Gretchen Sent on 01/24/2014

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We worked with Lauren Levine of Festive Foods and we could not have been happier with our experience. I cannot just describe Lauren as a caterer, because she is so much more than that. Lauren stepped in as a wedding planner and made the process of wedding planning very enjoyable and stress free! Deciding to work with Lauren was a simple decision because from the get-go she was very quick to respond to my initial inquiry and this responsiveness continued throughout the entire planning process. Lauren helped me out by providing recommendations for the rest of my vendors, including hair, makeup, florist, deejay, and transportation. All of which, we were beyond pleased with. We had stations at our wedding and the menu the Festive Foods chef produced for us was exactly what we wanted and delicious! All of our guests are still talking about how much they enjoyed the food at our reception. Lauren and all of the Festive Foods staff were very attentive and professional. The entire reception flowed effortlessly and not once did I feel an ounce of stress. I completely trusted Lauren and her capable staff of putting on an amazing and elegant affair for myself and my guests.

User1294322 Sent on 08/20/2013

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We would highly recommend Festive Foods. Lauren is a pro and she was great to work with. Everyone loved the food. The staff was great and very professional.

Michael Sent on 09/08/2013

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We hired Festive Foods Catering as our wedding caterer. Festive Foods’ performance during the months of planning, set-up and execution stages of our wedding was absolutely remarkable and far exceeded every expectation we had of their service. We could not recommend Lauren Levine and her Festive Foods crew more highly. Organic, cruelty-free, healthy and gourmet foods are Lauren’s forte and the primary reason we chose Festive Foods after a tasting that lasted several delicious hours at their rustic office. While the quality and taste of the food was foremost on our minds, we were also highly impressed with Lauren’s patience, responsiveness, attention to detail and innovative style. Lauren was truly as excited about our wedding as we were and her responsiveness proved it: she responded to myriad calls and E-mails generally within a couple of hours and often within minutes. She really pulled out all the stops to accommodate and recommend special flourishes and customizations that only a highly experienced professional could do. Lauren and her team worked her magic within our budget. She made expert recommendations regarding décor, menu, bar items, linens and even other vendors. The result was an exceptional value. Lauren’s service and expertise easily rivaled or exceeded other DC caterers who would not even consider our business unless we were able to increase our budget by 30%. On the day of the event, Lauren coordinated almost every aspect of the wedding with our other vendors to ensure the event was perfectly flawless. Our tables, seating cards, linens, place settings and bar were breathtakingly beautiful. The Festive Foods catering staff were efficient, professional and well dressed. The whole evening flowed due to Lauren’s choreographed direction. We received numerous praise and compliments on the meal from our guests, both during and after the wedding. Festive Foods made our most special day a memorable success and we have no doubt they could do it for you, too!

Czarina Sent on 04/15/2013

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I did a lot of research before choosing our wedding caterer, but I used three key criteria when we were deciding on our caterer: their responsiveness, their price, and the taste of food. Festive Foods right from the start was the best at addressing these criteria, and were very willing to do anything to make wedding planning easier. I was planning our wedding for about 11 months, and I had a lot of questions, and Eduardo Carrasco answered all of them promptly and was a calming presence because they were one vendor I didn't have to worry about. They were also the most cost effective based on my comparison, and worked with me even when I would change my mind on the menu ideas. We were on a budget, and they were also flexible with how we can break down the payments in several installments, looked for ways we can save money, and even eased my mind about day of coordination by offering staff support on the day of. Lastly, their food was delicious; and our guests raved about! My absolute favorite are their cakes and pies! Overall, Festive Foods made my wedding day wonderful, and they exceeded my expectations not only in the food, but the service, and coordination of the wedding. I didn't have to worry about any of the set-up because I trusted Festive Food staff Khoa Ly who made everything flow smoothly and on time. I would definitely use Festive Foods again if given the opportunity and highly recommend.

User1028797 Sent on 11/27/2012

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We have received so many compliments on our wedding! Festive Foods provided our guests with a fine dining experience that caught everyone by surprise. Absolutely unbelievable and they took care of every detail. We fell in love with Lauren's enthusiasm and her love of fine dining. An added bonus - they were not the most expensive in the area.

User1024564 Sent on 11/23/2012

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Our food was amazing and Lauren was absolutely wonderful to work with, I HIGHLY recommend festive foods!

Beth A. Sent on 12/04/2012

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Festive Foods (FF) did a fantastic job at our wedding! This team defines the concept of true professionals of their trade. The food and service were top notch. Opposites attract and FF catered to some serious meat loving and some serious vegetarian contingents. All went home satisfied. If Festive Foods is available for your wedding day, without hesitation, we'd say sign them! We did a tasting and it was worth the drive to their headquarters. The tasting was the best we'd had compared to the others. All courses of the menu, including the desert, was the freshest, the warmest, and the most delicious of all we sampled. Notably, the tasting was consistent with what was served on the day of the wedding, even significantly scaled. We had a FF wedding cake and several stations that were fantastic. Lauren's expertise, attention to detail, and grounding throughout our planning and on the big day was invaluable, and they were able to create and execute on a menu and other stations that were truly inspired and wonderful.

Carey Sent on 05/08/2013

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I cannot imagine having another caterer for our wedding. Lauren and Khoa from Festive Foods gave us personalized attention and were with us through each step of the planning process. Lauren even referred me to a florist, who was able to give me exactly what I wanted in my budget. Speaking of budget, our wedding was on a budget and Festive Foods was reasonable. Great food was extremely important for me to have at our wedding and they delivered. We received so many compliments on the food. Even months after the wedding guests were still talking about it. You will not go wrong with this caterer.

Bonnie Sent on 07/22/2012

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Delicious food and amazing communication! Lauren and her team were on-point with everything! Our guests kept commenting how delicious the food was - and how great it all looked and was presented. I didn't need a wedding planner because Lauren is a Superwoman and practically was one. Our wedding was flawless and a big part of it was because of Lauren and Festive Foods!

Angela Sent on 05/29/2013

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I cannot praise Festive more highly or recommend them more strongly. We were thrilled to work with them for my daughter's wedding of about 115 people for a seated dinner at Woodend Sanctuary. From the start, Lauren Levine, our catering manager, quickly responded to any question I had and worked with me to land on a creative, seasonal menu at a resonable price. Since Lauren was so familiar with our venue, she was able to suggest seating plans that worked perfectly for the look and feel that my daughter wanted. We made a number of last-minute changes to our reception table layout, and our changes were easily accommodated. She was also incredibly helpful in deciding on the furniture and linens rentals; her familiarity with Woodend made our decisions easier.

At the wedding itself, Festive Foods staff was fantastic, and our guests were well taken care of. The wait staff and the bartenders at the wedding were great -- and very attentive to my daughter and her husband. People had warned them that they wouldn't have time to eat at the wedding itself, but Festive's staff didn't let that happen! They made sure that they were supplied with drinks and appetizers during the photo sessions and frequently asked if they (or I) needed anything throughout the day.

And most importantly, the food looked and tasted wonderful! I received many compliments from the guests on how much they enjoyed the food. It was truly a special day and choosing Festive Foods was one of the best decisions we made. Many thanks to Lauren for her help and guidance, and the entire team for making everything run perfectly!

Stephen Sent on 10/22/2011

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Festive Foods catered our wedding and was fabulous in every way. Our guests raved about their food, presentation and service. Festive’s price was also very reasonable, and was flawless in executing its commitments. We expected as much based on our past experience from events we attended which Festive had catered. But what we did not know was how important the caterer can be in terms of planning your wedding day. One of the reasons why our wedding and reception were so memorable was because Festive’s owner, Lauren, was extremely helpful in our planning for the day, and. Lauren was also always accessible for the months leading up to the wedding and continued to work with us to make our wedding “perfect!” Her positive approach to all that we were seeking to accomplish was so helpful. We can not overstate how important Festive was to the overall success of our wedding day.

Jeff Sent on 12/30/2011

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My wife and I had a wonderful experience with Festive Foods! Lauren was fantastic and provided excellent ideas as well as a great attitude. The food was delicious and our guests loved it. Her team was efficient and friendly. They coordinated with the other vendors and made things run smoothly.

IMO, Lauren went above and beyond my expectations and acted like a day of person.

We certainly recommend Festive Foods.

Celeste Sent on 09/26/2011

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Festive Foods, through Eduardo catered my July 30th wedding in DC. Hands down, Eduardo made our ceremony a night to remember.
We started by meeting Eduardo a little under a year before our wedding. We instantly hit it off, and could see that Eduardo and FF were extremely professional and very experienced in the catering world. Eduardo immediately got the idea of what kind of ceremony we were looking for and was able to give us suggestions. A few months later we met for a tasting and were blown away at how delicious the food was (and it was just as good the day of). Eduardo worked very closely with us to make sure that our ideas were being covered, while staying within our budget. Leading up to the wedding, Eduardo was very responsive to my emails, and made sure to answer all of my many questions. Eduardo and I had a run through at the venue to get the final idea of how everything would run the day of. The day of, the space was BEAUTIFUL. I left instructions to Eduardo on how I wanted everything set up and he went above and beyond on making sure everything was just right. His team was so impressive. There was a separate mini-bar and a tasting of hors d'oeuvre set aside especially for my bridal party as we arrived. The wine and dinner service ran incredibly smooth. We got so many compliments on how delicious the food was and how wonderful the staff was. Every time I looked around, someone from Eduardo's staff was there to ask if I needed anything. The staff was so incredibly efficient, professional and friendly. I can't stress enough how amazing FF and Eduardo were. It was surely a night to remember, and we don't have any doubts that FF was a big part of making it possible.

Thaisa Sent on 05/03/2011

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We worked with Lauren Levine of Festive Foods for our April 9 wedding. If we had to plan it all over again, we would choose Festive Foods in a heartbeat. Lauren was a treasure: she always had a "can-do" attitude and made sure that our choices--from the menu to the linens--reflected our personal tastes and worked with our budget. She was also helpful with suggesting other vendors (she referred us to our wedding photographer) and working with our day-of coordinator. Her professionalism inspired confidence from our first meeting and really made the planning process fun. The food is tops. We are foodies, so it was especially important to us what was served to our guests. They have told us it's the best catered food they've had. Even the coffee was a hit. Festive Foods helped make our wedding day truly memorable.

Meagan Sent on 04/13/2011

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We had a wonderful experience with Festive Foods. Lauren was amazing and made the whole planning process so much easier and smooth. She was flexible and responsive and helped us make a lot of important decisions. She provided advice about other vendors, made great suggestions, and always listened to us. Our guests said the food and service were amazing (they were) and we were really impressed overall. I would recommend Festive Foods, and especially Lauren, to any of my friends getting married. I can't say enough good things about them.

Shelagh Sent on 02/14/2011

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I cannot say enough positive things about Festive Foods. The food was delicious, but that's just part of it. FF was sensitive to our limited budget and really worked with us to find a menu we were comfortable with at a price we could afford. Lauren, the head of FF, is calm, collected and truly knows here stuff. She was honest and forthcoming with her opinions about where to cut corners and where not to, but not pushy at all about it. All of the staff we encountered with FF were professional and top notch - we got tons of compliments on our bartenders. They cared about our wedding and truly went the extra mile - when the liquor store (a totally different vendor) delivered the wrong beer the day before the wedding, they drove all around DC to find what my husband had ordered. That is just one example of the fine service FF delivered for our wedding. We couldn't have been happier...

Cassandra Sent on 02/21/2011

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Eduardo and the team at Festive Foods were an outstanding group of professional caterers and a group that gets my highest recommendations. I spent more time finding a caterer than any other vendor. I researched more than 50, contacts about half of them, liaised with about 18, narrowed to a dozen, selected the top 4 for tastings. Festive Foods came out on top on nearly every dimension, most important of which were food quality and presentation, value for money and customer service. There were several things I wanted to do that were "out of the norm" that Eduardo was very flexible in accommodating and actually excelling in supporting, surpassing my wishes.

One things that was not a usual approach, but one I HIGHLY recommend, is family style dining. Guests loved it and so did we. Buffets were too informal and for a couple family members, not a comfortable option. Platted dinners were too regimented and required too much upfront work (and I planned my wedding alone, so I needed help). Family style gave flexibility and helped guest to mingle across the table. Eduardo worked with me to create a beautiful family style approach, using local foods that were appropriate for the Fall season of my November wedding. Eduardo was also flexible. My brother, a chef, suggested a rather elaborate fish dish and Eduardo and his team were able to replicate it beautifully.

And the food was great! My brother, the chef, thought so. My friends, some of them big foodies, raved about it. I relished in the leftovers he bagged for us and was sad as I completed each dish.

The wait staff were attentive and kind. They ensured we had our food and drink and no else was for wanting. Our guests felt cared for and had a great time.

Eduardo was incredibly thoughtful in helping me work through the details of the day. He gave me suggestions, but was never pushy. He helped me cut corners in cost, without sacrificing the quality of the event. My brother made the cake, and he was incredibly accommodating. I made a homemade liqueur for dessert, and again, Eduardo helped showcase it.

In effect, Eduardo served as the day of coordinator. He made sure everyone did what they were supposed to do and be where they should. We made a few adjustments to the timeline as the reception progressed and he made it happen across all vendors. I extended the end time of the reception, and they helped keep the party going. Eduardo even met me just before I walked "down the aisle" (in my case, across the meadow) to wish me well and let me know that all was going to be great.

Hands down, I recommend Eduardo and Festive Foods. Everything about them met or exceeded my expectations. They hit the perfect intersection of value for money and I am grateful to them for making my day so special!

Briana Sent on 07/26/2010

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Eduardo of Festive Foods Catering was so wonderful! He and I worked for over a year to create exactly our dream wedding - festive fajitas and margaritas. He was so dedicated to making our night so unique and special, and I would love to work with Festive Foods again. The food quality was superb, and the service impeccable. You truly can trust them to do whatever it is you ask of them! Thank you so much, Eduardo, for all you did! It truly was amazing!

Briana Sent on 07/27/2010

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I can't say enough good things about Festive Foods. From my first meeting with Eduardo over a year ago, I knew they were the right choice. They worked tirelessly to create the vision we had in mind for our day - and it was certainly unique! Eduardo is so easy to talk to and very responsive - no matter what time of day. I would work with them again in a heartbeat! Needless to say, the food is superb and the service excellent.

Camila Sent on 06/04/2010

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Eduardo and his staff at Festive Foods did an absolutely amazing job at our wedding--we have nothing but the highest praise for their work. When we started planning the wedding, one of the highest things on my list was the food. The food was incredible, the staff was extraordinarily attentive, and the set-up and organization of everything were absolutely flawless. Eduardo was a joy to work with throughout the entire process--he was patient with our decision-making over menus and costs, very responsive to our many questions and emails, invited us to see the set-up of other events, and just fun to meet with. We also never felt pressured to exceed our budget or change our vision of what we wanted our event to be. Our guests were so amazed with the food and how professional the staff was, making us and all of our guests feel welcomed and special. We were ecstatic with how everything turned out, and would highly recommend Festive Foods.

Nophar Sent on 07/23/2010

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My husband and I both love our food, and we knew it was going to be the most important part of our wedding. When we met with Lauren Levine and then preceeded to have our first tasting, we knew Festive Foods would not only fit the bill, but exceed expectations at a reasonable price!

We had a buffet and kept adding food to the list, and each added menu item tasted even better! Everyone at the wedding found food they loved and got seconds of. We even had guests that work at the "Modern" (fancy restaurant in NYC in the Museum of Modern Art) in restaurant management that were impressed with our food! It was undeniably delicious! We also had Festive Foods make our cake, which they baked to perfection with amazing flavor and moistness, while matching the look we were going for at the same time!

Since my husband and I are both the first children/grandchildren in our families to get married, we were newbies to the wedding food etiquette, as were our parents. Lauren Levine stepped up and took on the task of answering all of our millions of questions and concerns and made sure we were stress free on the day of our wedding! She did such an unbelievable job making everyone in the family comfortable in addition to making sure our food was top notch! Thanks to Lauren and Festive Foods, our wedding was unbelievable!

Claire Sent on 06/18/2010

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Delicious food, great service, beautiful arrangements. We worked with Lauren, and she was even more helpful and responsive throughout the whole process that we could have asked for. Our wedding catering was exactly as we planned and imagined, and more! . The price was reasonable (believe me, we did our research/comparison shopping) to boot. Many weeks after our wedding we were still getting compliments on the delicious food and attentive service.

Sam Sent on 11/11/2009

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Festive Foods exceeded our expectations in every way and we would recommend them to anyone getting married in the dc area. They provided exceptional service, creative and delicious food choices, and they were extremely professional. Our catering planner (Lauren Levine) was very attentive to all of our needs and preferences, and was dedicated to making sure everything went perfectly.

The food was top notch - all of our guests were impressed and many people commented that it was much better than typical wedding buffet fare. FF were very sensitive to our likes and dislikes and came up with a creative and fun menu that matched our unique tastes. Their cheesecake is incredible - it was so good at the tasting that it convinced us to forgo any other type of cake. The day of the wedding, the staff was very attentive to us in particular and made sure we had everything we needed.

Best of all, the price was very reasonable in comparison to the other quotes we got!
Overall, we couldn't have been more pleased with our choice to have festive foods cater our reception.

Alison Sent on 12/08/2009

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I'm so glad we booked Festive Foods to cater our wedding - we were so pleased with Eduardo's and Lauren's service! Very responsive, professional, friendly - the planning experience and the day of were so enjoyable because of them!

Barbara Sent on 12/14/2009

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We couldn't have been more pleased with the food and service we recieved from Festive Foods. Lauren, Edwardo and staff were terrific!

Festive Foods Catering, Inc. Reviews

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Festive Foods Catering, Inc.