By Gale Hemmann
Food is an important part of a wedding. Whether your wedding is large or intimate, casual or formal, celebrating by dining and toasting with your guests is a time-honored tradition. While your guests are there to celebrate your big day, everyone will remember a wedding where the food and service were exceptional. And providing great food and beverages ensures that everyone will have plenty of energy to enjoy the reception.
Equally important to food quality is professional service. On your big day, you want to enjoy yourself and spend time with your guests. You want to rest assured that the catering staff are experienced and will provide excellent support. In short, on such a busy day with so many details to attend to, you want to make sure that you have a solid caterer to count on.
With over 30 years of experience, Bayview Catering is ready to handle your every need. Since 1982, they’ve been the area’s “go-to” wedding caterers (read some customer reviews here). I spoke with Kelley Young, Catering Manager at Bayview, to learn more about what they offer. As we talked in the beautiful waterfront dining area above Bayview Thriftway, where their catering services are headquartered, she told me more about what makes them unique. “We offer one-stop shopping for your wedding reception needs,” says Young.
I asked Young why so many couples choose Bayview. While they earn rave reviews all around, customers especially like the high quality of food, artful presentation, and professionalism of the staff. They also appreciate Bayview’s ability to create custom menus based on any wedding theme (from Hawaiian to classic Hollywood themes, they can do just about anything).
For your reception, you can choose either a standard buffet-style spread or the Bride’s Choice Dinner, for a sit-down dining experience. (View their wedding menus here.) Bayview will work with you to create an elegant dining experience that fits your event size, location, and budget. They offer several different price points, as well as nearly endless options for customization.
Young says the Bride’s Choice Dinner menu is one of the most popular options. Brides get to select an entrée and side dishes, along with fresh-baked breads to be served.
Another area where Bayview wins rave reviews is their staff. Young notes the catering staff at Bayview are selected and trained to be top-notch customer service professionals. Even at the busiest reception, they are always courteous, helpful, and ready to meet any need that arises. Reading customer reviews, one repeatedly finds comments like “your staff are exceptional,” “the staff you chose did an excellent job,” and “we were very impressed with the organization and promptness.”
Bayview partners with Ralph’s Thriftway to bake all their cakes and pastries. They also partner with Celebrations and can help coordinate your event rentals. Together, they’ll work with you to create the “total vision” of what you want.
Every couple’s vision of a perfect wedding reception is different. That’s why Bayview offers a full range of services, so you can select what best fits your theme, location, and budget. They offer full bartending services as well as meat-carving stations as two possible options.
Young notes that Bayview Catering can also work with clients to accommodate any special dietary needs they may have. Whether you are vegetarian, have to eat gluten-free, or have another special need, they can come up with some creative and tasty options that will please everyone.
One more tip from Kelly? Plan ahead. If you’re thinking about a summer or autumn wedding, book now with Bayview Catering to reserve your date. Their catering services are in-demand around South Sound, especially during wedding season, so you’ll ensure a top-notch caterer is in place and enjoy peace of mind by booking far ahead of time.
Bayview Catering offers the best of both worlds: their experience means they’ve successfully catered hundreds of weddings, and their commitment to making your wedding unique and customizing the details means you’ll have a one-of-a-kind day.
They also offer a complimentary consultation, so you can discuss your overall desires, food support needs, and budget as you plan the event.
Bayview and Ralphs Thriftway stores have been serving Olympia since 1956. They are family-owned and a vital part of the local community. Choosing Bayview Catering for your wedding needs is also a great way to “shop local.”
To check out more about Bayview Wedding Catering, visit their website and find them on Facebook. You can also call them at (360) 357-8016 or email planner@bayviewcatering.com. They are happy to talk with you about how to make your wedding vision into a reality.
