Each year, every high school boy and girl enjoys (or dreads) the time-honored tradition of prom, but no one imagines going to their prom pants-less.  Unless, you’re a San Diego Yelper and attended the Pants-Less Prom party at La Jolla Cove Suites on April 24 for Yelp’s elite and many of the guests were in states of tasteful undress.

Guests arrived at “La Jolla Cove Suites High” for an evening of delectable treats and beverages as well as various activities atop the best rooftop terrace venue in all of La Jolla, La Jolla Cove Suites.  The event also a going away party for the San Diego Yelp community manager, Danny, guests enjoyed a hosted bar as well as some amazing appetizers provided by The Abbey Catering.  With a spiked punch drink in hand, guests sampled and raved about our Italian-style ahi poke on crispy wontons, Polynesian chicken salad atop a toasted baguette, gazpacho with watermelon ball shooters, coconut-crusted golden shrimp with a sweet Thai chili sauce, and homemade hummus and pita.

Since the theme of the evening was “pants-less,” attendees came dressed and undressed in all sorts of outfits, from a mic-holding Tom Cruise (think “Risky Business”) to ladies in full ball gowns, ruffles and all.  The anticipation of this party was so immense, word had spread up to the coast, and a contingent from Los Angeles was in attendance (one of which never went to their own prom).  To help stay warm in the cool evening breeze, guests shook their tail feathers on the dance floor or partook in the Abbey Catering’s fake-ID photo shoot.  Votes were also taken for a pant-less prom king and queen and winners were crowned at the end of the evening.

I really want to thank you so much for participating in the Art Alive opening celebration. I have heard so many rave reviews about how impressed people were with delicious cuisine at this year’s event. We could not put on such amazing events without the help and support of fantastic partners like you. You will be receiving an official thank you letter shortly in the mail. If you need anything else from me please do not hesitate to ask. I really hope we get a chance to work together on an event again sometime and I’ll be sure to visit you at your site soon. From all of the staff and the board of The San Diego Museum of Art I want to thank you again so much.

Samantha S

People are always looking for new and interesting ways to make their wedding or private event a little more unique. Colors, linens, centerpieces and the like are all traditional ways to help achieve that goal. But why not try something different and use The Abbey Catering’s versatile floating buffet?

Instead of having a traditional buffet line to serve guests, the floating buffet can be used to hold almost any kind of food item, from pre-made salads to condiments paired with a mashed potato or mac & cheese bar. It can also be used during cocktail hour to hold rows of champagne flutes or martini glasses with any flavored beverage. The floating buffet can also be a great alternative to the typical placecard table. Consider displaying photos of the bride and groom on it or use it as a place for the wedding favors.

The floating buffet is one of the many items in The Abbey Catering’s all-inclusive package, so reserve it today by calling one of our event consultants at (888) 238-0949.

Step 1. Be realistic. If your budget is 25k for 150 guests, don’t look at a Venue that is more then 5k or you will be taking from some other areas that will inevitably have a bearing on the final execution of your day.

Step 2. Location, Location, Location! Are you next to the ceremony site or Church. Make it easy for your guests as best you can. Obviously it’s your day and that is the major consideration but , try to keep it simple for your attendees. If you have out of towners it’s nice to scope out a Venue close to a variety of Hotels.

Step 3. Additional Costs. You don’t just have the Venue Fee to access. Bear in mind that many Venues do not have Chair & Table Rentals included. Do a little research and get a quote on exactly what you are looking for in these items. Note that some venues have preferred rental companies so get those on your walkthrough. Also, do they allow outside caterers and what is their

alcohol policy. If a venue is on your short list, you will  need to get full proposals from their caterer to ensure you’re making a good overall decision. Budget aside, you want to know you’re dealing with a reputable company that is there when you need them. For bar, do they have a preferred bar company they work with or can you bring your own. Alcohol is where you’ll find taxes are the most heavy. If there is a preferred bar company, get that quote based exactly on what you are looking for. This along with the rentals are something that you should directly factor into the venue rate. If you are lucky enough to bring in your own alcohol or bar service, do your research. Check reviews on bar companies before you make a final decision. If you are B.Y.O.B. all together, go to Evite.com and use their drink calculator to determine how much to purchase.  Keep in mind you will also need: ice, cups or glassware, soft drinks & mixers, and qualified bar staff. After you have an out the door on your expenses, compare that with the Bar Service and make your determination based off that.

Step 4. Flexibility. Find out what the Venue has to offer from additional rentals to policies and at what point changes can be made throughout the process of planning and if there are any penalties to change your contract. I like to get all of these documented in your contract to ensure you have them in writing. Getting responses via email are also good to reference back to.

Step 5. Use your gut. How do you respond to the venue when you walk in? This is an affair of the heart and you should use your emotional reaction to a space to finalize your decision, balanced with price tag of course. Additionally, consider the people at the Venue you are partnering with. You want to make sure they like every other partner on your day are pleasant or at least professional and will give you the service you are looking for.

So, get out there and start hunting. Don’t hesitate to contact a professional planner to give you some insight. At the Abbey, we offer complimentary venue searches and tours. It’s something I offer as I have a high percentage of out of town couples that can’t even get to town to see venues. This will give you a unique vantage point for  different spaces because  you get to see things through the eyes of someone who has executed numerous events at these venues, what works , what doesn’t and logistical items that may arise. Also, there are many sites that offer Venue suggestions but that can be only the tip of the iceberg in options.

Some brides have had visions of what they will wear on their special day from the time they can walk, and some wait until the very last minute to create that dream.  Wedding dress shopping can be a very daunting task and while it is ultimately up to the “Bride to Be”, she needs constructive input from her Mom and her Bridal Party.

You never want to step over the boundaries when dress shopping because something that I might like as a “Mom” may be way out of line from what the Bride is looking for!!  As a mom of two brides, I had the experience of thinking I knew my daughters, but when it came down to shopping for their dress I was totally off.

So here is my two sense, if you are a Mom, encourage your daughters to look at all the wedding sites they could possibly imagine to check out dresses before they go shopping, or I can guarantee they will end up frustrated because they have no vision of what they might be looking for.  Go to Bridal Fairs and see the dresses on the models, have them take pictures of what they envision their dress to look like, etc.  Once you get to your dress shop appointments, have them talk to your sales person and give them their thoughts on what their perfect dress will look like.  Have them be prepared to say I want traditional white, I don’t want silk, I want beading and lace, etc.

Make sure the day you have scheduled for wedding dress shopping will be stress free and have no time constraints.  You may end up going to 1 shop or 5 different shops to find that perfect dress.  Have someone that is going to take pictures of every dress the “Bride To Be” will be in, so that you can reference those dresses again, in case there is a maybe situation on deciding.

Last but not least make sure everyone has a good breakfast, coffee and take water with you.  Don’t forget to stop at some point to energize and refresh everyone that is in attendance.

Dear Jaime,
Honestly, I cannot thank you enough for your  time, effort, and professionalism. You have been amazing throughout the planning process. I am extremely grateful that you put your heart & soul into each event. You have made Colleen & Mitch feel although this is your only reception – a true mark of excellence ! Bless you!

Dianna Huston

We very much appreciate your confidence, and in an effort to continually improve our customer communications, event production skills, and sales presentation skills, we would like to ask for a moment of your time to complete our client approval survey.

• Event Date:  April 25, 2012

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, please rate the following questions:

Event Captain: Petr Trebin

1)    Your Captain’s communication skills? Very good

2)    Your Captain’s attention to detail? Very good

3)    Your overall experience with your event Captain? Very good

4)    The service level of your event staff (specifically servers/bartenders)? Very good

5)    The appearance and cleanliness of your service staff (specifically servers/bartenders)? Very good

6)    Would you recommend your Event Captain? Absolutely yes

***Please list any additional comments***

Great service and great food. The Abbey highly contributed to the success of our event.

Best regards

Dining Experience:

1)    How would rate the level of your gourmet cuisine based on your expectations?

• Appetizers       Good
• Salad
• Dinner
• Dessert            Good

**Please list any additional comments**

OVERALL EXPERIENCE WITH THE ABBEY CATERING & EVENT DESIGN:

1)    What would you rate your overall experience with our company? Highly effective

2)    Would you refer us to another bride/groom/client?     YES

We had chosen the front ceremony garden facing an European style fountain. In front of the fountain, the father of the bride made a stunning customized arch for his daughter that was adorned with tropical center pieces by Four Season’s flowers, one of our preferred vendors for the Abbey Catering.  For this tropical paradise, facing the tree, there hung floral balls and lighted lanterns from the tree, feeling of an enchanted Hawaii.

The north arbor-covered terrace was the definite spot to have the cocktail hour.  Guests were welcomed into the space by an Abbey staff member, each greeted with a signature cocktail, “The Mai Tai” that was hanging off a beautiful metal sculpture that the Abbey has to offer their Bride and Groom.

The Bride and Groom walked to the ocean for photos while guests were enjoying cocktails and  hors d’oeuvres,  returning to the club in time to make their grand entrance. Nicole and I had a vision to move the Arch that Richard Morse built, to be re-located to the main stage. The cake table was placed just in front of it to create a striking photo opportunity.

Creating a space for the grand entrance for the guests and the Bride and Groom is crucial to a wedding.  Nicole, Brandon, and I came up with a grand entrance that was breath taking for everyone.  However, this grand revealing was kept from everyone until the doors opened.  The guests were stunned by the captivating details and colors and the elegance of the drapings from the chandelier which were highlighted by amber lights.  As they entered, the focal point was the beautiful soft coloring of a buttercup and sea theme, only to be highlighted by the amazingly crafted arch.  The Bride and Groom entered the space and had their first dance under the soft draping of the white chiffon canopy and with all their guests to watch them with smiles on their face while true love exuded.

———————————————————————-

The bridal party and I had a wonderful tasting together where I first became part of the family.  We laughed, smiled, and talked about the vision for their wedding at the tasting.  The chef and I created an exquisite menu for them as they tasted samples of food that could be catered to their wedding.  These meetings are just the beginning where I become close to my bride, groom, and their family.  The Abbey Catering and Design made a menu for them that had stuff mushrooms with Ratatouille, beef skewers with a homemade Asian glaze with sesame seeds, coconut crusted golden shrimp, and fresh homemade pita with hummus for appetizers.

This was only to follow by the Abbey preparing a delicious fresh summer green salad with mandarin oranges, a hint of color to match the wedding, cranberries, caramelized walnuts, and a homemade raspberry vinaigrette in a red cabbage bowl.  As everyone always knows, you first eat with your eyes, and then taste with your mouth, the catering had both.  The salads were preset which gave such a color pop to the tables that it created a stunning view with splashes of orange, purple, and green, and a hint of white.

Dinner followed with succulent chicken Payard with a Sherry reduction and sautéed mushrooms and a black peppered pork chop with a black berry demi glaze only to be accompanied by a delicious Israeli sundried couscous and grilled mixed vegetables.

The Abbey staff and I catered to everyone by having first-class service.  We, at The Abbey, always cater to our guests as if they are royalty and I take pride that each and every wedding I coordinate is perfect.  Together, the bride & groom, sometimes family members, and I create a special and magical day like if it was out of a fairy tale.  The day of blissfulness becomes enchanting and with the help of The Abbey Catering Company and Design we do make dreams come true for each and every lovely couple.  Congratulations to my new family, Mr. and Mrs. Henzie.  May all your days be as glorious as the day of your wedding.  Thank you for choosing The Abbey and having me as your coordinator and making your vision come alive.

Anna B.
Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA
12/6/2011
5 Stars

My review is not based on previous catering service, but rather on an event I attended where a few representative from Abbey were present and had samples to try.

I ran into a few of their staff, but one person, Martin, really stood out because we chatted for a while. He was friendly and interesting, so while we talked about food, I was scarfing down their samples: mashed potatoes with chicken that could be dressed with toppings.  They had sauteed mushrooms (with extra butter), shredded bacon, cheese, but what really blew me away was their phenomenal garlic! It was whole chunks of succulent garlic that had the creaminess texture to it without the over-pungency that garlic usually has… oh man.

So I plan on finding a groom soon just to order from them.
YUM.

Sincere thanks goes out to you for personally overseeing our event and I look forward to working with you to finish the details of this event, and the possibility of more collaborations in the future.

Have a great day,

James Rowten
Corporate Development Manager
www.KPBS.org

My wife and I got married at the Cuvier Club on August 6th. The package included catering by The Abbey.

I’m Jewish, my wife is Vietnamese, we both take food (too) seriously, and we really wanted to make sure that our guests had a good culinary experience (in addition to the already amazing party). Not only that, but we also needed to take koshers/vegetarians/vegans/etc. into account.

We were so happy with the final product. Our friends and family praised over and over that not only was it good wedding food, but it was just good food.

Menu:
On each table: Fresh flatbread with Za’atar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salad: Mixed greens with fresh fruit, caramelized walnuts and crumbled imported goat cheese. Dressed with a homemade raspberry vinaigrette
Dual Entree:
-Salmon en Croute: Fresh wild salmon, wrapped in puff pastry and stuffed with sauteed spinach, wild mushrooms, and goat cheese.
-Chianti braised black angus superior beef
On each plate: Grilled asparagus and homemade roasted garlic and rosemary, truffled mashed potatoes.

They totally exceeded expectations, and they even put food aside so I got to eat at my own wedding.

I also did a review of the Cuvier Club, so check that out for our experience with the venue.

Prior to the show, guests were able to explore the venue and enjoy a bevy of dishes and beverages, including citrus and herb-marinated chicken skewers over a bed of butter and bay leaf basmati rice, with our signature salad of mixed greens with caramelized walnuts, dried cranberries, feta cheese and our homemade raspberry vinaigrette. To add to the occasion, we displayed our martini appetizer tree and floating buffet, which gave guests ideas for upcoming parties and receptions of their own!

The guests could not stop talking about the food, and one guest asked me if we sold our homemade raspberry vinaigrette in stores! What a compliment! It was a fun time had by all and we look forward to many more events at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. We also greatly appreciate our partnership with them and are honored to be of their preferred caterers.

For the last several years, the Abbey has partnered with the San Diego Museum of Art for their Flowers After Hours portion of Art Alive. Each year, artists from around the community converge to create artistic expressions through floral masterpiece. This year was no exception and certainly pushed things to the next level starting with the centerpiece Tree in the main rotunda resplendent with light emitting diodes dancing through the flowers. Upwards of 650 guests roamed the museum sampling food and beverages while soaking in the brilliance of our local artists. What a joy it was to join our good friends Sarah , Samantha, and their entire team  from San Diego Museum of Art. Thank you for the opportunity to represent and thank you to all of the artists and Vendors who donated their artwork and time.

Check out http://youtu.be/qtmbsAQCINs for an awesome short video!

Joy L.
San Diego, Ca
12/7/2011
5 Stars

Abbey Catering is as good as it gets with catering. Abbey catering recently hosted my wedding this December. Zapher accommodated our every need and was always at our service. Jaime is the best event captain you can ever have and is an individual that you can trust 100% to get the job done. the chefs at the Abbey Catering make the most appetizing food. The food was so good that our guests went back for seconds and even thirds and we’re still hearing about how good the food was days after. If you ever have a chance to choose a caterer Abbey Catering are the ones to choose. Also the packages they offer are well worth it. Thanks Abbey Catering for making our wedding an event to remember.

Why have engagement photos?  Well, one great reason is because it is a photo record of your joyful days of courting and what you were like as a couple before you were married.  Are you fun and playful, or quiet and romantic together?   Whatever your style it’s great to have a photographer that understands an important fact; every couple is different.  Further, sometimes one of you is playful but the other is mostly quiet, calling for a little of both styles.

Another great reason for an engagement photo session is that the photos make for a great guest sign-in book for your wedding day.  My exclusive album company, Graphi-Studio Of Italy now has beautiful guest books.

One final and really great reason to have engagement photos is that it’s an opportunity for you to get comfortable with your photographer.  You already have a level of comfort from meeting me but why not try out what it’s like to work with me. You will get to know my little coaching cues and what it feels like to be in front of a camera.  The more comfortable you are in front of camera before your wedding day, the more natural your photos will be on your wedding day.  Natural photos are what it’s all about!

Whatever your style and personalities are together is what you want to come through in your engagement photos.  The natural you as individuals, and as a couple.  My style is to capture the couple being themselves, doing what they’d be doing in their favorite location be it in an hip urban street setting, a walk in the park, strolling on the beach, or walking through the lively streets of La Jolla taking in the sights with ice cream cones.  Mornings and afternoons are typically the best time of day for outdoor location photo sessions.

Schedule your engagement session by contacting me at Julie@JBuchtaDavis.com

When you book my services for your Abbey event you will receive a complimentary engagement photo session!  Contact me for details and to set up your appointment.

Give us a call today to see where what your numbers add up to! 888-238-0949

The “ladies who lunch” enjoyed an afternoon of full-service catering and a rare chance of dining within the house itself, starting with glasses of champagne upon arrival and The Abbey Catering’s signature salad of mixed greens with caramelized walnuts, dried cranberries, feta cheese and our homemade raspberry vinaigrette. The ladies were then treated with a plated lunch of our Chianti-braised shorts ribs with home-style mashed potatoes and seasoned broccoli. If that was not enough, the luncheon ended with a deliciously-sweet pineapple strudel and coffee service.

Thank you for a wonderful afternoon ladies! It was an absolute delight to see some familiar faces and meet some new ones and we look forward to our next event together! We greatly appreciate our partnership with the Darlington House and enjoy the many years we’ve been working together. We are honored to be considered of their preferred caterers.

Allison D.
San Diego, CA
9/21/201
5 Stars

FANTASTIC! Working with The Abbey made planning a wedding easy and fun, and their staff made sure that the wedding was everything we dreamed of. We found The Abbey – and their all inclusive package – at the very beginning of our wedding planning process. Feeling overwhelmed at the variety of choices and level of detail that goes into planning a wedding, we were thrilled to find a caterer that does it all. And they did.

First we could not have asked for a better coordinator. We had the pleasure of working with Petr, who went above and beyond to ensure that every detail of our wedding was executed perfectly. And it was. In the planning phases, Petr was always prompt in responding to emails and thorough in answering (and anticipating) our questions. Throughout the planning process, he was well-organized, thorough, and extremely pleasant. On the day of the wedding, Petr made sure that the venue was decorated exactly as we had envisioned, that the everything ran smoothly, and that everyone had a great time. Even though Petr had numerous other weddings that same week, he worked extremely hard to make sure our expectations were exceeded and he was always polite and courteous to everyone. He even dressed to match our color scheme! Petr was an absolute rockstar!

We were also extremely pleased with the quality of the food served at our wedding. Both the appetizers and entrees were delicious (although we only had a few bites!). We were pleasantly surprised by how well executed the food was, particularly given the difficult of catering a high-quality hot meal at a venue that doesn’t allow any open flame (San Diego Museum of Art – another great vendor). We were also pleased with the coordination of the food service. Jaime, the banquet captain, and The Abbey servers and staff were both efficient and courteous.

As part of our all-inclusive package, we chose photography, flowers, cake, and a DJ. For other couples considering an all inclusive package with The Abbey, here is a brief review of each vendor we worked with as part of our package:

We chose Deb Shields as our photographer. A great choice! Deb clearly understood what we were looking for. She made sure to get the specific photos we wanted, but always put her own creative spin on every shot – which was exactly what we wanted. She was responsive, prompt, easy to communicate with, and a ton of fun to work with. While we haven’t yet received our wedding photos back (it’s only been a week), we did have the opportunity to get to know Deb during our engagement photo shoot (which we definitely recommend to other couples). She turned the engagement photos around quickly, and we were more than impressed with the artistic value and superb quality of the photos. We can’t wait to see the wedding photos!

For our flowers, we worked with Artquest Flowers. Arturo was extremely professional, prompt and responsive, and highly skilled in the art of flowers. He understood exactly what we were looking for, and worked with us to execute our vision within our budget. The centerpieces were phenomenal, and my bridal bouquet was exquisite. Everything was perfect, and our guests were so impressed by the flowers at our wedding. Another excellent vendor!

We chose Flour Power for our wedding cake, after initially meeting with another bakery, and were totally wowed by Flour Power. They had a huge range of cake and frosting flavor options (all of which were delicious), highly skilled cake decorators, a lovely tasting salon, and wonderful customer service to help us design the perfect cake. Flour Power was absolutely the right choice for our wedding cake, and we can’t wait until our one year anniversary to enjoy more delicious Flour Power cake.

Lastly, we chose the DJ services of DJ Randy as part of our package. Randy and Blake were great to work with, and it was evident that they are experts at what they do. We were pleased with the music and lighting at the wedding – and they made sure our guests had a good time.

Many thanks to everyone at the Abbey – especially Zapher, Petr, and Jaime – for making our wedding such a wonderful success!