I hired chef Mark weeks in advance of a very special dinner party for 9, knowing that my work…read moreschedule that week would not allow me to plan, shop and cook. It was wonderful to not have to worry about the meal details leading up to our big evening, and the chosen menu was not complicated, and at the $85/pp price point, I expected something elevated, which is what I would have served for my special friends. Our chosen menu was charcuterie board, bruschetta, caesar salad, sauteed scallops with risotto and asparagus, and dark chocolate mousse for dessert. During a phone call a week in advance, I instructed Mark that my guests would be arriving at 6, with dinner served at around 7, and that I wanted the dinners plated. I also requested that dessert be dark chocolate mousse, to which he responded "you got it". He said that he would arrive at 5, and depart right after dinner was served. Mark arrived promptly at 5 as we had agreed. I provided platters for the appetizers, and Mark's assistant then put out pre sliced cheese slices and deli meats, the kind you would purchase at Sam's club. Cheese slices, salami type meats and crackers. Not my idea of a charcuterie platter. His home mode bruschetta of olives and sun dried tomatoes served on crostini was delicious and a big hit. Mark asked me if dinner would be served buffet style or family style. I reminded him that I wanted the dinners plated.The caesar salad was made with bagged chopped romaine, store bought croutons and too much bottled dressing; Mark added shaved parmesan to jazz it up. After plating, the salad dishes were put on the table, off to the side. I moved them to the center of each place setting, indicating that we would have salad first, ahead of the entree. At around about 6:30PM, Mark told me that the entrees were ready. I reminded him that we would be sitting down at 7. He then asked if I wanted him to hang around until then. That would be correct. Risotto was good, the roasted asparagus was perfectly cooked, but the scallops were not at all what I had envisioned - 5 scallops, the size of nickels, some as big as quarters, were served to each guest. The mousse was good, and freshly made on site, but definitely not dark chocolate. My guests did not leave hungry, much good wine was consumed, and the conversation flowed. But it was not the elevated dining experience that I expected, and that I typically serve to my friends who themselves are stellar cooks. Reading the other glowing reviews, I wonder if Mark was having an off night, especially in view of the several miscommunications regarding serving style and timing. I nonetheless tipped generously as I appreciate the time and labor involved. I just wish it was all better.

We hired Chef Mark Dragon for a graduation dinner party of 9, 12/14/2024. We were unhappy with the…read morefood and response at addressing my concerns afterwards. I had guest complain about the sirloin steak saying it looked and tasted like cube steak. The Parmesan Crusted Chicken had no crust and did not taste good. No one ate the beef or chicken. We did select the lower per person rate of $55 per person instead of the premium $100 per person though I didn't expect to have a lower quality due to this. I thought we had clear communication fielding all my questions beforehand. I did not realize he was giving us extra accommodations as we were told afterwards with the amount of entree choices. In prior emails he stated we had 2-3 selections I went with 3 and did not count the one vegan meal. We discussed in our correspondences having a desert he mentioned he could do peach cobbler though when I sent him the final menu I left that out by mistake, my bad though I would have expected him to confirm this since we had discussed it so we were surprised that we didn't have desert. I do have to say the salad, green beans and butternut squash were very good. My guests were not happy though we made the best of the evening. I would not recommend this chef. ** Main point is everyone complained about the beef and chicken and did not eat it, we ended up throwing it out.

Cielo made our rehearsal dinner everything we dreamed of. The food was delicious and the service…read moreimpeccable. Beyond that, Jordan was always happy with to answer our questions and try to accommodate all of our special requests. Highly recommend Cielo to anyone in the Asheville/NC mountain area.

I could not be happier with Remix Weddings! Mitch was extremely easy to work with and was quick to…read morerespond. I hired DJ Kipper for my 1920's Themed wedding and he did not disappoint! Kipper was professional, quick to respond, thorough, energetic and fun-loving. Right away, I felt at ease with Kipper and he made my husband and I feel ready to have this wedding. On the day, Kipper's mix was fantastic and all of my guests had a blast breaking it down on the dance floor. Don't hire anyone but Remix Weddings for your wedding/event!!! Example: Kipper had to improvise because it was so cold that his equipment was freezing! He was so hilarious, professional and gifted at improvising. I had a major issue with my wedding coordinator (Kristi Mayran of Stargazers Designs) and Kipper made the day run smoothly. I'm so thankful that I hired him!

DJ Kipper and remix weddings were fabulous! Kipper played a range of music that kept people on the…read moredance floor all night. I received so many compliments on my DJ selection! Highly recommend!

​ I can't say enough to fully describe the talent Liz…read moredemonstrated when catering a birthday party I threw with 30 people in attendance this past weekend. Everything when dealing with Liz was exceptional from ordering and menu planning to the flawless delivery of some of the most amazing hors dourves I've ever tasted! The party Liz catered was a surprise party and I was pretty nervous about the entire night, so I needed a caterer that needed no hand holding and could work in the background without the need for a lot of direction - that's what you'll get with Elegantly Simple Retreats - classy, seamless delivery. My guests RAVED about the food and I'm really now looking forward to trying out her personal chef services at some point soon. This is a talented, professional, exceptional chef running an easy to deal with Asheville based catering company that I obviously HIGHLY recommend! Thanks Liz!

Our family just returned from a fabulous week in Black Mountain North Carolina enjoying a family…read morereunion with 13 of us. We were lucky enough to have 3 dinners catered in our rental house by Liz. Not only was the food was delicious, but she was adorable and lovely to work with. We were traveling with 6 kids between the ages of 3-11. Liz was so patient with them and their desire to "help" her in the kitchen. We would definitely recommend her to our friends and even use her services again for future vacations in the Asheville area!

I can't say enough about the excellent service and kindness from Asheville Marriages! They took the…read moretime to get to know us and guide us along the way to create a truly special ceremony! Thank you Phil and Sara! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! I highly recommend Asheville Marriages if you are looking for an officiant! 5+ stars from this happy couple! -John and Lisa Muesing Wedding 10-14-2017 at Old Edwards Inn

Barrett and Philip with Asheville Marriages were amazing. They were able to give us the perfect…read moreceremony. We received so many compliments on the content and delivery! Thank you for helping make our wedding day perfect!

Bar Barbie's is the way to go! My family and I reached out to them at the last minute for a…read moreChristmas party . I spoke with Tamara, her and her business partners Rica and Tia had no problem accommodating us at such a short convenience. The bar Barbie's were very professional and were self sufficient in their supplies. Oh and these girls work with smiles on their faces and even will tell a joke from time to time . We enjoyed you girls thank you !

Booked Bar Barbies for a Christmas party and everything was perfect. These girls are very…read moreprofessional, included a great drink selection, and their presentation was top notch. Book them, you will not be disappointed!

Thank you Sarah for making me feel very comfortable in front of the lens…read more I'm normally really awkward and uncomfortable but she really talked me through it and made me feel good. She was extremely professional and knew what she was doing. Highly recommend Sarah.

Sarah is such a sweet person. She took our headshots for Merivis and was all about "finding the…read morelight" and getting our best angles. She didn't hesitate to climb up on the couch in the window or ask you to shift your weight to this foot or that. I appreciate all the time she took to make sure I looked my best for my professional headshot!

We've loved working with Kristofer & Asheville Videography! For the past three summers, Kristofer…read morehas been the videographer for our dance camp shows at Western Carolina University and we've been blown away by the quality. He's gone above & beyond, even surprising us by taking some professional photos of our campers/staff after the show for no additional charge. Kristofer is a pleasure to work with and we highly recommend him! ~ Lindsey Fadner American Dance Training Camps

My husband was scheduled to preside over the Reserve Officer Training commissioning ceremony for…read moreWofford College Reserve Officer Training Corps. Because of COVID19 he had to videotape the Speech. Kristofer quickly responded to his request and identified a perfect location to conduct an outdoor taping. He was exceptional his ability to help my husband understand what he needed to do. Kristofer put together an amazing presentation that merged two tapings to make it look more like a documentary than a simple recording! He was so patient and innovative!!! We highly recommend him.