Blog

How long has Katherines been around?
25 Years, since 1985

Why do you love this company?

I have always loved sharing food and wine with friends (new and old)… it traverses all boundaries, opens conversation, heals and nourishes, brings cultures and communities together and allows us to relax and enjoy ourselves.

Do you only provide off-site catering?

Yes, we are one of the largest off-site caterers in southeast Michigan, servicing both corporate and social events for a wide variety of clientele.

What would be an average price range per person for a lunch reception, dinner reception, and appetizer/dessert reception?

Prices are anywhere between $10-11 from our simply lunch menu which include an entree, a salad and dessert with all the disposables, to $25 per guest for a more elaborate buffet lunch with service staff and china.

Dinners are between $30 to $50 per person depending on whether is it a buffet dinner with three entree choices with sides and some passed hors d’oeuvre to an elegant served five course dinner.

As for an appetizer or dessert reception, prices can range from $12 per guest for a light bite or dessert and cheese reception to a more elaborate strolling dinner of heavy hors d’oeuvres and chef stations that can be $35-$40 per guests

Can your menus be customized?

Absolutely! Our menus are suggestions, some of our favorite dishes mixed with a few trendy items to make sure your event is one of a kind and the food is delicious. We’ve been known to create menus from scratch for our clients- offering eclectic expertise ranging from Polish cuisine to Middle Eastern, vegetarian and vegan options and much more.

Can you also provide bartending?

Of course! Our certified bartenders have years of experience in mixing the perfect cocktail and safely serving your guests.

How far can you travel for events?

We cater up to a 50 mile radius from Ann Arbor, although we have been known to do specialty events beyond that mark!

What are your favorite locations for wedding receptions?

I love the Michigan Theater, the beautiful architecture, the red carpet, the elegant stairway, a perfect place for the ceremony and cocktail hour, then for the dinner, you can have it right on the stage! We’ve catered dinners on the stage numerous times, it does have a special feeling for guests to be seated right on the stage of this historic theater, same place were celebrities have performed for the past 8o years!

Cobblestone Farms is another place where we’ve catered a lot of weddings, it is fun, casual and spacious. They have their own tables and chairs, so you don’t have to rent them, and you can fit up to 200 guest there, plus, it has the big outdoors for your ceremony and cocktail hour.

We’ve catered a lot of weddings at the metro parks, and they don’t have to be grill outs, we’ve had some pretty elegant events under a beautiful white tent in a park, with French window sides and even a dance floor.

Another fun wedding location is the Hands-on-museum in Ann Arbor, it’s an interactive place with amusing games for everyone. It is spacious and colorful there’s room for a dance floor, for a cocktail reception with high bar tables, and for a seated dinner.

What is your very favorite Katherine’s menu item?

Since I spent quite a few years as a vegetarian, I’m picky about non-meat options. Our chefs prepare some of the most delicious vegetarian and vegan options around. Savory dishes like our Asian Noodle Saute with an array of fresh, exotic vegetables, tofu and soba noodles tossed in a roasted garlic and ginger sauce. Or our Eggplant Zucchini Parmesan with creamy layers of cheese and homemade marinara sauce. Entrees satisfying enough to feed to even the heartiest of carnivores!

Can you provide kosher meals if requested?

No, we are not a certified kosher kitchen. But we do offer kosher friendly meals and accommodate numerous other dietary restrictions including gluten free, lactose free, diabetic, organic and a variety of allergies.

Do you specialize in any ethnic foods?

Oh yes. We live in a diverse community and embrace our different cultures and cuisine, from French to Italian, Middle Eastern to Polish, Scandinavian to South African, Irish to Thai and more. We live and breathe food here at Katherine’s and we are constantly learning new recipes, techniques and flavors.

How early should I book a caterer for my wedding?

We are happy to accommodate weddings in as little as a few months. Remember, though, that this is a very important day that requires time and we generally recommend one year to plan your wedding. Pace yourself and savor this wonderful, happy time.

Do you provide tastings?

Yes, we are pleased to provide you with the opportunity to sample select items from our menu. We know that this is the best way for you to really get a good “taste” for who we are and what we do.

• What is something that people would be surprised to know about you? I LOVE playing Lego video games. On the Xbox on the DSI, doesn’t matter, I’m addicted to them. I also love putting my son’s legos together. I’ll do them even when he isn’t around.
• What is your favorite invitation style? Doing crazy unexpected items. I have so many ideas, I’m just waiting for the right wedding!

1. How long have you been doing videography for weddings? Six fantabulous years!
2. What inspired you to start, and what inspires you to keep going? I honestly love my job! I love brides, I love weddings…I love my job! I’m so lucky and so blessed to be in this business and I strive to improve with each event.
3. What do you wish more couples could know about wedding videography? So many couples who didn’t hire a videographer have told me that It’s their # 1 and biggest regret. Videography has come a very long way. Gone are the days of bright lights, huge cameras and old, cranky operators. It’s a new generation of videography. We are no longer “intrusive” or “in your face”. Candid moments are worth a million dollars. Oh, and “cheesy” videos are also a thing of the past. The style now is elegant, simple and beautiful.
4. How important is it to work well with the wedding photographer? It’s super, duper important actually. I make it a point to be very considerate and respectful of the photographer. A wedding day is not a photo/video shoot, so it’s a very delicate balance. I try to let the photographer “take the reigns” and only interfere when I absolutely need a shot. I also try to stay “shoulder-to-shoulder” with the photographer when we’re on the dance floor. This way, I’m not in the background of their shot and they’re not in the background of mine. I usually walk away from a wedding making friends with the photographers.
5. What is the turn-around time for a video to be completed? Max time is six months.
6. Why can’t I just have Uncle Joe do my video? Well…you can have your Uncle Joe video tape your wedding. It’s just, this is the single most important and elegant day in most couples lives, so is it really a good idea is what you need to ask yourself.
7. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? I am also a professional singer. I sing the National Anthem for the Detroit Tigers and Pistons.

Detroit is blessed by having numerous amazing photographers for couples to choose from for their wedding day. One that always makes my preferred list (as long as she is available) is Dionne from The Shooting Gallery. Needless to say, I was very excited when she agreed to a Q&A session for the blog! Here we go:

• How long have you been in business?
  Full time - 5 years

• How did you come up with “The Shooting Gallery”? I am in love with the 30s era. The culture, the clothing, the architecture, the art deco design - every bit of it. The name was fun and reminded me a bit of that era and I knew it was something people would remember.

• How many weddings do you book each year? I was committed to shooting 60 weddings per year since I transitioned my business from part to full time; however, I recently made the decision to take on fewer wedding commissions in an effort to gain a better work/life balance, spending more time with those I love and getting to know my clients on a deeper, more personal level.

• How soon do I get my pictures back, and why? A collection of wedding images is delivered in approximately 10 weeks. All of the images are color corrected, white balanced, and made print ready for our clients and with over 900 images per wedding that takes a considerable amount of my time as, currently, I do all of the editing.

• Do you design your own albums? We design our albums in house to ensure that each properly reflects the couple whose story is told within its pages.

• What are some of your favorite venues to photograph? I love historic buildings and unique locations and I look forward to photographing in new venues each season. I am enamored with the Westin Book Cadillac and cannot wait for the opportunity to photograph a wedding there as I’ve had a secret crush on it since the moment I heard it was being renovated.

• Do you like when couples see each other before the ceremony? When couples agree to see each other before the ceremony it opens up the timeline giving us opportunities we wouldn’t otherwise have and allows them to visit with guests during cocktail hour instead of rushing into the reception just before dinner. It’s a win-win situation for everyone, but the couple has to be committed to it. We never place pressure on our clients; it’s a decision each has to make for themselves.

• What is your favorite trend in photography? Honestly, I dislike trends. I embrace growth and change but I never want my work to look ‘trendy’. Today in wedding photography we see more of the artist shine through in his or her work and it’s incredibly empowering for all those who have chosen this path as a means to express themselves while creating beautiful and meaningful images for their clients.

• What do you do to keep yourself motivated? To keep myself motivated I look to the world for inspiration. A book, an old movie, a painting…I gain inspiration from the things in life that move me. True inspiration comes from all directions when you allow yourself to be open to it.

• What is something people would be surprised to know about you? Hmmm…what would people be surprised to know about me? Probably the fact that I left my career in accounting to follow my love of photography. A creative bean counter?? Who knew???

Epic Motion recently put Yao & Chris’ trailer up on their blog - it is wonderful! You should check it out (by clicking on the image above)!

I was so excited to see Jenny & Art’s professional photos posted on the lovely Kara Purtell’s blog! Their wedding was back on June 13th at the Farmer’s Market in Ann Arbor, and I just love their photos!

The ceremony was held at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor.

They used so many wonderful details to make the wedding a reflection of who they are. It was beautiful!

Congratulations again you two!

Yao & Chris were married on June 20th at Island Park in Ann Arbor. I was so excited when Yao emailed me a link to her slideshow from photographer Linda Wan! I love love love all the emotion in these shots! Disclaimer: the above shot was taken by me, not Linda! I just don’t have one of hers yet to use… Enjoy the show!

I was SO excited to see Amy & Ryan’s invitations on Gourmet Invitations’ blog today! They are amazing, Amy could not be happier, and I just know their guests are going to LOVE them!

Amy’s colors for the wedding are lime green, black and hot pink - but none of the greens were working for her so that will be a surprise color for the wedding day.

I just love the monogram they are using! Since the food will be served as stations, no meal choice was required on the RSVP - that will definitely make their lives easier over the next few months!

This has got to be the best hot pink color ever! I love what it does for the rest of the set.

Address wraps are my favorite way to go about addressing envelopes - they are easy to do, you can add a graphic, and it allows the use of dark envelopes.

Finally, these coasters are just amazing! Not only are they circular, they are also letterpressed! Tifany, you did an amazing job on these, I am excited to see the rest fo the extras!

Amy and Ryan - congratulations!

I love looking at Tifany’s blog from Gourmet Invitations, and all the new gorgeous designs she comes up with! I was very excited to see this one, because Amy and Ryan will be doing coasters for their September wedding, and these ones look amazing!

I love the idea of a seating chart doubling as a signature mat! As long as you have a strong easel to lean it up against (wouldn’t want it falling over as people sign it!).

These valet tags are stinking adorable - how fun is it to get in your car at the end of the night to see that hanging on your mirror!

This napkin wrap with the menu has got to be one of the best ideas ever! I bet Tifany will be making lots of these in the future…

I got this card in the mail the other day from MPE Events, who I worked extensively with on Molly and Dave’s wedding on May 22nd. I love thank you cards from vendors I work with! It is not something that you see very often, but it means a lot to me that not only are my clients satisfied after an event, but that the vendors contracted for the event are as well. Thank you MPE!