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| - In late May, A Taste of Excellence catered our wedding rehearsal dinner at the home of my husband's parents.
In the time leading up to the wedding, we had a relatively short lead time on planning the rehearsal, as our previous venue actually put us out of budget. ToE actually came recommended by our planner, and with just three months of planning, we were able to put together a rehearsal dinner that came in at around a third of the cost of the original rehearsal dinner.
We opted for the pig roast option (not the one that's served on the back of a fire truck, as one cannot get a fire truck up three stories), which also offered chicken and a choice of three sides. The menu selection process was rather easy, and our contact Stephanie made it very easy to make changes and customize our event to the best of her ability. Due to time and geographical constraints (we were planing a wedding in Cleveland while living in New York), we were unable to schedule a tasting, but trusted that the food would be delicious.
We also opted for bar service where we would provide the liquor and they would provide the mixers and garnishes. This turned out to be a good cost-cutting measure, since it allowed us to use smaller amounts of high-quality liquor for a 50-person event.
The day of the event, the staff arrived slightly late, but was highly efficient in moving equipment onto the site and quickly throwing up chairs, tables, catering stations and the bar. However, some freakish Cleveland weather (we were ready for rain, but not for hurricane-speed winds that were strong enough to overturn chairs) forced us inside, our catering staff was very quick about moving everything inside to our improvised indoor backup location, with little to no disruption to the event. By the time we had finished the rehearsal and begun welcoming guests, no one would have guessed that the dinner had to be relocated.
As for the food and drink itself, it was delicious. A North Carolina-based guest commented that the roasted pig was on the level of Southern cooking, and another guest said that it was the best barbecued chicken she's ever had. The bartender kept a steady supply of drinks going, and we only had to re-up once, when the bourbon turned out to be more popular than anticipated.
By the end of the night, we had just enough food left over to feed the late arrivals at our after-party, and the beer was all gone, as if meted out perfectly. It's a weird feeling having "just enough" so that our fridge wasn't overflowing with leftovers, we're not complaining.
Just as quickly as they set up, the staff quietly and quickly broke down equipment as the party was winding down, to the point where I had to actually pay attention as they were leaving so I could thank and tip the shift captain. Though we can't speak to the quality of larger events or weddings, we can say with confidence that ToE does a great job with a rehearsal dinner, and will work with you if you're clear about your budget.
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