We can’t believe we’re already past the halfway mark of 2026! So far this year, we have had the pleasure of helping bring over 70 weddings and wedding-adjacent events to life! As a veteran premier Chicagoland caterer, we have experience catering not just weddings but all wedding-adjacent events such as anniversary celebrations, showers, welcome parties, and rehearsal dinners.
Meghan & Jacob — The Arbory
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“What an amazing catering company! We worked with [Catered by Design’s] team for our wedding, and they made the process seamless. They offer food that tastes amazing and a wide range of options to fit anyone's budget. I highly recommend them for any catering needs.”
Meghan & JacobGoogle – 5 Stars
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“Working with Erin from Catered by Design was an absolute pleasure. From the very beginning, she was incredibly organized and attentive, guiding us seamlessly through our options for cocktail hour, reception, and beyond. Our table setup was beautiful, and it perfectly captured the clean, elegant, off-white aesthetic we envisioned.
The food was the real highlight though. Our guests couldn't stop raving about it, and honestly, people are still talking about it! Some of our personal favorites were the beef tenderloin, mini wellingtons, and the miso salmon. On top of that, everything was very reasonably priced, and the service was flawless from start to finish.
We wholeheartedly recommend Catered by Design for any event. You won't be disappointed!”David & RaelGoogle – 5 Stars
To kick off the year, David & Rael celebrated their intimate wedding at the Woman’s Club of Evanston in January. After their beautiful church ceremony, D&R held a paebaek, a traditional Korean ceremony that joins the two families together by inviting the elders of the families to share their wisdom and insights on marriage. It is always such a joy when a couple includes a special cultural ceremony into their wedding day. As they noted in their review, D&R’s custom catered menu included dishes such as our Petite Beef Wellington hors d’Oeuvres, our Hand-carved Tenderloin of Beef entrée, and our Miso-glazed Salmon entrée. As guests enjoyed their meals, the happy couple also did a gender reveal for the newest member of the family! After such a sweet reception, the guests got to indulge in the couples’ selection of our Decadent Trio: Banana Bread Tiramisu, The Decadent Cheesecake Strawberry, and Key Lime Tartlets. Despite the chill outside, there was nothing but warmth and love in the beautiful historic venue.
Vendor Appreciation
Photography: The Gernands Photography | @thegernands
Venue: Women’s Club of Evanston | @eventswcofe
Planner: Cygnet Events & Design | @cygneteventsanddesign
Entertainment: Toast & Jam | @toastandjamdjs
Florist: Roger’s Park Florist | @rogerspark.florist
Bakery: Molly’s Cupcakes | @mollyscupcakeschicago
Paebaek: Oh Happy Day | @ohhappyday_event
Hair & MUA: Oh 2 Touch | @oh2touch
Organist: Hyea Young Cho
Catering: Us!
Ryan & Jesse — Rockwell on the River
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“We cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience. From the planning process through our wedding day, the entire team was exceptional.
Rachel was fantastic to work with. She was organized, responsive, professional, and helped make the entire process feel effortless. We always felt confident that we were in great hands.
The food was absolutely outstanding. To be completely candid, our tasting was so incredible that I wondered if the quality would naturally drop a bit when serving a large wedding (we had 220 guests). I was thrilled to be proven wrong. Every dish was just as delicious on the wedding day as it was at the tasting, and our guests noticed. We are still hearing from family and friends about how amazing the food was weeks later.
One thing that meant a lot to us was that they were willing to serve…appetizers from an outside caterer that was culturally important to our family. Not only did they accommodate it seamlessly, but they crisped it up perfectly and served it beautifully. It was a small detail that made a big impact and showed how much they cared about making our vision come to life.
The service throughout the evening was flawless. Everything was timely, professional, and executed perfectly behind the scenes, allowing us to simply enjoy our wedding day.
We truly had our dream wedding, and this team played a huge role in making that happen. We are so grateful for all of their hard work and would recommend them without hesitation to any couple looking for incredible food and exceptional service.”Ryan & JesseGoogle – 5 Stars
Jesse & Ryan’s wedding day was filled with gorgeous summer florals and a personal menu with meaning. Our mission is to bring our clients’ events to life exactly how they envision it, from the small personal details to the large-scale ones. We are happy to accommodate client’s preferences and requests when able, such as including special dishes. For J&R, they wanted to include Lumpia from City Grill as a special hors d’Oeuvres, and we are so glad to hear that we helped prepare it to perfection. We encourage all of our full-service clientele to come in for a personalized tasting to experience their menu ahead of their event date. This gives them the chance to make any alterations or updates to their menus so they can go into their big day feeling confident and stress-free.
Vendor Appreciation
Photography: Christine Meyer | @christinemeyercreative
Venue: Rockwell on the River | @rockwellontheriver
Beverage Services: VenueLogic | @venuelogic
Planner: Bustle & Lace | @bustleandlace
Entertainment: The DJ Firm | @thedjfirm
Florist & Décor: Art of Imagination | @art_imagination
MUA: Pin Me Up Chicago | @pinmeupchicago
Additional Hors d’Oeuvres: Grill City
Bakery: Iced Chicago | @iced.chicago
Late Night Snack: D’Agostino’s | @dagspizza
Catering: Us!
Tanyala & Antaeus — Penthouse Hyde Park
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“We recently worked with Catered by Design for our 10-year anniversary celebration, and they exceeded every expectation.
From the planning process through the execution of the event, the entire team was professional, responsive, organized, and genuinely committed to making our celebration a success. Every detail was handled with care, and their expertise gave us confidence and peace of mind throughout the process.
The food was absolutely outstanding. Our guests are still talking about the quality of the meal, the presentation, and the exceptional service they received throughout the evening. Everything was beautifully prepared and executed flawlessly.
What truly set Catered by Design apart, however, was their team. Everyone was attentive, courteous, and dedicated to creating an exceptional experience for our guests. A special thank you goes to Aukse, who was nothing short of phenomenal. She took a tremendous amount of pressure off our shoulders and allowed us to fully enjoy our celebration. Her professionalism, attention to detail, calm demeanor, and ability to anticipate needs before they arose were remarkable. The event simply would not have run as seamlessly without her.
Planning a milestone celebration involves countless moving pieces but Catered by Design made the entire experience feel effortless. Their commitment to excellence was evident in every aspect of the event.
We are incredibly grateful to Rachel, Aukse, and the entire Catered by Design team for helping us create an unforgettable evening. We wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone looking for exceptional catering, outstanding service, and a team that truly cares about making your event special.”Tanyala & AntaeusGoogle – 5 Stars
We get to witness new love stories begin every year, and it is always a tremendous joy to see how love has grown and endured through anniversary celebrations. Tanyala and Antaeus celebrated their 10-year anniversary at Penthouse Hyde Park surrounded by loved ones as they renewed their vows. Their milestone catered menu included delectable choices such as our Cajun Shrimp & Grit Canape hors d’Oeuvres and Sweet & Savory Salad course to our Roasted, Frenched White Truffle Chicken Breast entrée and Mini Lemon Bundt Cake desserts. Our cuisine preparation goes hand-in-hand with our stellar service team who make sure each detail is in place so that the client and their guests can truly enjoy the event they put so much time into. To hear from T&A that we helped them truly enjoy their day by taking the stress off their shoulders absolutely makes our day!
Vendor Appreciation
Photography: Jasko Omerovic | @jaskophotography
Venue: Penthouse Hyde Park | @thepenthousehydepark
Live Entertainment: TVK | @tvkmusic
Florist: Steve’s Flower Market | @stevesflowermarket
DJ: Shannon
Videography: Old North Film Company | @oldnorthfilmco
Catering: Us!
Becca & Tim — Bridgeport Art Center Skyline Loft
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“Catered by Design was one of our easiest vendors to work with! Rachel always responded so quickly to our many questions over email and made changes when we requested them. We did stations for dinner at our wedding and got so many compliments from our guests on the food. Our guests loved the variety, and the service made everything go very smoothly. They also accommodated a separate vegan, plated meal for one of our guests. It was nice to also have a small cutting cake just for us in addition to the dessert bar. The presentation of everything during cocktail hour and on the reception tables looked amazing.”
Becca & TimGoogle – 5 Stars
Have a large guest count slated for your big day? Get inspired by Becca & Tim’s gorgeous Bridgeport Art Center Skyline Loft wedding by incorporating multiple action stations into your reception! We are proud to offer a varied array of Grazing & Action Stations that highlight different cuisines named after iconic Chicago locations. B&T selected the following stations, allowing their guests to customize their plates with their favorite dishes:
- Pilsen Mexican Street Food
- Greek Town
- Tuscan Pasta Bar
- Flatbread Artisan Pizzas
In addition to their diverse main course menu, B&T provided their guests with the sweetest finale possible. From their ceremonial cake cutting with our signature swirls and pearls to their customized baseball Cheesecake Lollipops and even a Create Your Own Sundae Bar, every sweet tooth in the building got to indulge in the most decadent of delights.
Vendor Appreciation
Photography: Madi Ellis | @madiellisphoto
Venue: Bridgeport Art Center | @bridgeportartcenter
Beverage Services: VenueLogic | @venuelogic
Planner: Glowing Moments | @glowingmomentschicago
Entertainment: Rebel Entertainment Group | @rebelentertainmentgroup
Florist: Belles & Thistles | @bellesandthistles
Décor: Art of Imagination | @art_imagination
Bridal Gown: Volle’s Bridal & Boutique | @vollesbridal
Groom Suit: Men’s Warehouse | @menswearhouse
MUA: Sandy Thinnes | @sandythinnes_mua
Catering: Us!
Starting Your Wedding Journey
Starting your wedding catering journey? We are experienced in helping bring unique celebrations of all kinds to life, from rehearsal dinners and welcome parties to showers and the big day itself. As our couples’ kind reviews show, our goal is to bring your wedding-day vision to life by making every step of the process seamless and stress-free. Learn more about the wedding catering process via our blogs: 5 Simple Steps to Book Your Wedding Caterer and Catered by Design’s Guide to Sustainable Wedding Catering! These will set you on the right path and guide you through our easy steps to connect and move forward.
Contact Us for More Information
We want to extend a humongous ‘thank you’ to all of our incredible clients so far this year who have trusted our team to bring their big days to life. To those who took the time to leave such thoughtful, kind reviews, we are incredibly grateful. It’s been a joy to help bring your visions to life and create memorable wedding days.
When planning your wedding day, you should be able to relax and enjoy every moment. Rest assured, our exceptional wedding catering company won’t overlook any small detail. If you have more questions about your catered wedding experience, feel free to review our FAQs here or email us at [email protected]. We look forward to helping you bring your wedding and all the moments surrounding it to life!
