator helped us to craft the service for the evening exactly as we needed, and everyone was beyond accommodating and helpful. This is such a cool place and again, we cannot recommend them highly enough for event catering.
Response from the Vendor on 11/15/2023
Genesis, you are so very sweet! Thank you for trusting us to fulfill your wedding day vision. It was our pleasure!
Wooden Paddle was the caterer for our wedding and all of our guests LOVED the pizza! They were so easy to work with and great at communicating, and were even able to make pizzas for our vegan+GF guests (which those guests loved as well). We mai...
nly worked with Miriam who was so helpful every step of the way.
Response from the Vendor on 11/15/2023
Katie thank you so much for your kind words. It was our pleasure to be a part of your lovely wedding!
10/10 WOULD RECOMMEND!! We instantly fell in love with Wooden Paddle after our tasting. We were able to try every single dish on their catering menu, while having each dish individually explained to us. From the start, our Event Coordinator-Mir...
iam, could not have been better. She answered every single question, idea and worry we had along the way. Miriam would always respond extremely fast and always made herself available. Come wedding day our experience was no different. WP came with a team that was ready to go. Our guests could not say enough good things about not only the food but the service provided by the catering staff. No one was ever left without food and the team was always making sure my husband and I were taken care of. We had quite a few guests with dietary restrictions and they handled it seamlessly. We even had a late night snack of White Castle and the team received the order from the delivery driver and quickly went into decorator mode and set out the White Castle boxes in an amazing display. PIZZA IS THE NEW CHICKEN & BEEF!! Our guests loved the pizza and the quality was not lost even when the team had to perform in the rain. We truly cannot thank the Wooden Paddle team enough, they made our wedding day a huge success!!!
Response from the Vendor on 11/03/2023
Rachel you are so lovely for these kind words! We cannot thank you enough! It was truly our pleasure to be a part of your delightful wedding!
I absolutely loved working with Wooden Paddle for our wedding! I wanted to serve something other than dry chicken or cold steak since wedding food is ALWAYS complained about no matter how much the Bride and Groom spends. The few weddings that I...
've been to before mine were always a disappointment in the food category. We always left feeling hungry and stopping at a McDonalds on our way home- INSANE to think about when catering is so expensive.
I went to Wooden Paddle with my fiancé and my two sisters for our tasting and the food easily made my decision! Working with the Wooden Paddle team was super easy- they were very responsive and accommodating. Every one of my guests RAVED about the food at our wedding- they couldn't get enough of it! Thankfully they all live in the area around where their restaurant is so we've already sent our guests there for date nights. We live out of state but we'll definitely be eating there every time we come back into town.
If you're looking for an alternative and don't want to do the same, bland catering food that people have done for YEARS, go with Wooden Paddle!! You want your guests to walk away with the experience that mine had.
Response from the Vendor on 11/03/2023
Kian, thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your special day!
We are honored and so happy you were pleased. Hope to see you soon in the restaurant!
We had Wooden Paddle cater our wedding and it may have very well been the best decision of the whole wedding planning process!!!
From start to finish, the Wooden Paddle team was an absolute pleasure to work with. Chloe and Miriam were the dyn...
amic duo that worked with us to figure out what was best for our special day.
We enjoyed the tasting in their restaurant and were completely blown away with that process as a whole. If we weren't already sold at the thought of having their pizza at our wedding, trying every delicious additional item was the "nail in the coffin" as they say. Every darn bite was more amazing than the last. We both were in AWE of everything. The hardest part of the whole process was narrowing down what we wanted. SO MANY DELICIOUS CHOICES.
As we got closer to the event, Chloe was absolutely wonderful with helping us make any changes to our menu, pick out the perfect linens and prepping us for what's to come on the day of.
On the day of our wedding, let's just say we blew everyone out of the water with having Wooden Paddle as our food choice. They brought a massive pizza oven on site and cooked every pizza live in front of our venue/guests. Talk about leaving a lasting impression huh?
Not only was the setup wonderful, but the service was a 12 out of 10! The servers were prompt, extremely friendly, super genuine and looked to be having an amazing time just being there. I remember many people commenting on how wonderful the service was. Just IMPRESSIVE!!
Now....to the most important part...the FOOD! All I can say is WOW. Just absolutely blown away with how wonderful everything came out. From the apps (the charcuterie table was a game hanger) to the fantastic pizzas coming out flaming hot and just melting in our mouths, it was THE BEST food I've ever had at a wedding...and even more so since it was our wedding. We had an insane amount of compliments on the food that night and still have people reminiscing about the delicious pizzas. It truly was the best decision we made during our wedding planning process.
I would recommend Wooden Paddle to any and everyone looking to make a lasting impression with a catered food...or even just a fun night out for dinner. This team is sharp, incredible and super fun to work with. I always appreciate working with people that feel like friends and I can easily say that Chloe and Miriam are now like friends. THEY ROCKED!!!
Thank you Wooden Paddle for everything. We absolutely cannot wait to come back and enjoy your delicious food on date nights and are already planning on celebrating our 1-year at your restaurant. You are wonderful and we appreciate all that you helped us do on our special day.
Response from the Vendor on 09/19/2023
Hello Bre! Yes! Nailed it! Thank you so much for your kind words. We strive to make our couples happy. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your special day.
We loved everything about Wooden Paddle, and working with them was so easy. Very professional, organized, and 100% executed flawlessly on our wedding day. So many of our guests commented how good the food was, and loved that dinner served was s...
o different than most weddings! Highly recommend!!
Response from the Vendor on 09/06/2023
Hi Andrew! Yes! Nailed it! So happy you and your guests were pleased! Thank you for allowing us to participate in your special day!
Wooden Paddle was great to work with. Miriam answered all our questions and eased all of our nerves. The staff was great on the day of our wedding, they even signed our guest book. The food was delicious, everyone loved the Sausage Fest pizza a...
nd the Burrata Bucatini.
Response from the Vendor on 09/06/2023
Hey Adrian! So happy your day was all you envisioned it would be and we are honored to have played a small part. We also agree, Miriam is a Rock Star! Thank you so very much!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and it was amazing! They were one of our first booked and easiest vendors to work with! Their food is delicious!! I am gluten-free, and Wooden Paddle was able to easily accommodate that without sacrificing tast...
e. Our guests loved it, and have not stopped raving about how good the pizza was. Not only was the food great, but also the staff! There was a plate waiting for us at our dinner table saved from our cocktail hour charcuterie board since we were too busy taking pictures during cocktail hour to enjoy it. Do not hesitate to book with Wooden Paddle!! Both you AND your guests will LOVE it!
Response from the Vendor on 07/06/2023
Thank you so much! I totally agree, the gluten-free dough is so good it's hard to tell the difference! We try to have the food follow you around the whole night, a bit like *magic* - it's a busy day for you all! We are looking forward to seeing...
you again in our restaurant sometime soon!
We are so happy that we hired Wooden Paddle to cater our wedding. We received so many complements and positive feedback on the taste and uniqueness of the food. The catering staff really went above and beyond with managing to work on multiple f...
loors that our venue had. Additionally, our guest asked for more of certain kinds of pizza and special dietary accommodations last minute, and they delivered! They took care of me and the bride very well and made sure that we enjoyed all of the delicious food that night. I cannot say enough positive comments about this business!
Response from the Vendor on 07/06/2023
Hi there, Kobe! Shout out to our day-of team - they're the real MVPs here! They for sure know how to bust it wherever we go. We truly appreciate the kind words, and we wish you the very best!
Wooden Paddle was our caterer for the wedding. They provided amazing support throughout the entire process. Joelle and Miriam helped with all of our questions and quickly adapted the plans as there were some unexpected changes on our end. I ...
don't know how we could have done our wedding without their constant support. They were in continual communication with our venue and made sure that everything went smoothly. Our guests raved about the great food. My personal favorite is the Buzzkill pizza. I also appreciate how they went above and beyond to accommodate my request for a special cocktail that was not on their menu.
Response from the Vendor on 07/06/2023
Thank you, Carli! The Buzzkill is *chef's kiss*, enough said. Thank you so, so much for allowing us to be part of your big day, and we hope to see you + Jamin in our restaurant sometime soon!
We had wooden paddle cater our wedding and I cannot recommend it enough. Ditch the dry chicken or whatever you were planning on having and go with food that people will love. Our guests were amazed with how fast the wooden paddle team served 18...
0 people hot and delicious food. The mobile wood fire oven was also a hit amongst our guests. Have wooden paddle cater your events, you won’t regret it.
Response from the Vendor on 07/06/2023
Dry, overcooked chicken be damned! I definitely agree that quick service + delicious food is always a solid combo for a great night! Thank you so much, and we wish you all the best!
We absolutely loved having wooden paddle cater our wedding! First off, all of our guests told us how much they loved all the food (especially the pizza!), and how impressed they were that 170+ guests were able to be served hot, delicious pizza ...
so quickly! The buzzkill pizza was definitely a crowd favorite. Their staff even made sure that I personally was able to be served any appetizers I might have missed while having photos taken during the cocktail hour, which was truly appreciated. From the day we came in for a tasting all the way leading up to our big day, wooden paddle patiently helped us through all our questions and planning - shout out to Miriam especially, she was awesome! They also were able to cater to any and all dietary needs for our guests. I truly believe wooden paddle made our wedding even more special and memorable! We’ll definitely be making the trip for more of their pizza as often as possible!!
Response from the Vendor on 07/06/2023
Hi Emily! I'm so glad you and your guests enjoyed the food + service. We try our best to make sure your getting hitched going off without a hitch! Thank you so much for choosing us to cater your big day!
Couldn’t have better things to say about Wooden Paddle. The coordinators and day of staff were incredible to work with, and the food was amazing. My husband and I have a few food allergies, and they accommodated with ease without sacrificing de...
liciousness. Our guests are still calling and texting to tell us it was the best wedding food they’ve ever had AND even the best pizza of their lives. We love Wooden Paddle! So glad we can still visit them at their location in Lemont whenever we are missing that incredible meal.
Response from the Vendor on 07/06/2023
Thank you so much, Sarah! It's always a great time getting to work at Firehouse Chicago, what's better than eating wood-fired pizza in a firehouse?? We cannot wait to see you guys sometime soon!
We hired Wooden Paddle for our backyard rehearsal dinner. I cannot speak highly enough about the quality of the service in coordinating the event with Miriam, as well as the event itself! Our guests absolutely loved the food and the drinks, and...
the Wooden Paddle staff expertly set up and tore down all the moving parts for us, including the glorious pizza oven, and table, chairs, and linens we rented from them as well. Also the tasting was absolutely unreal and such a great way to try all of their food. We are so happy we went with Wooden Paddle. Could not recommend highly enough!
Response from the Vendor on 05/30/2023
Hi Kathleen! Thank you so much for the kind words, we had such a blast serving you and your guests! We wish you and Chris all the best!
We used the Wooden Paddle for our wedding and they were the best!!
When touring venues, Wooden Paddle popped up as a caterer and we immediately were interested. The pizza is SO good. It's fresh, the combos are incredible and we immediately boo...
ked them that evening.
Working with the team was a breeze. Joelle and Miriam were easy and fun to work with. They accommodated all dietary preferences and made us feel at ease leading up to our wedding.
The day of the wedding, people were RAVING about the food. We had a charcuterie platter, bite size toasts, Caprese pops and steak bites. The pizza was incredible and possibly the highlight of my wedding. The staff was fast and quick. Truly did not need to worry about a single thing with the Wooden Paddle on our team.
Response from the Vendor on 02/20/2023
Hi Keryn! Thank you so much for the kind words! Shout out to the Joinery as well for being an awesome venue to work with. Nothing better than having fresh food before dancing the night away! We can't wait to see you + Kevin again!
We are so grateful we went with Wooden Paddle! Beyond happy!
It was so fun seeing our guests discuss and pick their favorite pizza. It was a unique experience, and we cannot rave enough about it. One of our favorite things about Wooden Paddle...
is that they box up all the leftover pizzas at the end of the night-- as the Bride and Groom, we took four pizzas home, and it was the perfect way to end the night: eating pizza in bed.
Response from the Vendor on 02/01/2023
Hi Bryce! Leftovers is the only way to end after a long night of talking, dancing, and drinking, and pizza is the perfect late-night munchie (at least we think). We're so glad that everyone enjoyed the service, and we hope to see you again some...
time soon!
Wonderful! We hired Wooden Paddle for our wedding in November, and it was AMAZING! The guests were raving about the quality, service, taste, and uniqueness of Wooden Paddle. It was much better than serving the typical chicken and asparagus that...
most weddings have.
Wedding planning is stressful enough, so it's nice that the Wooden Paddle team was organized, timely, and accommodating to our vision. They were also so great at working with our venue. I recommend this vendor to anyone getting married. Before the wedding, it was so fun going to their restaurant in Lemont to try our menu over and over again and try new things.
Our favorites:
Buzzkill pizza
To fly for a white pie
The gelato
Response from the Vendor on 02/01/2023
Hi Kellie! We completely agree - overpriced, overcooked chicken be damned! Also, mint chip gelato is TO DIE FOR! (just sayin') I'm so glad that we helped relieve (even if it was a little) bit of stress leading up to and on the day-of. We wish y...
ou all the best, and please be sure to stop by sometime soon and say hi!
We hired Wooden Paddle for our wedding and our guests are still raving about it!! Not only is pizza fun but the food was phenomenal. We have a number of foodies in our friend group and the pizza got their stamp of approval. It made dinner and t...
he night so much more fun and we're recommending Wooden Paddle to any couple that'll listen. We also had some severe allergies to be mindful of and they went above and beyond to make sure our guests were healthy.
Response from the Vendor on 12/29/2022
Hi Kelsey! I'm so glad you + your guests enjoyed everything. We'll always take a stamp of approval! Thank you for the kind words, but can we talk about the lion dancers though?!? Hands down coolest thing I've seen this summer at a wedding. We w...
ish you + Casey all the best, and be sure to visit us sometime soon!
Pizza for our wedding dinner.....YES!! Hiring Wooden Paddle was seriously the best decision we made when it came to wedding day vendors. Wooden Paddle not only has amazing food but the staff was equally amazing. Our guests have not stopped talk...
ing about this since May!! I had menu cards made for the tables, but they never made it to the tables but no worries because the Wooden Paddle staff told each table what was coming out and it gave service a personal touch. The best part was they wrapped up a couple of extra pizzas for after our reception, which was greatly appreciated and needed. I would hire them again in a heart beat and I've been letting everyone know! Maybe for a vow renewal??? 15/10 for Wooden Paddle from the Conrads!
Response from the Vendor on 12/29/2022
Hi Catherine! Thank you so much, we truly appreciate it! I'll pass along the kind words to our team. We always love going to our Lemont neighbors, the Bridge, and we had such a great time as well! Leftovers are definitely a must for those late-...
night dance munchies, and I'm glad everything enjoyed the food + service! We hope to see you + Matt sometime soon!
Three words: Mushroom. Truffle. Pizza.
Hiring WP to cater our wedding was hands-down one of the best decisions we made. Our guests absolutely raved about every single dish we had- from the charcuterie tables, chicken wings (the best!), and of ...
course the pizzas, we heard nothing but compliments. We really wanted a less traditional catering option for our wedding since we’re big foodies (and I’m a huge Italophile) and we’re just thrilled we decided to go with WP in the end. They were so easy to work with- we easily organized a tasting a little over a year in advance (come HUNGRY), and we had a tough time narrowing things down because everything was excellent. Ultimately we went with the white pizza, smoke+ shrooms, sausage fest, and green eggs &ham. The mint gelato is also one of the best gelatos I’ve had outside of Italy. Everything is fresh, creative, and so well balanced.
Their event staff was equally excellent. Their servers were professional and punctual, and we didn’t have to lift a finger during our wedding. This really helped us enjoy the day and be fully present with our guests. I would absolutely recommend their team to anyone planning an event. We can’t wait to visit their restaurant in the future and we’ll look back on our wedding day with such fond memories thanks to them.
Response from the Vendor on 12/01/2022
Hi Claire! I for sure agree, smoke n' shrooms is one of my favorite options, it is soo good leftover too (for those end of the night munchies)! Shoutout to the BRIX on the Fox as well for being a great venue to work with. I'm so glad our team m...
ade your day as stress-free as possible, you guys deserve it! We can't wait to see you + Brian in our restaurant sometime soon!
Wooden Paddle was simply the BEST for our wedding catering! One of my husband's biggest wants for our wedding was food that wasn't some dry chicken that people would begrudgingly eat, and boy did we luck out finding Wooden Paddle. Not only did ...
they deliver a dinner with pizza/salad that people are still raving to us about (buzzkill and getting figgy with it were a smash!), but they also created what was possibly the best charcuterie board of my life for our cocktail hour (which is saying something because we make a board to celebrate every anniversary so it meant a lot to us). Absolutely epic! We also loved having their oven in our venue's courtyard so guests could watch and fill with anticipation for dinner! I will also say Wooden Paddle was the most helpful before the day as well with answering all of my questions (I'm very type A and needed every single detail figured out). Also, don't sleep on doing their wedding tasting ahead of time! We randomly went in one rainy Saturday to check them out and lucked into doing a tasting, falling in love, and happily booking soon after! Not a single regret and would definitely encourage anyone to consider them. We'll definitely be stopping by their Lemont location!
Response from the Vendor on 11/28/2022
Hi Jenae, I'm so glad the pizzas were a hit! Also, Warehouse 109 is the bomb, woot woot! Tastings are definitely the best way to envision what you want at your big day, they're super fun and holy leftovers! We can't wait to see you + Kevin some...
time soon!
If you love good food that your guests will rave about, book Wooden Paddle for your wedding or event. Everyone was so friendly and amazing to work with, from beginning to end. I highly recommend doing a tasting, you’ll be blown away by all the ...
amazing food and the restaurant is adorable! At the wedding, everyone from Wooden Paddle was incredible. All of our guests with dietary restrictions received the correct food and everyone was treated with such kindness. I was even able to eat and I’m so glad I made that a priority. Also our guests were able to take home boxes of pizza at the end of the night which was a highlight. I can’t say enough amazing things about Wooden Paddle, and I can’t wait to visit the restaurant again soon!
Response from the Vendor on 11/27/2022
Hi Erin! It's so good to hear from you, and I'm so glad everyone had a good time! All of your guests were awesome and so incredibly nice as well. Thank you for the kind words, and we are so excited to have you + Blaine back in our restaurant so...
metime soon!
Wooden paddle is the best!!! hands down one of the best things from our wedding. Our guests loved the appetizers, the pizza's were delicious.. and they even set up some coffee for our guests, and it was a huge hit in a chilly September night. T...
he serving process was fast, the servers were also super kind! The tasting and booking process was amazing, Miriam Gorecki was extremely informative and beyond patient with us when we were unsure on how many or which appetizers to have. I would absolutely recommend anyone looking for a food vendor for their wedding to go with Wooden Paddle! 10/10!
Response from the Vendor on 11/14/2022
Hi Slendy! Thank you! Honestly, huge shoutout to our day-of team because from what I heard it was like there was a small hurricane, but everyone had fun too! The most important thing for us is to stay positive and upbeat through any dubious wea...
ther conditions! We wish you both all the best!
Wooden paddle is the best!!! hands down one of the best things from our wedding. Our guests loved the appetizers, the pizza's were delicious.. and they even set up some coffee for our guests, and it was a huge hit in a chilly September night. T...
he serving process was fast, the servers were also super kind! The tasting and booking process was amazing, Miriam Gorecki was extremely informative and beyond patient with us when we were unsure on how many or which appetizers to have. I would absolutely recommend anyone looking for a food vendor for their wedding to go with Wooden Paddle! 10/10!
Response from the Vendor on 11/14/2022
Thank you so much! The balsamic skirt steak hits so good, hands down one of best appetizers, and coffee is a must to keep that night going! We wish you + Slendy all the best, and we can't wait to see you sometime soon!
Wooden Paddle is the absolute best! They catered our wedding in September and we couldn’t have been happier! They were able to easily accommodate various dietary restrictions (i.e., vegan, vegetarian, gluten free) and we completely customized o...
ur menu. Our entire experience with them, from our tasting to the actual wedding day, was extremely smooth! All the staff we had contact with throughout and on the day of were incredibly communicative, helpful, and great to work with. And of course, our guests absolutely loved the pizza! Highly recommend!
Response from the Vendor on 11/13/2022
Hi Kasia, thank you so much! Dietary restrictions is our official-unofficial middle name! But seriously, the cashew ricotta is such a delish vegan alternative to using dairy cheese on the burrata toasts and pizzas. I'm so glad everyone enjoyed ...
the food and service!!
Wooden Paddle was a smash hit with us and our guests! My wife and I are both vegetarians and have had terrible experiences with wedding food in the past. Wooden Paddle was so accommodating to us, and even made vegetarian versions of the meat-ba...
sed pizzas we provided for our guests! Pizza might not sound elegant, but Wooden Paddle elevates this less traditional meal to fit a more sophisticated setting. 10/10 would recommend!
Response from the Vendor on 11/10/2022
Hi Katie! Thank you so much for the kind review. The vegetarian pizzas seriously slap - pretty fly for a white pie is my personal favorite! We wish you both all the best, and we can't wait to see you sometime soon!
Wooden Paddle was everything we wanted the catering at our wedding to be and more! 11/10!!! I could not recommend them enough. The team was easy and flexible to work with leading up to the big day, and that level of service continued on the day...
of the event. But of course, what really separates them from a typical caterer is the food…. HOLY CRAP the pizza was SO GOOD!!! Looking back, something about seeing an army of servers march out with a variety of pizzas, fresh out of the brick oven, brings a tear to my eye. We went with the gelato for desert, and people are still talking to us about the olive oil one… it was superb! They delivered in every sense, and made the night completely unforgettable. Thanks Wooden Paddle!
Response from the Vendor on 11/07/2022
Thank you, Mike! You picked out an awesome menu for your reception, you had all of the classics from smoke n 'shroom to gettin' figgy to buzzkill, all are *chef's kiss* in our eyes (and hopefully your guests' too)! Thank you again for allowing ...
us to be part of your big day, and we hope to see you + Alexa in our restaurant sometime soon!
Wooden Paddle catered our August 2022 wedding, and they literally could not have made the experience any more incredible. The pizzas were all spectacular, the gelato was uniquely delicious, and the service was top notch! Their were so many spec...
ialty cocktails for us to choose from, and they even made a custom bar sign for us, which was one thing we were able to cross off our to-do list. The reps we worked with leading up to the big day were so helpful throughout the process, making us feel completely comfortable choosing them as a vendor. We had high expectations of them for our wedding, and they delivered in every way possible!
Response from the Vendor on 11/07/2022
Hi Alexa! I can't believe we catered your reception all the way back in August, it honestly feels like just last week! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the food and service, and that olive oil gelato hits so good! Shout out to Firehouse Chicago too...
, they are one of our faves this summer! We wish you + Mike all the best!
Our event took place at the Firehouse in Chicago in September 2023.
From the moment we enjoyed the impressive tasting at the locale in Lemont, to the very last pizza served at the reception we could not have hoped for a better experience.
T...
he whole crew which provided for us on Friday September 30 was attentive, on task and eager to please. The chef with whom we had a delightful discussion around the remarkable wood burning oven was knowledgeable, passionate and friendly. I learned a lot about pizza making and I’m grateful for this new knowledge. Fascinating ! The bartenders were welcoming and fun to chat with.
All evening, we knew we were in good hands. Because of the Wooden Paddle’s commitment to excellence, we truly enjoyed our time along with our guests.
It was a perfect evening of food, drinks and service and much more: it was an unforgettable event.
Wooden Paddle shared their expertise and their dedication to their craft. It’s an art to feed people at a wedding. Wooden paddles’s was a masterpiece!
Liette
Response from the Vendor on 11/04/2022
Hi Liette, we're so glad to hear from you! Thank you so much for being so kind and thoughtful. I'm pretty sure the chef you talked to was Tim, and he is, as you mentioned, truly passionate and knowledgable. Our entire team treats every wedding ...
like it is one of their first with enthusiasm and devotion. I am so, so glad that the hard work paid off for you, Colette, Nick, and all of your guests. We cannot wait to see you back in our restaurant, and we're so excited you joined the pizza-loving fam!
Catered our wedding last Saturday! Food was amazing, only to be topped by the great service. Easy to book, made sure we were taken care of even on our busy day. They are also we very accommodating for allergies and vegan guests. Cannot recommen...
d this place enough. We already want to go back for dinner.
Response from the Vendor on 11/04/2022
Hi John! Heck yeah, what we love to hear! I'm so glad everything went well for you and your guests, and props to Warehouse 109, always great to work with! We can't wait to see you + Michelle sometime soon!
Our guest won’t stop raving about the food at our reception! Wooden Paddle catered our wedding last weekend and went above and beyond what we expected. The food was extremely fresh and so delicious; our guests mentioned that it was the best foo...
d they’ve ever had at a wedding and we totally agree. The service was also fantastic. The entire process of hiring Wooden Paddle was stress free and the entire team was very professional and quick to respond to any emails I had. The service at our wedding was warm, friendly and so attentive. They made sure my guests with allergies received the proper orders and went out of their way to make sure we (bride and groom) were fed (which I totally appreciate because we were so busy talking to guests). Thank you for making our day stress free and our guests happy!
Response from the Vendor on 11/04/2022
Hi Michelle! Thank you so much for the kind words! We know that there are probably 80 million other things worry about on the big day-of, so the food should be one thing that you don't have to stress about at all! I'm also so glad you went with...
green, eggs, + ham, it's slept on but so delicious (one of my faves)! Thank you for trusting us to feed your nearest + dearest!
We had our wedding catered by Wooden Paddle and couldn’t have asked for better service. The wood fired pizzas were hot and cooked nicely. We kept hearing about everyone’s favorite from the Smoke + Shroom to the Sausage Fest. The food kept comin...
g out and all of our guests were happily stuffed! The servers were attentive and warm. Overall, really happy we went with this caterer. For the folks planning a wedding…pizza, pasta and salad are the way to go! Set a really comfortable but refined vibe for our family style dinner service. At least do the tasting, but I’m pretty sure you’ll be blown away after that.
Response from the Vendor on 11/04/2022
Hi Philip! Smoke n 'Shrooms + Sausage Fest is the way to go! Two of the fan-favorites I would say, the smoked gouda on the Smoke n 'Shrooms is so tasty that you just want to keep going back for more slices! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the food...
and service, and we hope to see you + Cynthia sometime soon!
Had Wooden Paddle cater our wedding and it was a hit! People loved the family style pizzas that just kept being cranked out of the on site coal fired oven. We even had a house made chili oil that everyone devoured. Super accommodating for our n...
on dairy guests by substituting for cashew cheese. We were told by our guests that all the wait staff were really welcoming and smiley. Also, heard the passed bites like the skirt steak and duck fat wings were a crowd favorite. At one point, I looked over at the charcuterie grazing table during cocktail hour and it was basically all crumbs. So glad to have chosen such a wonderful caterer, and they were accommodating and easy to work with.
Response from the Vendor on 11/04/2022
Hi Cynthia! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the food. Our team really kicks it into high gear once dinner starts, and it's like clockwork getting the pizzas out! Thank you again for allowing us to cater your big day, it was fire (pun intended)!
Wooden Paddle blew our expectations out of the water! If you're considering them, don't wait for a second longer- book them! They were so helpful every single step of the way. It felt like before I even had a chance to think of the question I h...
ad for them they were already answering it for me. We were nervous about how the dinner service would go (how can you make that many pizzas that quickly??), but on our wedding day, it was clear that we worried for nothing. Skip the boring chicken or beef option (that if I'm being honest, are never very good) for wood-fired pizzas! It was a HIT with our guests.
Response from the Vendor on 10/24/2022
Hi Sarah, thank you so much! I'm glad everyone enjoyed the food, and Bluestem Farm was absolutely gorgeous! I think we made around a total of 110 pizzas on your day - our team really knows how to bust their butts and whip out those pizzas! We w...
ish you guys all the best, and we hope to see you sometime soon!
Wooden Paddle is the best! They were one of our favorite vendors to work with for our wedding. The service was amazing and the food was outstanding. They even made special accommodations to take care of friends and family with allergies. Our w...
edding guests are still talking about how much they loved the experience.
Response from the Vendor on 10/17/2022
Thank you Shelby - we're blushing! Our team always has a great time at Warehouse 109, and our chefs really know how to deliver on that gluten free crust!
Food was awesome, service was awesome. They were able to accommodate our guest with food allergies without an issue! Still getting complements on our food choice.
Response from the Vendor on 10/17/2022
Hi Chris! That is what we strive to be - awesome! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the food and service! We hope to see you + Shelby back in our restaurant sometime soon!
Wooden Paddle was a fantastic choice for catering our wedding.
The specialty pizzas and appetizers were amazing.
They were completely helpful right from the beginning with helping us make the the choices for our wedding. The staff was on top of...
things and couldn't have done any better.
Highly recommended!!!
Response from the Vendor on 10/14/2022
Yayy!! We are so happy to hear that, and Warehouse 109 was awesome to work at with you and your guests! We wish you + Shawna all the best, and we better see you again in our restaurant sometime soon!
We used Wooden Paddle for our wedding and I can’t begin to explain how amazing they were to work with! To start, the food is not only delicious, it was fun and made the perfect Family Style meal for our guests. They even went the extra mile and...
made simply cheese pizza for all the kiddos! We have gotten so much feedback from our guest about how delicious the food was (especially the Nutella dessert pizza). Their full service bar was also top notch and I was told they were “generous” when making our cocktails. I can’t wait to have a date night at their restaurant for our anniversary! I highly recommend them. I would add photos of the food but our photographer hasn’t sent us those yet.
Response from the Vendor on 10/13/2022
Hi Libby! Thank you so much, our team had so much fun at Firehouse with you and your guests! Nutella Me About It is my favorite dessert pizza, it is *chef's kiss*, and our bartenders definitely know what's up. We are looking forward to seeing y...
ou + Kat again in our restaurant!!
I would highly recommend the Wooden Paddle for any large scale catering events! My wife and I used the Wooden Paddle for our wedding a few weeks ago. The food was impeccable, the servers were friendly, and leading up to our event WP was prompt ...
and professional.
Response from the Vendor on 10/12/2022
Hi Nick! Thank you so much for the kind words! Our team had so much fun on the day of, and I think that karaoke is a must for all weddings now!
My husband and I used the wooden paddle to cater our wedding event just a few short weeks ago. To say they did a phenomenal job would be an understatement. There are not enough positive words to speak to their professionalism, preparedness, tim...
eliness, friendliness, flexibility, and most importantly food/drink quality. From the moment we had our tasting with them, we knew we would be in good hands on the day of our wedding.
If the wooden paddle were located closer to us it would be difficult not to go every Friday for our weekly pizza night. For now, we look forward to dining in the restaurant as often as we can, but it will be a must on our anniversary.
Response from the Vendor on 10/12/2022
Hi Colette! Thank you so much! You, Nick, and your mom are the sweetest people ever! Our team had only good things to say about your guests and Firehouse Chicago (shoutout to Firehouse, woot woot)! We are so happy to have been able to celebrat...
e with you, and we are looking forward to seeing and serving you soon!
Seriously, the Wooden Paddle did the most amazing job at our wedding, on 9/30/2022. All of the staff was extremely professional. The food was amazing. We are so happy that we chose them to cater our wedding and couldn’t have asked for it to go ...
any better! All of our guest were so very impressed!! We highly recommend them.
Response from the Vendor on 10/10/2022
Hi Shawna! Thank you so much! It was such a pleasure serving you and your nearest and dearest! Thank you for allowing us to be part of your big day!
We were so lucky to be introduced to Wooden Paddle by our wedding venue back a few years ago. When we went in for our initial tasting it was love at first bite. We didn’t bother looking for other options because we knew Wooden Paddle was the on...
e.
Throughout our time working with them, the staff we’re incredibly friendly and willing to answer questions. Our cocktail hour and dinner was phenomenal thanks to them! Someone even brought my grandfather a drink when he arrived early to the venue and wanted to sit out front.
We can’t wait to go back, bringing friends and family (including our dog)! Wooden Paddle is always going to hold a special place in our hearts.
Response from the Vendor on 10/27/2022
Hi Skye! Thanks for the kind words, and I think Don't Take It For Pomegranate is the perfect drink for any type of occasion, season, or crowd (but I may be biased). We can't wait to see you + Alyssa again in our restaurant sometime soon, and ye...
s, bring all of the puppies!
We chose Wooden Paddle to cater our wedding and it was the best decision! The food was to die for and the team was INCREDIBLE! They also were very communicative prior to the event, answering all my questions. I would give them more stars if I c...
ould.
Response from the Vendor on 07/06/2023
Thank you so much for the kind words, Alex! We wish you all the best, and we hope to see you sometime soon!
WOW!!!! Wooden Paddle was a HUGE hit at my wedding! The food was incredible! People are still talking about it! Seriously incredible! Don’t hesitate! Book them!!
Response from the Vendor on 08/31/2022
Thank you so much Sarah! We loved partnering with you and your venue (The Bridge) and are honored to have been part of your day. And what a great DJ - brought the par-tay!
We used Wooden Paddle to cater our wedding and it was wonderful, we highly recommend them! Weeks later our guests are still raving about it! The food itself was delicious and the service was awesome as well. We also used them for our bar which ...
was a huge hit as well. All the recommendations they have us (number of staff, timing, napkin colors .etc) were all spot on -- working with them was super easy! If you are on the fence, DO IT! Thank you Wooden Paddle for helping make our day so special!
Response from the Vendor on 07/06/2023
Thank you, Madelyne! Fairlie Chicago is such an awesome venue to work with. We try to take as much stress off as possible (we know you guys have enough to worry about)! We wish you all the best, and we can't wait to see you again!
Where do I begin with wooden paddle!! As a bride that is allergic to wheat, I just assumed my wedding dinner would be some prepackaged udi's meal- and boy was I wrong. Not only does wooden paddle have the best pizza, but they also have an amazi...
ng gluten free crust, AND dairy free cheese. There were options for all of our guests, diet restrictions or not.
Every single guest came up to us during the reception to say that our wedding had the best food out of any other wedding they had been to, and pretty much all of them went home with a box of pizza as well!
The wooden paddle staff was personable, professional, and always there to answer questions. Highly recommend if you want delicious food and amazing service.
Response from the Vendor on 08/24/2022
Thank you so much Alyssa!! We were thrilled to be a part of your special day.
Wooden Paddle was my husband and I’s choice for our wedding because they could do everything we wanted at a reasonable price for our budget. We weren’t locked in to specific menus and had a lot of freedom of choice which I appreciated. My whole...
family told us afterward that the food was great and service was professional and helpful. I also appreciated their willingness to accommodate different eating restrictions for me and my guests. They communicated directly with specific guests to get them exactly what they needed.
We opted for one of their bar packages and think it was the right choice to make our guests happy. Everyone loved their Don’t Take it For Pomegranate and Fire and Ice cocktails at our wedding. I would recommend Wooden Paddle to anyone who wants something more casual but still elevated when compared to the traditional “steak or chicken”.
My wife and I chose Wooden Paddle for an eclectic catering option for our wedding and we could not be happier. The fact that they pulled a whole pizza oven right up to the venue meant it was hot and fresher than any buffet service or table serv...
ice of traditional catering food. We also appreciated that they offered bar packages and linen rental, making it a one stop shop.
On the day of, their staff handled everything professionally, setting up our tables and even our ceremony setup. Our particular venue did the ceremony and reception in the same space, but Wooden Paddle was able to manage both bar service during happy hour and flipping the space at the same time. Their staff was also able to work well with our month of coordinator to pull everything together down the home stretch of planning.
Overall, we couldn’t have been happier with how it turned out.
As a Brooklyn native, I couldn’t have asked for better pizza for our wedding!!!! My husband and I decided on pizza for our wedding because pizza is what brought us together (Chicago Deep Dish vs. New York Slice). While we both live in NYC, we g...
ot married in Illinois in his childhood home and searched the pizza offerings of Illinois until we found Wooden Paddle. Not only is the pizza absolutely divine, but so are each and every one of the people that helped us on our wedding day. The Event Coordinator, Event Captain, Chefs, Servers, & Bartender were all a dream to work with and so kind. Our guests were blown away (many of them being New Yorkers themselves with high pizza expectations) and Wooden Paddle has now become a staple amongst the Illinois friends and family that experienced how delicious it was! We will definitely be frequenting the restaurant whenever we visit Illinois and are forever thankful for the memorable cuisine and drinks that they provided for our special day!
We booked Wooden Paddle for our wedding in May. I’m Italian and my entire family is from Italy and they all LOVED the pizza! My cousin still talks about how good our wedding food was. They were easy to work with and made our wedding day extra s...
pecial.
So delicious, so easy to work with, and such a straight forward process. I heard so many compliments from guests about all of the pizzas and appetizers. It was certainly fancy pizza-- fit for a special occasion-- and very unique. Also, Wooden P...
addle not only accommodate various specific dietary requests (Celiac, lactose-intolerant, etc.), they made sure everything, for everyone is really delicious. Great food was (one of the) highest priorities for us on the big day and Wooden Paddle totally exceeded our already high expectations.
It’s hard to even think about where to start with how impressed I was with Wooden Paddle! First off, the communication throughout the planning process was wonderful. They responded to questions and inquiries very swiftly and answered any questi...
ons we had. On the day of the wedding, they arrived on time with their crew and got to work for us! They acted with care during the room flipping process after our ceremony and we’re very receptive to any special requests our guests had. The four pizzas and salad we chose were all incredible, and the service throughout was awesome. We would recommend Wooden Paddle and their team to anyone planning a wedding or gathering for their catering needs, as I can promise you that you won’t be disappointed!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and it was absolutely fantastic. Our appetizers were the steak and Gorgonzola bites and burrata toasts and everyone was raving about the steak! When it came time for dinner, the staff was very attentive and kep...
t checking in on us. All of of guests loved the food! Everything is cooked fresh on site- it doesn’t get any better than that. We had 4 pizzas at dinner and I kept hearing different favorites! This will definitely be our anniversary spot!
Truly the best food and wonderful people to work with. Cannot recommend them enough. Don't wait and hire asap!
Wooden Paddle is the absolute best!! We sampled a few different caterers, but nothing could really compare to the fun, absolutely delicious, and unexpected wood-fired pizza they offered! Dinner service went incredibly smoothly, they decorated o...
ur dining room perfectly, and the food was INCREDIBLE. We got so many compliments about the pizzas and salad -- Gettin' figgy wit it was a fan favorite! The entire catering staff was incredibly sweet and accommodating and they repeatedly asked if we were doing alright. They made us feel so special and were a blast to work with. Our only regret? Taking photos during the cocktail hour making us miss out completely on the gorgeous grazing table!!!!!! Everyone said it was magnificent... we could tell because all that was left after cocktail hour ended were a handful of grapes!! Can't wait to come back to Wooden Paddle to relive our wonderful wedding dinner :)
If you are looking for unique, absolutely delicious food for your wedding, then Wooden Paddle is the right choice! We knew after meeting the owner Jonathan at our tasting that Wooden Paddle was the right choice for us. He was very attentive, an...
swered all of our questions, and even was there on the day of our wedding to make sure everything went great! We hired Wooden Paddle for food, their full bar service, and rentals. Friends & family still tell us how unique, delicious, and amazing the food & bar was. The staff was wonderful throughout the night and made sure everything went as smoothly as possible. We cannot recommend Wooden Paddle enough for any wedding or event!
Wooden Paddle was AMAZING. Ben and I were looking for a non-traditional food option that would please all sorts of guests and dietary restrictions and Wooden Paddle was just that. Celina was SO great to work with - she was responsive and willin...
g to work with our budget and needs. The entire planning process was a breeze with their online system and Celina worked through the entire contract with us - listening to and answering our many, many questions. One thing we had to consider were a few of our guests had gluten issues - Wooden Paddle has a solution for that! They served our gluten-intolerant guests their own pizzas and salads - it made our guests feel so special that this company did something for them specifically. (They even noted a few of our guests had celiacs and ensured there was no cross-contamination.) The day of the food and drinks were PHENOMENAL. We have wedding guests still reaching out about how fantastic the pizza was and the meatballs were. And the bar service - you all were SO fantastic. Again, our wedding guests are still telling us about the amazing apple-sauced old fashion. Wooden Paddle went above and beyond and we could not have been happier with a wedding caterer.
Wooden Paddle was one of the easiest decisions we made for our wedding! My husband loves pizza, so we wanted to see if we could make that work - and Wooden Paddle was the perfect fit! The pizza is delicious and the whole team is so easy to work...
with. We unfortunately had to reschedule due to COVID, but they made the process super easy. We were thrilled to have them and all of our guests have told us that pizza at a wedding is the absolute best possible dinner option. We would highly recommend!
Slow clap for the Wooden Paddle crew on our wedding day. We were super impressed from the beginning. The owner introduced himself and gave us a feel for how they run their catered events, what dishes are most popular and even boxed up pies we w...
ere too stuffed to finish. We loved the idea of an unpretentious, but leveled up ‘fancy pizza’ meal for our guests and they certainly delivered. They set up a wood fired mobile oven outside and ran fresh pies up to the second floor for serving family style so folks could pick and choose which flavors they wanted to try. Wedding food is usually a gamble at best, so we were stoked when multiple guests raved about the meal - ‘the FIG one!’ was a big hit. Wooden Paddle also made it super easy to accommodate guest allergies and dietary preferences - vegan, GF, even Celiac modifications were a standard checkbox on the questionnaire, which was a relief. Celina was a huge help coordinating everything, giving guidance on quantities and tweaking offerings to feel most us. We were so grateful to have her guidance for planning, and patience as we figured things out! Thrilled with our choice!
We hired wooden paddle to cater our wedding and it was absolutely perfect. The staff was wonderful, pizza was excellent. Highly recommend for a stress free event.
I’m not sure where to begin with WP… this place and it’s people are amazing. We hired them to cater our wedding, and from the first tasting to the last call at our open bar these folks took care of us like family. One of the owners, Jonathan, t...
reated us like we were long-time friends. I am clumsy and spilled red wine on my wedding dress… Jonathan jumped into action and helped my frantic mother remove the stain. Like, seriously, who can say their caterer treated them this well? The staff offered us recommendations for bars post-wedding… they checked in with us constantly. And the FOOD! We STILL get compliments for our choice in caterer. The cocktails were kick-ass, and the pizza (as always) was divine. We loved it so much that we drove from the North Side of Chicago to Lemont two days after our ceremony because we were craving the Smoke ‘n Shrooms. Seriously, y’all. Hire them. Give them all the money. They are the shit.
Wooden Paddle was amazing for our big day! The food is the one thing our guests still talk about to this day! Wood fired pizza was such a unique choice that everyone loved! Celina and Jonathan are such great people who make sure everything goes...
perfectly for your big day. Being able to go and try all their delicious food beforehand was great, they even let us come back for a second tasting since they added more to their menu since the first time we had a tasting! I couldn’t say enough great things about the food or their team! If you’re debating on booking Wooden Paddle, don’t! There’s no debate, book them and you’ll be so happy you did!
To preface this review I will say the food itself was absolutely phenomenal. However, there is not a chance I would ever consider booking with them ever again. Less than two weeks before our big day we get an email from wooden paddle informing ...
us of a 15% commission fee that the venue was charging them that they were passing along to us that was an extra $938.10 because we had switched venues after having our venue foreclosed on in the Noah’s events scam.
We ran over our contract in VERY vivid detail and even had our lawyer read our contract AND the catering contract Wooden Paddle had signed with our venue and nowhere in either contract was there anything even remotely suggesting that we could be held responsible for this fee. There wasn’t even a foot note about the possibility of us having to pay a commission fee and with less than two weeks before our wedding it was not the best time to drop a bomb like that.
We got in touch with one of the owners to try to discuss this fee with her and when we did she immediately refused to work with us on the fee and became super abrasive about the matter all about the fee that they themselves were contracted into paying with the venue.
Their contracts also claims “Servers are calculated based off of guest count and number of tables” which was also not true because a couple days later they toured the venue and told us based off the size of the venue that we would need an additional 5 servers upping our total even more with about a week to go to the big day. If we had any warning whatsoever or if we had known about these fees when we signed the contract we would have been able to prepare for it but since they cut it so close to the day of on the matter they had us both cornered and we had no choice but to lean into debt to make this catering possible. Honestly my wife and I had huge hopes for wooden paddle we can’t count the number of times we drove the hour and a half to get there to support them throughout the pandemic and for them to literally make us feel like they’re holding our wedding hostage over two extra fees that was not in our direct contract with Wooden Paddle anywhere or even try to work with us on less than 10 days before our wedding was a huge slap in the face and is honestly a horrible way to do business. This was the biggest day of our lives and to make us feel like we’re backed into a corner to pay fees that were never contracted or even remotely discussed with us just to have food at our wedding really just put a huge strain on us both that was completely uncalled for.
Response from the Vendor on 12/28/2021
Robert,
we're so glad to hear that you enjoyed your wedding meal, and sincerely thank you for taking the time to express your concerns, as client feedback is extremely important to us.
First, we completely understand that the food + beverage ...
commission fee was unexpected, that the timing was unfortunate, and how frustrating that was for you. Once the venue communicated with us about the food + beverage commission fee, which was a little over two weeks prior to your event, we took a couple days to get in touch with them and do our best to get it waived on your behalf. We then communicated the circumstance to you as soon as we found out that that would not be a possibility! Although we could not have waived the food + beverage commission fee from your final invoice, our owners offered to add on an additional menu item, totally free of charge, to off-set a portion of that fee.
The reason we do not absorb any food + beverage commission fees is simple - our clients choose which venue to get married at, and that venue chooses whether or not to charge a commission. Some venues do, but most venues don't. It's additional revenue for the venue, and we're simply the middle man. It's a pass-through charge, like sales tax. We collect it, and then it is paid to the venue immediately after your event; we do not keep even a dime of that fee.
We price transparently, so we understand that seeing Loft 21's commission fee as a line item was a bit of a shock. We wish that the venues that charge these "commissions" - like Loft 21 - would price as transparently as we do, or at least be upfront about what they'll really be charging you as their client, when all is said and done. When we spoke to the venue manager Elise and asked, on your behalf, if she could waive the fee, she said that she already gave you a discount to rent the space, and this commission - charged through us and paid by you - would help them "recoup some of that discount". In our mind, this practice of backdoor revenue is outdated, unfair, and a bit dishonest, especially since it wasn't disclosed to you before you booked with them. So we were surprised that your outrage was directed at us, when it clearly should have been directed at a venue that hooked you with an attractive discount to book, and then eventually charged you full price when they collected that commission.
In regards to the addition of servers, we simply wanted to ensure that you and your guests had the best service possible on the big day, and that we were fulfilling our duties that the venue required of us. The contract that you signed was for your original venue, and we took that into consideration in addition to your final guest count when determining the appropriate amount of servers to list on your proposal. Your new venue did not provide any staff - your original venue provided plenty - and it had significantly more intense setup, room flip, and breakdown responsibilities than your original venue, we knew we needed to bring more staff to ensure that everything went seamlessly! We apologize that the language in the contract was not clear, and have since adapted it to encompass all of the factors that go into determining the amount of staff we will need to bring.
We are sorry that you and your wife felt so stressed leading up to your big day, as this was one of the most important days of your lives, like you mentioned. We are glad to know that the wedding day itself went wonderfully, though. Our team was truly honored to serve you and your guests, and we wish you and your wife all the best!
If you’re wondering how to feed your guests for the big day then Wooden Paddle is 100% the way to go! From start to finish they were an absolute dream to work with. On top of that, their pizzas, appetizers, salads, and more will absolutely blow...
your mind. In fact, multiple guests said it was the best pizza they’ve ever had. There wasn’t a single thing I had to worry about the day of our wedding because their staff was on top of every single detail. They went above and beyond for our elderly and vegan guests which was truly so special. We will forever be guests at their table!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and they were amazing to work with! Our guests are still talking about the food and can't wait to visit the restaurant. If you are looking for a caterer for any event, or just a night out, I highly recommend Wo...
oden Paddle! 💙
My fiance and I have always been obsessed with wood oven pizzas. We make them all the time at home, and knew we wanted it for our main meal at our wedding. Wooden Paddle's food is not only amazing and delicious, but their customer service the w...
hole night was top notch. Everyone raved about the pizza, and thought it was the most unique wedding food they've ever had. We can't say enough great things about Wooden Paddle. Celina was so easy to work with when booking, the tasting was phenomenal and Jonathan is the owner (I think) and he was at our wedding and treated us like royalty. Checked in on us throughout the whole meal. You NEED to book Wooden Paddle for your next event. Not to mention the ovens that they bring are very cool =)
Wooden Paddle was amazing to work with from start to finish. Planning a wedding for a second time due to COVID was stressful (new venue, fully outdoors, etc.) but the by far easiest part of planning was working with Celina and the rest of the t...
eam. Communication was great, especially handling our ever changing plans and requests. The food and drinks were amazing, and our guests are still contacting us, telling us how good the food, drinks and staff were. My wife and I would highly recommend using Wooden Paddle for your wedding (or whatever party/event you need awesome food and service for)! Thank you again to the Wooden Paddle team for making our day awesome!
We had them cater our wedding and they did a fantastic job! Everybody complemented on how amazing the pizza was, how nice everyone was! Highly recommend them!
We had an amazing wedding with amazing food thanks to wooden paddle! The pizza and apps were soooooo good! Recommend then 100000% you will not be dissapointed!
Stop looking and book Wooden Paddle - SERIOUSLY. This was such a unique way to serve food at our wedding and they did it flawlessly. We got married in May and people continue to mention to us how much they loved the food. My mom overheard gu...
ests that she didn't know talk about how delicious the food was! I am some what glad I don't live that close to Lemont or else I would be there every weekend.
Their food was everything that we wanted in our wedding, unique, delicious, and fresh. How many weddings do you go to where you see people actually making pizza from scratch?! Not to mention that the staff was incredible, and really were very attentive to us. You will NOT be disappointed. The only regret I have at my wedding is that I didn't eat more, but I didn't realize how hard it would be to eat with a lot of stress in a day plus a skin tight dress, but man, was their pizza amazing.
We did not need bar service from them but we had some drinks at their tasting and dang were they good!! Seriously - of all the things people remember at a wedding, the food is one of them. Have it be memorable (in a good way) and hire Wooden Paddle!!!
We hired Wooden Paddle to cater my sister's Bridal Shower and let me tell you, I'd give Celina and her team 10 stars if it let me. As a previous event manager myself, I'll be the first to admit I am neurotic and had high expectations. Wooden Pa...
ddle not only met but exceeded them. The food was AMAZING, the staff was PHENOMENAL, and the combination of the two made for the perfect day. We are forever grateful and can't wait to visit the restaurant again soon!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding in a small Chicago brewery, and they were amazing! Working with Jonathan and Celina was seamless and they were thoroughly responsive to all of our questions considering the circumstances that came along with th...
e pandemic. Guests devoured the pizza and loved the drinks! Wooden Paddle truly loves what they do and you can tell they hold all of their events to the same high standard. We'd highly recommend them!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and it was the best decision we made! The food was phenomenal and the service was beyond everyone’s expectations. Several guests commented on the professionalism, kindness and attentiveness of the Wooden Paddle...
staff. They made sure everyone had everything they needed and were satisfied with their appetizers and meal. The appetizers, salad and pizza were presented and cooked to perfection. If you are looking for catering for your event, we recommend Wooden Paddle for awesome food, consistent service and happy guests!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and it was one of the highlights for all the guests! Celina was awesome to work with- we had a major venue change and she accommodated us and worked with us and our planners to make it a smooth transition. Ever...
ything that day was perfect- the Wooden Paddle staff are some of the nicest, hardworking people! Wooden Paddle provided us with appetizers, salad, dinner and our dinnerware. Their presentation was excellent and the service was even better! We HIGHLY recommend Wooden Paddle for any catering event! You will not regret it!!!!!!
While we were exploring ideas for caterers, our wedding venue off-handedly mentioned they’d had a caterer in the past sling pizzas from a legit wood-fired oven. What!?
We drove out to Wooden Paddle in Lemont for a tasting. *Spoiler alert*: thi...
s was legitimately our first and only tasting because we were instantly sold. Jonathan was so personable, fun, and accommodating that we knew the search was over.
When we had to postpone our wedding during the spring of 2020, Wooden Paddle could not have been more thoughtful, optimistic, and kind during such a chaotic and stressful time. Celina fielded countless emails timely and graciously over the span of a year as our plans evolved.
Never will you find a more friendly, genuine, and dedicated group of people. Our guests remarked at how lovely and helpful the staff was at our wedding and still talk about the incredible apps, pizza, and cocktails to this day. (*Btw our menu was entirely vegetarian/vegan-friendly and even the carnivores of the family couldn’t stop singing their praises). Thank you all so much for being a part of our day <3
DO NOT PASS THEM UP!!! AMAZING EXPERIENCE BOOK NOW
I could not have asked for a better caterer for our wedding. Our guests are still raving about the food and signature cocktails!!! I have had several quests say it was the most unique and best ...
food they have ever had at a wedding. The staff was absolutely Amazing and super helpful with set up and special requests!! My guests also loved the idea of seeing the pizza oven on site! I would give more stars if I could. If you are looking for a unique wedding caterer look no further! Plus Celina was amazing through all of the modifications we had to made due to the pandemic!
Wooden Paddle catered our backyard wedding and it was amazing. We had an excellent time during our tasting. The staff were very attentive. At our wedding our guests raved about the food and the bartender. I think everyone stuck to our signa...
ture cocktails, Don't Take It For Pomegranate and Fire & Ice, instead of the beer options. We had 4 types of pizza and the staff was great at bringing them out quickly! We are looking forward to going back to the restaurant to try out more of their dishes.
Wooden Paddle was one of my favorite choices we made for our wedding! They were amazing from start to finish. Celina was responsive and easy to work with - no matter how many questions we had. They even made a custom drink to put on our cockta...
il menu after we told the bartender at our tasting about our favorite drink that was meaningful to us. Guests were raving about how delicious the food was, and I couldn’t have been happier. If you are looking for a unique, reasonable catering experience, you will not be disappointed choosing Wooden Paddle.
Wooden Paddle was amazing to work with from start to finish. Planning a wedding for a second time due to COVID was stressful (new venue, fully outdoors, etc.) but the by far easiest part of planning was working with Celina and the rest of the t...
eam. Communication was great, especially handling our ever changing plans and requests. The food and drinks were amazing, and our guests are still contacting us, telling us how good the food, drinks and staff were. My wife and I would highly recommend using Wooden Paddle for your wedding (or whatever party/event you need awesome food and service for)! Thank you again to the Wooden Paddle team for making our day awesome!
Wooden Paddle provided the catering and alcohol services for our wedding and we could not have been happier with how things went! The food was amazing, they were very friendly, and their staff was very professional. All of our guests absolutely...
loved all of the food that was served at our wedding. We are so happy we chose them, and we will be going back to their restaurant to reminisce for years to come.
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and it was great. I loved that the owner was so personable and actually on site for our wedding! The food and drinks were awesome (especially the appetizers)! I absolutely would recommend Wooden Paddle if you’r...
e looking for great food, drinks and staff!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and we absolutely loved them and so did our guests! Getting married during a pandemic was very stressful but they were easy to work with and the staff was so friendly! All of our guests loved the food and drink...
s!
Wooden Paddle was absolutely amazing for our wedding! They were extremely helpful and genuinely great people from our initial tasting to wedding day. We dine in at the physical restaurant on a regular basis. They are flexible and willing to hel...
p in any way possible. I highly recommend them to anyone wanting a great event catering service or just a dinner night out.
Choosing Wooden Paddle to cater our wedding was the best decision we made. We were drawn to WP from the very start. When I inquired about a tasting, I received a quick response and easily set up our appointment. When we walked into the beautifu...
l restaurant, we were warmly greeted by Jonathon (the owner) who hosted the most amazing tasting. We walked out and knew that we had to book them after our awesome experience. Fast forward to planning, Celina was an absolute saint. She helped us navigate the obstacles we faced with the pandemic and was always there to help. Super quick to respond and always offering to help anyway she could. Because of covid, we had to majorly change our wedding plans and Celina was there for us every step of the way. She offered advice, asked what she could do to support me, and adapted seamlessly to all of the changes we had to make. We are so thankful for her. Of course, everything was executed perfectly on our wedding day. We received so many compliments on the food: how delicious it was, how cool it was, and how great the staff was. We loved everything about the food at our wedding. We HIGHLY recommend booking WP for your wedding day. They are without a doubt, the best!
Also, my husband and I have probably been the actual restaurant 50+ times after booking. One of our favorite spots for date nights or to take family/friends or ordering takeout! Thank you for everything you did for us WP, we love you!
Wooden Paddle was the most incredible food vendor for our wedding. Everyone we talked to was so kind and willing to help however they could leading up to our wedding, and the food is unbelievable. Wood-fired pizza with both traditional and more...
modern takes on toppings made for such an amazing experience. I would recommend them to anyone in the area and say that you or your guests won't be disappointed.
When my husband and I were looking for a food caterer for our Wedding, we knew about Wooden Paddle from a previous wedding we attended so we set up our appointment. We met the owner, Jonathan, at our tasting and he conducted the entire thing fr...
om top to bottom with such gracious attention and the food and drinks were absolutely amazing!! Wooden Paddle was exactly what we were looking for and we couldn't have been happier. They were in constant communication throughout this crazy year(Celina is amazing!!!!) and accommodating everything possible with all the questions and considerations we needed to make, including myself and a few other guests being lactose intolerant, their dairy-free pizza was a perfect option!! Our guests would not stop talking about how amazing everything was, especially how awesome the staff was! We still are receiving compliments to this day and we got married October 3rd! We cannot thank Wooden Paddle enough for being the most perfect Wedding Vendor/Caterer making our special day so amazing and will make sure everyone knows about them!
I can not begin to tell you how amazing the Wooden Paddle team was. Navigating the pandemic wedding was just the bonus, they were flexible and understanding. At the end of the day my guest couldn’t stop talking about the food. They loved the ap...
petizers (especially the steak), the service, the brick oven itself, and the pizza! It truly helped make my wedding memorable and one of a kind!
Wooden Paddle has fantastic food and the guests at our wedding gave us so many compliments on how tasty and unique the pizza was! My sister could also not stop talking about the pistachio gelato and was wishing for more! Having the oven at our ...
venue fit our style so well and made for a fun, interactive experience. I’m so glad we chose Wooden Paddle to cater our big day!
We would HIGHLY RECOMMEND Wooden Paddle if you are delicious, fresh food and easy to work with staff! We originally had planned a traditional wedding caterer for our wedding (the usual chicken, vegetable, potato with buffet service) but we were...
not excited about it. When the pandemic affected our wedding, we took this opportunity to change our catering to something we knew would be memorable. Wooden Paddle ended up being the answer – they bring their pizza oven on-site (how unique!?!), the food is fresh and hot, and they do family-style service for no additional fee! We were already sold with them on paper, but then they offered a tasting and we were officially blown away! And this is not a small sampler type tasting – this is a full-on meal and they bring out full dishes and pizzas, wow! Sam was so friendly and helpful and we could tell by the atmosphere of the restaurant that this was a business we wanted to support. Not to mention, the food was DELICIOUS! Working with Celina on all the planning was a breeze. Even when the county was put on mitigation for the COVID-19 reopening and we were going to do a progressive reception with two dinner services, she got creative and worked with us to make that happen (in the end, the additional restrictions were lifted and she helped us transition back again!). The day of, the food tasted amazing and we got so many compliments on how unique and delicious the food was (especially the chargrilled steak and gorgonzola cream sauce appetizer)! The brick oven pizza and gelato were the perfect balance of casual and upscale that fit our wedding vibe and venue. Wooden Paddle could not have been a more PERFECT caterer for us!
They were so professional and fun to work with. My guests could not stop talking about how good the food was!
We could not be happier with Wooden Paddle! Everyone was so friendly and easy to work with. The food is AMAZING and multiple people told us it was the best wedding food they have ever had! Best decision we made for our wedding!
We had Wooden Paddle cater for our wedding and it was one of the best decisions that we ever made. Not only was the food absolutely incredible, the wait staff were super friendly and took care of everything. They made sure my wife and I got eve...
rything that we wanted, including boxes for leftovers. So many people told us that it was some of the best pizza they had ever had. My wife and I plan to go back to Wooden Paddle every year for our anniversary! HIGHLY recommend Wooden Paddle!!
As a couple getting married during the pandemic, we had to make many changes as the state and CDC regulations changed. Our initial venue/caterer did not work out, but our new venue and The Wooden Paddle was there to the rescue!
We wanted food...
that was unique, and not the usual Chicken/Beef/Pasta wedding food. Everyone loves pizza, and once we went in for a tasting, we knew this would be perfect for us. At our tasting we got to sample a variety of appetizers and specialty pizzas. All combinations we tasted were delicious, and it would be tough to narrow down. Luckily, we came home with so many leftover boxes of pizza, that we could keep the tasting going the next day!
On our big day The Wooden Paddle was absolutely phenomenal! Their staff was fantastic and made sure everyone got to try all the varieties of appetizers and pizzas. They even packed us a box of pizza for us to eat later on because they knew we may not be able to eat enough during the festivities.
We can’t wait to visit their restaurant again to eat some more of their delicious food.
Thanks Wooden Paddle for a spectacular wedding!
Wooden Paddle made planning and day of the event very easy. They were able to accommodate our changes due to the pandemic. Food is always excellent; everything from the appetizers to dessert pizzas.