Reunion Rescued by Bill at Village Caterers
While having a committee lunch at the venue selected a year earlier, we experienced a series of unfortunate events starting with ceiling tiles falling, one of our party being hit with a ceiling tile because the staff did not turn off the vibrating fans or move us to another area. Then we went downstairs to decide if we would be upstairs or downstairs--which would include a very large deck and an outdoor bar with overhead doors. That bar area smelled like sewage and there we were expecting 136 people for our 50th high school reunion. One of our committee found us a fabulous venue that was an entire house on more than a dozen acres. Inside air conditioning. Outside porch with fans. Library and Living room for dining rooms. Only trouble was, this place was not a restaurant and we would have to bring in everything that would make it so: caterer, tables, chairs, bartenders, servers, drinks, soft drinks, music, etc.
Village had been recommended by an insurance agent I had contacted for event coverage. I called him at 9 at night, less than 3 weeks before our event. He was easy to speak with, and he was easy to contact. He brought things (like linens and flatware) that we could not otherwise afford. He had workman's comp and liability insurance. (not everyone does). He could bring insured bartenders. He was upfront about what they could and couldn't do. We agreed on a price.
Last night was the party. Let me tell you how it went. Village showed up on time and went right to work. When they had a question or a problem they found me. They asked what our serving timeline was and followed it. When one person had sampled too much wine, they found me, making it possible to find someone to drive that person home and avert disaster.
Back to the party: Their food was delicious. The staff was always on top of everything, utilizing their time to keep dirty plates clear, combine the bars when the time came, cleaning up in the background without disturbing the party. We had to be out by 12. The party was over at 11. Nothing broke. Nothing was damaged. They cleaned up and we were all out of there by 11:45--including breaking down the tables and chairs and sorting them between those that came with the venue and those I had brought it in.
THEY were major contributors to the success of our party. Even with the best organization and the best decorating and the best classmates, it would have been nothing if the food were bad or the service was lackadaisical. Bill and his team from Village Caterers exceeded our expectations in every way. The accolades from the guests could not have been better. I would hire them again in a heartbeat. Thank you, Bill and your team! read more
