Woodwinds Catering

rocess. 5 stars! Details: When we booked our wedding at Kalmia Gardens at Gastler Farm last fall, Ken from Woodwinds reached out immediately and answered all of my questions regarding the contract details and menu modifications. Ken introduced me to Randy from Woodwinds early on in the planning process. Randy was very helpful throughout the planning process, responding to emails as promptly as he could, and jumping on several calls with me to answer any questions I had. Since we were working with Kalmia as the venue and Woodwinds as the caterer there were 2 seperate project portals which made things a little challenging to keep track of communications, but everything in the portals also went through email so we managed. We wanted to try the food before the wedding and Randy told us about several events at Woodwinds in Branford that would feature some of the apps and entrees we wanted to have at our wedding. The timing of those events never quite worked out for us. About a month before the wedding Randy told us about an at home tasting menu option so we went with that. I am not sure if the at home tasting menu was always an option or if it was a new offering later in our planning process, but it was the only opportunity we would have to try the food before the big day. The at home tasting allowed us to pick 2 salads, 2 pastas, and 2 entrees to try. We paid an additional fee to taste all 4 of the entrees options we would have (chicken, fish, beef, veggie). Everything was delicious so that made us very happy! The Monday before the wedding we did a drop off meeting with Randy at Kalmia Gardens and he went through all the details for the ceremony and reception setup. The day before the wedding I met with Randy and Michael from Woodwinds for a ceremony rehersal. This was the first time we met Michael, but he was just as nice and helpful as Randy had been. Having that rehearsal calmed our nerves and they assured us that they would walk the wedding party through the process again the next day. On the day of the wedding Michael was the Maitre D. I was sad not to see Randy that day since I worked with him during the whole planning process, but either way Michael was awesome! He communicated with me and my MOH throughout the day and helped everything to go smoothly. As the bride I didn't get to eat as much of the cocktail hour food as I wanted, but the groom and all the guests said it was great! I did get to eat during the reception though and everything was delicious. We had cavatelli with Sunday sauce as the pasta course and our guests were raving about how unique and tasty that was. We had a small 6 inch wedding cake including in our package which was cut privately for pictures. I thought the cake it would be cut up and served to guests but it wasn't. Some guests wanted cake, but we had a dessert food truck so that satisfied their sweet tooth for the night. Overall, I had a great experience with Woodwinds during the planning process. I would recommend the food and staff at Woodwinds to anyone starting their wedding planning process. 5 stars!

anything day-of. Coordinating with Randall before the event was straightforward and simple, and the team that arrived on the day was incredible. Special shout out to Jackie, my "brides bestie" for being just the sweetest and most helpful. Our wedding was absolutely perfect and we couldn't have done it without Woodwinds!

of, they were all so wonderful, attentive, professional but friendly. They put me at ease and followed the directions I had left them about how I wanted our centerpieces to a T. Evening was beautiful, the food was good and the pricing for our off site package was really the best deal around.  10 out of 10 experience!   

assisting with our food truck dinner service, and space cleanup. I can honestly say I was blown away with how our team went absolutely above and beyond what we had even hoped for. There were a few things that I (the bride) just ran out of time for before quite literally walking down the aisle and our Woodwinds team jumped right in to help, such as putting together my grazing table. They helped keep our guests fed, hydrated and happy all night and did a great job with turning over cocktail hour, dinner, and eventually dessert. They brought late night snacks, too, which were a big hit! I was so busy having fun and the night felt flawless, though I'm sure that I missed so many important things that our team helped with behind the scenes. Thank you, Woodwinds!!

vided excellent service to us and our guests!

y guests are still talking about how good the food was. They provided day of coordination to ensure things ran smoothly and were flexible to be able to switch to the rain plan even being close to ceremony time. Randy and the rest of the team are true professionals! Would definitely recommend for any couple!!

nessa to the end of the night with Randy. Also, who knew bridal attendants were a thing?? Not me, and WOW were we impressed by Christina and Emily. Thank you all oh so much! All the recommendations coming your way!

from the time we signed the contract through to the day of the wedding. Meetings with him covered every detail, and he delivered on all. The cost per guest covers so much more than just the food. On the day of the wedding, Randy was there to oversee the whole event. Everything ran smoothly. Michael, Randy's right-hand man, guided us through the whole day, keeping everything flowing and on schedule. The waitstaff was kind and professional. The food was delicious and plentiful. All the guests raved about the hors d oeuvres during the cocktail hour and the variety during the buffet dinner. Everyone's needs were taken care of. Jackie, our bridal attendant, made us feel like celebrities on our wedding day. From food to drinks, we were never wanting. And always with that great smile. We were absolutely delighted with Randy and his staff. The service and food were 5-star plus. The Woodwinds went beyond our expectations to make our day truly wonderful. Cynthia and Ron