Krista Sent on 10/05/2024

2.4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
2 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
3 out of 5 rating
Value
2 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
2 out of 5 rating

Disappointment

I selected this company to cater my wedding, and it unfortunately was a disappointment. Throughout the process despite being explicit about our wishes, there were large errors on our wedding day. We requested to have chicken with a white wine/sage sauce, and instead on our wedding day it was just breaded chicken with no sauce. Similarly we requested salmon with their blackberry/bourbon glaze, and instead there was just baked salmon with no sauce. The food was additionally lukewarm, and those were our two main entrees, so that was extremely frustrating. With our charcuterie grazing board at cocktail hour, there were no crackers or crostinis present despite that being in the description and on our contract. We spent so much...

I selected this company to cater my wedding, and it unfortunately was a disappointment. Throughout the process despite being explicit about our wishes, there were large errors on our wedding day. We requested to have chicken with a white wine/sage sauce, and instead on our wedding day it was just breaded chicken with no sauce. Similarly we requested salmon with their blackberry/bourbon glaze, and instead there was just baked salmon with no sauce. The food was additionally lukewarm, and those were our two main entrees, so that was extremely frustrating. With our charcuterie grazing board at cocktail hour, there were no crackers or crostinis present despite that being in the description and on our contract. We spent so much money and devotion on this aspect of our wedding day, only to have these issues occur and guests state their dislike of the food quality/taste.

Communication with this vendor was overall frustrating as the owner would often check up/clarify decisions that have already been established, and the items that she hoped to confirm were often not accurate. Five days before our wedding, she had asked to confirm if we had one passed appetizer, when we had previously established the 3 items we wanted passed around. I also did not utilize their rental services for glassware/cutlery, and because of this they were not planning to supply anything for our cocktail hour despite having a stationary table and passed appetizers. If I did not inquire about it, they were not even going to provide us with cocktail napkins for the passed appetizers!

I have been in contact with the vendor since and she was able to provide us with a partial refund (about 1/7 or 14% of what we paid), however this will not change my feelings or frustration present during my wedding day. I would not recommend using this company for wedding catering.

Paula Sent on 08/08/2023

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Book EKC, you will not be disappointed!

We booked EKC for our micro wedding and were very satisfied with their service. In organizing our event, we had a few discussions over the phone to customize our menu as we were planning from out of state. We had a guest with allergies and children in attendance, but EKC did an excellent job ensuring these guests would be taken care of. Our contract was clear and documented everything, including arrival time, equipment needs, and our menu choices. We were satisfied that the final cost was well within our budget, at about $30/person (although EKC made it clear there were ways to reduce the costs if we needed to). The food delivery was on time, setup of our buffet...

We booked EKC for our micro wedding and were very satisfied with their service. In organizing our event, we had a few discussions over the phone to customize our menu as we were planning from out of state. We had a guest with allergies and children in attendance, but EKC did an excellent job ensuring these guests would be taken care of. Our contract was clear and documented everything, including arrival time, equipment needs, and our menu choices. We were satisfied that the final cost was well within our budget, at about $30/person (although EKC made it clear there were ways to reduce the costs if we needed to). The food delivery was on time, setup of our buffet went smooth, and the chef was there for the carving station. Service was smooth, everyone was served and there was enough for seconds, and the food was delicious! We had a good variety of foods for heavy meat eaters as well as those who want something lighter. We were very blessed to have had such a wonderful and smoothly run catering service, and I highly recommend Early Katering Company for all of your catering needs!

Dan L. Sent on 11/28/2022

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Debbie = Fairy God Mother!

I do not even know where to begin. Debbie and the entire Early Katering team were truly God sent and went far above and beyond the role of a caterer. Debbie is a FORCE to be reckoned with. So knowledgable with a "whatever you need, we'll get it done" attitude was truly a blessing. The food was absolutely delicious and we felt 100% taken care of from day one. We loved our experience!

Twila Sent on 10/06/2022

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Delicious food and amazing staff!

Early Katering Co did an amazing job on our wedding day. From the day we had the food tasting, I knew that our guests will be enjoy the food in our wedding. I could only hear great compliments on how they enjoyed the food! Debbie and the team were pleasant and friendly from the get-go. Definitely a recommendation to hire EKC for your wedding catering needs!

Trish Sent on 05/10/2022

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Early Katering is the way to go!

For our wedding, we happened upon Early Katering Company through this website and were very pleased with how well they delivered on our big day. Shout out to Melissa for being so prompt with communication, she was so supportive throughout all our questions and needs. She made sure we got whatever we wanted. I was very impressed with their coordination and timliness at our wedding as well! And their food was amazing too, we got very lucky with choosing them, please consider them!

Christine Sent on 11/11/2020

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Great experience

We booked EKC to cater our wedding on 10/31/20. We really can't express how wonderful they were to work with. Marie and her staff went above and beyond to ensure the dining experience for our wedding was great and went off without a hitch. The food was delicious; many of our guests kept commenting how good it was.
Marie made sure to set aside any appetizers we wanted that we would have missed during cocktail hour. She continually checked in on us and made sure we were well taken care of. Additionally, we were so happy with their policy that they pack up any leftover food and donate it to a local shelter. We would definitely use them again for any event in the area!

Fiona Sent on 07/19/2020

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

The Barn at Kline's Mill

Marie and her team did an amazing job overcoming the many obstacles that throwing a wedding during COVID presented. Venue was beautiful. Food was excellent. There was only one very small hiccup when it started to rain, but Marie did her best to smooth that over as well. Would totally recommend this venue to friends and family!

Sarah Sent on 07/18/2020

1 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
1 out of 5 rating
Average response time
1 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
1 out of 5 rating
Value
1 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
1 out of 5 rating

No Show to Appointment

I recently scheduled a meeting with EKC and Marie Trissel to discuss catering for my wedding. Marie and I had emailed and she had said I was written down on her schedule. The appointment was 3 weeks later. I never heard from her in that time frame, nor was I informed of where to meet her. I assumed since we were discussing catering, that we were meeting at the Terrace. This was my mistake. I should have asked in the original emails. However, Marie didn't show up and I probably would not have heard from her had I not emailed her to remind her we were supposed to be meeting. We spoke on the phone and unfortunately she did...

I recently scheduled a meeting with EKC and Marie Trissel to discuss catering for my wedding. Marie and I had emailed and she had said I was written down on her schedule. The appointment was 3 weeks later. I never heard from her in that time frame, nor was I informed of where to meet her. I assumed since we were discussing catering, that we were meeting at the Terrace. This was my mistake. I should have asked in the original emails. However, Marie didn't show up and I probably would not have heard from her had I not emailed her to remind her we were supposed to be meeting. We spoke on the phone and unfortunately she did not seem to be remorseful and was fairly condescending. I assume because I'm young. I did receive a short and choppy apology email blaming the experience on COVID. Personally, everyone is having to deal with challenges during this pandemic, but many companies are still able to maintain their customer service and from reading previous reviews, this doesn't appear to be a one off.

Early Katering Company's reply:

As the owner of Early Katering, I feel the need to reply to this review. First of all, Marie was aware of the meeting and had driven out to and was at our other venue (The Barn at Klines Mill), thinking the meeting was to be there. In an email from Sarah on June 27, in response to Marie getting back to her, she stated " We would love to schedule a call or venue visit. She also gave dates for potential phone calls. Marie responded back with "I find it best to come look at the venue first". So the appointment was scheduled for July 12 at 2:00 pm, when on June 29, Sarah responded "A tour sounds...

Sara Sent on 01/02/2020

1.4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
1 out of 5 rating
Average response time
1 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
1 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
1 out of 5 rating

Ghosted by a caterer

After a few emails back and forth with Sabrina, we set up a phone call. In a detailed meeting that lasted over an hour, I was feeling confident in her attention to detail and general concern for our needs. She promised a quote by the end of that week, but we didn't get one. A follow up a week later was met with her apologizing for being ill the previous week and a guarantee that we'd see a quote within 48 hours, but surprise - that never came. I followed up one more time to give her a chance and still haven't heard back. We are very disappointed and now have to start back at square one (and circle...

After a few emails back and forth with Sabrina, we set up a phone call. In a detailed meeting that lasted over an hour, I was feeling confident in her attention to detail and general concern for our needs. She promised a quote by the end of that week, but we didn't get one. A follow up a week later was met with her apologizing for being ill the previous week and a guarantee that we'd see a quote within 48 hours, but surprise - that never came. I followed up one more time to give her a chance and still haven't heard back. We are very disappointed and now have to start back at square one (and circle back to other potential vendors that we left hanging while waiting for Early Katering to do their job). If we weren't the right fit, at least let us know that you don't want our money so we can find someone who does. Heed the reviews (the YELP ones seem to ring the most true) and spend your precious energy elsewhere :(

Early Katering Company's reply:

Sara

Want to apologize again for your experience with our previous sales representative. Thank you for allowing Michelle to work with you. We are looking forward to a very positive experience for your wedding.

Paige Sent on 11/05/2019

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing food & professional staff

This team was an absolute delight to get to know and work with while we were planning our wedding.

I will never be able to thank them enough for all that they did! The food was so good, we have gotten numerous complements.

Laura was so helpful and responsive. I know I asked an insane amount of questions but she handled each and every question perfectly. For anyone reaching out to EKC, I would remind them to be patient with the emails as they are responding to a lot of people and coordinating a lot of details for other events.

I would pick this vendor again and again. Joe, the bartender, was amazing! Everyone...

This team was an absolute delight to get to know and work with while we were planning our wedding.

I will never be able to thank them enough for all that they did! The food was so good, we have gotten numerous complements.

Laura was so helpful and responsive. I know I asked an insane amount of questions but she handled each and every question perfectly. For anyone reaching out to EKC, I would remind them to be patient with the emails as they are responding to a lot of people and coordinating a lot of details for other events.

I would pick this vendor again and again. Joe, the bartender, was amazing! Everyone loved him. The team coordinated all the rentals, which were handled perfectly. We would not change a single thing from them!

Thank you EKC! We will be singing your praises for years to come!

Laura Sent on 09/04/2019

4.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Great food!

I hired Early Katering to do the food for my reception and the staff day of was wonderful! I very much appreciated the woman who was the banquet captain. She had everything running so smoothly and even made sure that I was getting enough water to drink (it was a 93+ degree day on my wedding and I had a ballgown on). The food was delicious and I had a couple of guests tell me it was the best food they had ever eaten at a wedding.

Felicia Sent on 06/03/2019

3.4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
1 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
3 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

Delicious Food!

Best food in town! Delicious and lots of options to choose from. Kay is so sweet and great to work with. She needs help with her management staff but the food was fabulous and our wedding day was great.

Matt Sent on 02/08/2019

1 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
1 out of 5 rating
Average response time
1 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
1 out of 5 rating
Value
1 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
1 out of 5 rating

Unprofessional

This review is my honest interaction while trying to work with Early Katering.

My fiancé and I met at the facility and toured both locations. We decided not to use Early Katering for the wedding based on outside feedback and the restrictions/pricing they imposed. However, we did think that having them cater our rehearsal dinner would work at an offsite location. They have a very large menu to chose from and lots of options. We attended a couple weddings they did and thought it was in line with the price point, which is middle to lower for caters in the area.

I contacted Laura to notify her we would like to move forward for the rehearsal...

This review is my honest interaction while trying to work with Early Katering.

My fiancé and I met at the facility and toured both locations. We decided not to use Early Katering for the wedding based on outside feedback and the restrictions/pricing they imposed. However, we did think that having them cater our rehearsal dinner would work at an offsite location. They have a very large menu to chose from and lots of options. We attended a couple weddings they did and thought it was in line with the price point, which is middle to lower for caters in the area.

I contacted Laura to notify her we would like to move forward for the rehearsal dinner on Nov 22nd, which she acknowledged. Not until Dec 13th did we receive the contract. In here, it states “…..please reach out with any questions either of you have or any clarification that is needed on any info listed in the contact…” After reviewing the contact, I had questions and concerns. I replied with a list of things I needed clarified and stated, “I will not sign the contract as is. I have a few questions to better understand a couple points” and “I think the contract is written in general terms and not specific to our event, so these questions and changes may be easily reviewed. Thanks for the time.” I sent this on Dec 21st.

I emailed multiple times, and called multiple times, with no response. Multiple attempts to talk with someone, but kept getting redirected since no one was available….until Feb 5th. Not one single update, email, call, or attempt to answer my questions from Dec 21 to Feb 5. And on Feb 5th, they responded that “…to receive an e-mail stating that a client is not willing to sign a contract as is, in the manner and tone the e-mail was received did require senior management……there are several items noted that are almost accusatory and distrusting of how a company handles certain circumstances…” Summarized, they no longer wanted to work with me. Melissa Riley, who sent the email, did not attempt to call me, email me, or better understand the intent of my questions, but assumed I was being derogatory and had to be prodded for a simple response. They still have not taken a phone call from me, yet they assumed bad intent through solely one email exchange.

Before I finally got a response, I already found another caterer, since it was over a month since I heard from anyone. To give an idea of my questions/concerns for people looking at Early Katering:
- Will I be able to contact someone or get timely responses?
- EKC has the final say in head count, and assumes everyone at the event. I asked about people not staying for dinner if they would be counted?
- I asked at what age children counted, since I plan to have many kids present from 0-5 years old
- I asked for some sort of validation if they derived a different number than I anticipated
- I asked them to add if EKC cancelled, I would be refunded the full $500 – basic customer service request
- I pushed back on the $1000 requirement and asked if it could be implemented after food was purchased, which I would understand in that case. This is in addition to the $500 upfront deposit.
- My biggest concern was the LABOR HOURS. They do not give you a solid number – its estimated and TBD. How do you not quote exact cost knowing a start and finish time, and if it goes long, you add afterwards? They also talked about rotating staff, which I questioned if was needed for a 2 hour event?
- Since it was a GENERIC contract (for a wedding, and this isn’t a wedding) I asked them to remove the alcohol section since I would not have them serving.
- The entire contact is a form of protecting EKC. I asked they add if damage was caused by EKC, they would be held responsible. I needed some sort of protection for myself, or else you’re 100% liable for their actions.
- EKC also states they have to make “NO OBLIGATION TO ATTEMPT to reschedule”. I asked they remove that and if needed, to work with me.

I am very unhappy with the response time, incorrect assumptions made through email, and lack of communication. I would understand if they couldn’t meet my request and stated that, but they accused me instead. There are plenty of caterers in the area, and I recommend one other than EKC.

Meghan Sent on 01/27/2019

3.2 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
3 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4 out of 5 rating
Value
2 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

Mixed feelings

We booked our wedding at Klines Mill therefore we had to use Early Katering. They have a wide variety of options to choose from which was very appealing. We did a tasting and decided to stick with everything we had planned to have. The disappointment came at the wedding when the food was served cold. The venue hence the catering company have a timeline with the agreed upon time for the meal. But about 45 minutes prior to that time the catering staff tell my mom the food is ready to be served meanwhile we still have bridal party introductions, first dance, parents dance, and the shoe game . I hated that we paid good money for cold food...

We booked our wedding at Klines Mill therefore we had to use Early Katering. They have a wide variety of options to choose from which was very appealing. We did a tasting and decided to stick with everything we had planned to have. The disappointment came at the wedding when the food was served cold. The venue hence the catering company have a timeline with the agreed upon time for the meal. But about 45 minutes prior to that time the catering staff tell my mom the food is ready to be served meanwhile we still have bridal party introductions, first dance, parents dance, and the shoe game . I hated that we paid good money for cold food at our wedding and that it was served to our guests like that. The catering staff was friendly and helpful if only the food could have been served hot.

Emma Sent on 12/27/2018

3.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
Average response time
1 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Good service if you're flexible

Early katering was a great service to personally work with - but they are VERY busy. If you choose them make sure you have time to wait on their responses and processing your details and payment. There were times we waited weeks to hear back from them. Despite that, they were very flexible in making adjustments to our specific needs for our guests. Their prices were fantastic and the food was delicious.

Lauren Sent on 10/20/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Early Katering is the BEST in the Valley!

As my now-husband and I were planning our wedding, we were originally going back and forth between a few catering companies and I am SO incredibly grateful that we went with Early Katering!

Planning a wedding on my own, from out of the area was definitely a difficult task and there's no way I could have done it without Early's help. Laura, the client services manager, was absolutely AMAZING and such a HUGE HELP! She was so organized and professional. She answered all my *many* questions quickly and thoroughly and was seriously like my wedding fairy godmother! Not only did Early handle the catering, but they also coordinated all our rental needs, which made planning so much...

As my now-husband and I were planning our wedding, we were originally going back and forth between a few catering companies and I am SO incredibly grateful that we went with Early Katering!

Planning a wedding on my own, from out of the area was definitely a difficult task and there's no way I could have done it without Early's help. Laura, the client services manager, was absolutely AMAZING and such a HUGE HELP! She was so organized and professional. She answered all my *many* questions quickly and thoroughly and was seriously like my wedding fairy godmother! Not only did Early handle the catering, but they also coordinated all our rental needs, which made planning so much easier. It was so nice to have everything streamlined in one place and to not have to worry about going back and forth with a catering company and numerous rental companies.

In addition to all the help they provided in the planning stage, Early Katering totally delivered on our wedding day! The food was DELICIOUS. We got so many compliments from our guests. The staff was so professional and organized. Everything went so smoothly. We truly could not have asked for more. It was absolutely perfect.

If you're having a wedding in the Valley, you HAVE to go with Early Katering. They're simply the best and you will not regret it!

Alannah Sent on 07/25/2018

4.7 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3.5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Early Katering was great to work with. From the beginning, they were extremely informative and very forthcoming. Laura was always ready to help with any questions I had, and was always available to talk with me, via phone or email. For our wedding dinner, we had a pasta action station, and our guests raved about it. Everyone was able to create what they wanted and have it cooked in front of them, which was really cool, and looked very fancy. They were organized, prompt, and had a very smooth work flow about them, making our day that much easier. We worked with the baker they are in business with as well, Melissa (Cakes by Melissa) which proved to be...

Early Katering was great to work with. From the beginning, they were extremely informative and very forthcoming. Laura was always ready to help with any questions I had, and was always available to talk with me, via phone or email. For our wedding dinner, we had a pasta action station, and our guests raved about it. Everyone was able to create what they wanted and have it cooked in front of them, which was really cool, and looked very fancy. They were organized, prompt, and had a very smooth work flow about them, making our day that much easier. We worked with the baker they are in business with as well, Melissa (Cakes by Melissa) which proved to be a great choice. We had one bump where I had a hard time getting ahold of her for a month or two during the planning process, but everything still came together with plenty of time. For dessert we had an Italian cookie table with a small cutting cake, and that was a huge hit too. Not many cookies left to take home, and the cake was moist and delicious. Presentation was beautiful too! After the wedding, my cake stand (that I care about very much) went missing for a few days. Early Katering was so helpful, they helped me to locate it with their staff. They totally went above and beyond to be sure everything was perfect, before, during, and after the wedding. Highly recommended by me. If I need another event catered in the future, I know who I'll be going with! Thank you Early Katering!

Donna Sent on 06/25/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Food was great and the staff took good care of us for a wonderful wedding reception. There were some unexpected costs, such as needing to purchase expensive disposable plates, forks and napkins that were actually hardly used. But we would recommend them and use them again!

Joshua Sent on 06/10/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Early Katering was an absolute breeze to work with. They were prompt in responding to questions, had a very comprehensive menu to choose from, and were professional in every way. On day of, our food was ready on-time and prepared to perfection, with rave reviews from all of our guests, and the staff were exceptionally courteous, even with an hour-long weather delay.

Would absolutely recommend, can't beat the quality, value, or level of service.

Early Katering Company's reply:

Thank you for your kind words and allowing us to be a part of your special day! It was truly our pleasure to work with you both on your event!

Brooke Sent on 04/12/2018

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Early's (I worked with Genea) was very responsive, timely, and professional. We ordered hor d'orves for our cocktail hour as well as a buffet style wedding package with bread, salad, drinks (we did not get our bar package through them), two sides, and two main courses. There was more than enough food for everyone despite being ordered "per person." They also provided a dessert (cobbler) in the package. Overall we were very happy with the food and quality. They also did their own set up and clean up (we had to provide all dishes and glasses), but they were familiar with the venue and were completely self-sufficient to get everything set up on time.

Lindsay Sent on 01/07/2018

2.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
2 out of 5 rating
Average response time
2 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
2 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

Everything turned out great & I couldn’t find better prices anywhere but the planning was made much more difficult by EK's poor company structure. Genea (G.) & Jamie (J.) were lifesavers, but the head woman, Melissa (M.), was awful. They're understaffed & duties are poorly distributed. G. was insanely responsive & I had no negative interactions with her. At first, M. was great, but communicating w/her was a nightmare after we signed the food & venue contracts. She’s the only one in charge of “month-of” coordination which is best done from the office, but M. is also the only one who does flowers, which requires significant time outside the office. M. never returned emails, calls, or messages left w/co-workers...

Everything turned out great & I couldn’t find better prices anywhere but the planning was made much more difficult by EK's poor company structure. Genea (G.) & Jamie (J.) were lifesavers, but the head woman, Melissa (M.), was awful. They're understaffed & duties are poorly distributed. G. was insanely responsive & I had no negative interactions with her. At first, M. was great, but communicating w/her was a nightmare after we signed the food & venue contracts. She’s the only one in charge of “month-of” coordination which is best done from the office, but M. is also the only one who does flowers, which requires significant time outside the office. M. never returned emails, calls, or messages left w/co-workers about various things and I was usually told ONLY M. could help me w/this or that. Thankfully, G. was hired on about 6mos. out and was amazing. We literally never heard from M. again after Apr. 2016, aside from someone else saying, “M. said…”. We weren’t given an invoice to put a deposit down on flowers & I wasn’t sure if M. was really going to come thru, so we had baby’s breath as Plan B. But the flowers were beautiful, exactly what I wanted, & we paid in full a few days before. The staff must've had a file on us, but it wasn't shared w/others well. We met w/someone for the cake tasting & gave her our notes, but never got an invoice for that deposit. Turned out J. was unaware we wanted her to do our cake until 2 wks out, but she never lost her cool. Now I can’t remember the small details, but I haven’t forgotten the turmoil caused by M.’s lack of communication, even w/Genea's heroism in the end. EK needs more staff & M. needs to better share the workload & communicate more effectively w/them & w/clients. Overall, I'd recommend using them for food, cake, & probably venue (see Barn at Kline's Mill; you must use EK for catering there) unless it's for a VERY off-season wedding; find your flowers & coordinator elsewhere to save your sanity.

+2 photos

Susan Sent on 09/11/2017

4.4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

The venue was beautiful and Laura, Joe and Kay were a delight to work with. All of the wedding guest had a ball.10,0

Olivia Sent on 05/29/2017

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding planning for us consisted largely of finding the right food -- we love food! What was shocking was how often caterers we contacted would blow us off, ignore us, respond unprofessionally, or add on unneeded charges.

Early Katering was the first and only catering service that responded promptly, professionally, and clearly. They were flexible, creative, and detail-oriented -- and that was all before the day itself. On the day of the wedding, we had absolutely *nothing* to worry about food-wise. They were so efficient and professional, and our guests were completely enthusiastic about our food choices. It was hard for us to find a moment to really sit down and eat, but each bite we got...

Wedding planning for us consisted largely of finding the right food -- we love food! What was shocking was how often caterers we contacted would blow us off, ignore us, respond unprofessionally, or add on unneeded charges.

Early Katering was the first and only catering service that responded promptly, professionally, and clearly. They were flexible, creative, and detail-oriented -- and that was all before the day itself. On the day of the wedding, we had absolutely *nothing* to worry about food-wise. They were so efficient and professional, and our guests were completely enthusiastic about our food choices. It was hard for us to find a moment to really sit down and eat, but each bite we got was fabulous.

We'd also note that I'm a vegetarian, unlike my husband and many of our guests, and that Early was amazing about providing delicious, substantial, and unique vegetarian options that were just as satisfying and popular as the meat choices!

Kinsey Sent on 12/07/2016

3.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

Some of the food was not worth the cost.

Cecilia Sent on 11/21/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We used Early Katering for our breakfast for dinner wedding. We absolutely LOVED the food, and our guests continue to rave that it was some of the best they've had! We also so appreciated their consideration for our budget as a young couple just starting our careers. All along the way they offered helpful advice on how to minimize cost while still getting the wedding of our dreams. We couldn't be happier!!

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Early Katering Company