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Plan Your Big Day with Wedding Catering in Chicago

We focus on the details so that you can enjoy your big day

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THE FIRST STEPS OF PLANNING YOUR CATERED
WEDDING CELEBRATION WITH CATERED BY DESIGN

Step1

REACHING OUT TO OUR CHICAGO CATERING COMPANY

You will want to visit our Contact page to get our Sales team the basic information regarding your event. This will be after you have had a chance to review the wedding venues we work with, our menu options for Chicago wedding catering, and other areas of the website that we have created to help you in this amazing journey. Once we receive your submission, one of our Sales Specialists will be contacting you after reviewing the information provided. Don’t worry, we understand that all of the information you are taking in can be overwhelming. We are here to help make the planning process less daunting and more fun!

Step2

 DISCUSSING YOUR CATERED WEDDING VISION

You and your Fiancé’s wedding celebration should be a true reflection of your personalities, tastes, and interests. It’s our goal to take the time to get to know you as individuals and help make that vision come true. Our first discussion is an opportunity to learn more about you and your vision for a Chicago wedding caterer. Don’t worry if some things are still up in the air; we’re happy to help guide you.

Step3

THE CATERING DETAILS

Following our first discussion, we will send you a personalized proposal for your catered reception. It will outline the details around event catering, food choices, and other information about your event, a selection of menu options for you to choose from, and an idea of cost. You and your fiancé will have a chance to review the proposal and send us both of your thoughts and adjustments.
This is also a great time for your planner to become involved, which we highly recommend for all of our couples. If you do need some recommendations, we can help provide you with some of the wedding planners we have worked with previously.

Step4

RESERVING YOUR DATE AND ARRANGEMENTS

Now that you love everything about your proposal, let’s go over the details to have your catered reception seamlessly come together! To reserve your wedding date with us, we ask for a deposit and a signed contract. After that, we start working on our end right away and stay in contact with your planner or you in the months leading up to your wedding.

Step5

CHICAGO WEDDING CATERING TASTINGS

We love tastings at Catered by Design and look forward to sharing our chef’s cuisine, prepared just as you would see it on your big day! At your curated wedding catering tasting, you will enjoy selections from your personalized wedding menu as well as discuss other elements of your celebration. Our Chicago catering tastings are designed to help you make decisions about your menu and communicate your tastes and preferences. We welcome any feedback at your tasting but, most importantly, we want you to have a great time as we get to know each other.

Where to begin

Bridgeport Arts Center Skyline Loft

Picking Your Wedding Venue

As a prominent Chicago wedding caterer, Catered by Design is partnered with some of the top local wedding venues. Looking for a city wedding with breathtaking views? Or the silence of the suburbs, surrounded by nature? Our wedding catering company has hundreds of vendor partnerships to help guide you along the process.

View Our Venue Partners

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Daniela Cardili| www.danielacardili.com

Planning Your Dream Wedding Catering Menu

We believe that your unique wedding catering menu should reflect you and your partner’s tastes and preferences. We have plenty of options to choose from, but don’t let that scare you. Planning the catered wedding menu of your dreams should be enjoyable and centered on your specific style and vision. Our diverse wedding catering menu options can be customized for your needs, whether you want a more casual catered buffet or a multi-course meal. Rest assured, when planning your wedding day, no small detail will be overlooked at our exceptional wedding catering company.

View Our Wedding Menu

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Tyrie Mehaffey| www.ty-photo.co

Before Your Big Day

Tailored for those seeking a refined culinary experience, our High Tea menu is an exquisite journey into the world of elegance and sophistication. Perfect for bridal showers, afternoon gatherings, or any event where a touch of class is desired – this menu features a delightful array of tea sandwiches, pastries, and teas. Our Chicago catering service provides an authentic and charming high tea experience.

View Our High Tea Menu

CATERED BY DESIGN IS A PROMINENT CHICAGO WEDDING CATERING COMPANY.

At Catered by Design, we understand that your wedding day is one of the most significant moments in your life, and we’re here to ensure it’s nothing short of perfect. Our commitment to excellence and decades of experience make us the ideal choice for your catered reception.  With a diverse range of menu options, exquisite presentation, and a team dedicated to bringing your vision to life, we provide a tailored and unforgettable Chicago wedding catering experience for you and your guests. Whether it’s a grand reception, an intimate ceremony, or anything in between, our culinary expertise and impeccable catering service will create a seamless and memorable wedding celebration. With Catered by Design, your love story is brought to life through the artistry of food and the magic of our exceptional wedding catering in Chicago.

Background Credit: Olivia Leigh | https://olivialeighweddings.com

What Clients Are Saying

I used CBD for my December 2023 wedding at The Library at 190 S. LaSalle. The services were impeccable.

I obtained proposals from several caterers from the venue's preferred caterers' list and went for tasting with two caterers. CBD's pricing is competitive compared with larger caterers, and menu options and tasting experience were better than smaller caterers. Lots of great hors d'oeuvres. Erin is very responsive, organized, and flexible. We were able to customize sides for entrees.

On the wedding day, the captain (Aukse) was extremely professional, competent and attentive. We fully trust her and went with her recommendations for an on-the-spot change. The set-up was beautiful without any supervision. Flipping from ceremony layout to reception layout was done quickly. I believe they collaborated with the florist very well. They were also nice enough to box leftover cake and entrees for confirmed guests who could not show up. I would definitely recommend CBD.

Meiqing F.

Wedding Food that's ACTUALLY Delicious

We used Catered by Design for our recent December wedding and we recommend them highly! Choosing a wedding caterer felt overwhelming at first. We found that many vendors were not transparent with their pricing or offerings and it could be difficult to get in touch with them for personalized information. The team at Catered by Design helped me rethink this stereotype. From our very first outreach to the day of the wedding, Catered by Design were so attentive and communicative to our needs. I have severe food allergies and many of our guests had dietary restrictions. At every point I felt my allergies and the needs of our guests were not only accommodated, but masterfully attended to.

I find that wedding food can be notoriously average for how expensive it has become. Let me just say - this was NOT the case with Catered by Design. On the day of our wedding our guests raved about the quality of the dinner and went out of their way to let us know how whimsical they found the appetizers and how tasty dessert was. The servers also went out of their way to be kind and hospitable to our guests, another touch that guests raved about.

Choosing a caterer for a large event can be a big ask, but Catered by Design made our design easy, enjoyable, and dare we say fun too! If you are looking for high quality service at a fair price, they’re the caterer for you.

Lilly A.

Exceptional caterer for weddings!

We worked with CBD for a June wedding at the Redfield Estate, and cannot recommend them highly enough!! The deeper we got into wedding planning, the more we appreciated just how essential our caterer was. CBD provided amazing food (flavor, presentation, portions, timing – everything was so on point!!)... but also set up and take down, floor plans, logistical advice, dinner and bartending services, and so much more. Matt Gray, our main contact, was amazing to work with from start to finish. He was so kind and responsive to our every little question and request.

On wedding day, our event captain was such a warm and welcoming presence, and he personally checked in on us during dinner. The team made sure that we had a plate of our favorite appetizers sent to us during cocktail hour (vegetarian for me, chicken for my husband). We had a surprise second cake cutting to celebrate a birthday, and they hid someone around the corner so that it would come out at the exact moment when we began singing Happy Birthday. These little details illustrate how CBD goes above and beyond to make your day perfect.

Finally, remember that the catering staff will personally interact with every single guest on your wedding day. CBD provided an exceptional service! Our guests raved about the appetizers and entrees (the only thing that our guest disagreed on was which was their favorite!), and especially complimented our bartender Dave. They said that Dave had great banter, patience, and most important — made incredible drinks like tequila sunrises, long islands, and more! CBD delighted us and our guests, and we would 1000% recommend them!! We hope to work with them again in the future!!

Kimika P.

CBD was WONDERFUL to work with for our September wedding! Rachel is organized, kind, and really understood the food and environment we wanted to create for our guests. Some of our guests' favorites were: the artichoke hearts au gratin (don't sleep on this - it's incredible), cheesecake lollipops and of course the wine tree (such a hit)! On the day of, Laura really took the time to make sure we were well taken care of and got to try all of our food - from all of the appetizers in the room after the ceremony, to putting dessert and late night food at our table when we got a break from dancing. The CBD team really felt like family and the food is delicious - would highly recommend!

Lauren M.

If you want a stress-free, perfectly executed wedding with DELICIOUS food & drinks, Catered by Design is a must. Rachel was the coordinator we worked with, and I can’t say enough good things about her. She is incredibly organized, knowledgeable, professional, and an overall kind & pleasant person to work with. There was not a single moment throughout the planning process where I had even an ounce of stress when it came to our caterer because of the meticulous care they took with everything. Most importantly, the food and drinks were PHENOMENAL. We heard so many compliments from guests about the meals, dessert, and our custom drink. I’m so grateful we found CBD for our catering & event rental services and wouldn’t have changed a single thing. We will be using them for all our family events going forward, and recommending them to anyone and everyone we can. Thank you Rachel, Sofy, and the entire CBD team!!!

Olivia M.

We had a wonderful experience with Catered by Design for our wedding. Rachel was great to work with from the beginning. Our wedding blended American and Nigerian cultures and we wanted the food to reflect that as well. CBD was able to incorporate Nigerian cuisine into the hors d'oeuvres, sharable plates, and entrees. We were impressed with how well they cooked some of the West African dishes. Rachel also worked with us to select tableware, linens, tables and chairs that achieved our design vision. And on the wedding day, the servers and bartenders were great - very professional throughout service and fun as well. If I ever do another large event, I would use CBD again.

Natalie Edemobi

Catered By Design was one of the most critically important vendors we ended up working with for our wedding! Every part of the collaboration process was so seamless, artfully approached, and gracefully executed. We worked closely with Erin who brought such a lovely energy to our meetings. We were absolutely floored by the quality and flavor in everything from our initial tasting to our reception desserts! It's been a month, and we are still hearing from our guests how much they loved the hors d'oeuvres and how tasty their meal was, something most people forget about weddings they attend. You cannot go wrong with Catered By Design; they will leave you happy and carefree on your wedding day and leave your guests with full bellies and memories of one of the greatest culinary experiences they've had at a wedding!

Matthew Sanders

CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR AWARDS, WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING, AND OUR GREEN PARTNERSHIPS

Frequently Asked Questions about Our Wedding
Catering in Chicago

Why can I not find pricing on the website?

There are many reasons for that. Prices are continually changing, so to ensure that the most accurate pricing is given with your wedding catering proposal, our menus will not have pricing. There are other factors that come into your event pricing such as rental costs for example.

What costs are associated with having a catered wedding?

Most wedding catering expenses relate to food, beverages, venue, rentals, staffing, florals, entertainment, décor, photography/videography, invitations, transportation, attire, accommodations—the list could go on depending on the complexity of your ideas.

Can I provide my own wedding cake or my own bar?

The happy couple is more than welcome to provide their own cake, though our Chicago wedding catering company has a full-time pastry chef on staff. Any bar selections provided by the client are subject to a corkage fee.

What wedding venues do you recommend for catering purposes?

Please see our Venues page where we list a variety of select venues in and around Chicago.

What areas do you service for wedding catering in Chicago?

We primarily work with events that are North and West of Chicago. Catered by Design has catered as far north as Lake Geneva and as far west as Elgin. Depending on our time of year, we do make exceptions for catering weddings and events that are located further.

Is there a minimum or maximum number of guests for catered wedding services?

We are here to see your vision come to life. Whether you have 50 guests or 300, our Chicago catering company serves weddings of all sizes.

How do you create my wedding catering menu?

Our experienced sales team works with our talented culinary specialists to build the catered wedding menu of your dreams and personally with you to understand accommodations and preferences.

What is included with your wedding catering services?

Our wedding catering services include our established vendor partnerships, venues, and comprehensive menu design. This involves a cocktail reception, passed hors d’oeuvres, grazing stations, a full-service bar, a seated three- to four-course dinner, staffing, and rentals.

How does it work once I contact you?

After filling out our Contact form, you will be contacted and partnered with one of our Sales Specialists within 24 – 48 hours. Your sales specialist will guide you through the entire wedding catering process. Our team makes it easy!

Do you offer wedding catering tastings?

We are happy to invite you to our Morton Grove office for a catering tasting of options that you may be considering for your Chicago wedding catering menu. There is no tasting fee and we allow you and your partner to each bring an additional person, other than your planner. A lot of couples will invite parents or someone from the bridal or groom party. If you need any additional people over what is covered, there may be an additional fee that your sales specialist will discuss with you.

What other wedding catering options are available to me from Catered by Design?

There is a lot that Catered by Design can do. Our Chicago wedding caterers work with a lot of couples to do their engagement party and rehearsal dinner. We love nothing more than past guests coming back to us for all of life’s events.

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Ready to Get Started?

One of our Catering Sales Specialists is always here to help bring your next event to life.

Contact Us

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