Willabys Catering & Event - Salem, Oregon

Sean T.

Willaby's performed an amazing service at our 100-person wedding. We hired them because they were one of the trusted vendors for the venue we picked (Tin Roof Barn, White Salmon, WA). My wife and I went to tastings for a few vendors, and they were all just great. It's a great problem to have when you know that all the food will be good, but it's still a problem because you need to pick only one. In the end, we picked Willaby's for a couple of reasons (in no particular order).
The first reason was that we LOVED working with Megan! She shines working on the front lines, with picky clients who want their day to be "just so". Luckily for her we weren't those people (cough, cough) but we truly enjoyed going through the tasting menu with her, and we hoped that she enjoyed the experience as much as we did. For all other interactions with her, she was responsive and provided the information we needed in a timely manner. For whatever reasons our wedding planning may have caused us stress, working with Megan was not one of them.
The second was that Willaby's allowed us to add one of our own menu items to their lineup! I have not worked with a wedding caterer before, so I don't know if this is standard practice, but we wanted a dish that Willaby's didn't offer and so we presented the recipe to them, and they said, "No problem, we'll include it". As simple as that! And they executed to perfection on the day.
On the day of the wedding itself, the bartending and catering staff performed exceedingly well. As bride and groom, we were well taken care of, and we've heard from our guests that they absolutely loved the food. For the cocktail hour, we chose six appetizers. For dinner, we offered three proteins plus a vegetarian option, and all were very well received. The bartenders were on point during the cocktail hour, as evidenced by the many "his and hers" cocktails consumed by our guests. The hot weather may have had something to do with it, but we'll also allow for the possibility that the bartenders did an amazing job!
The one feedback item that we heard (after the fact) was that the expected bottle service at the tables was either not performed or not performed as well as our guests would have hoped. I do believe that in the end, everybody got what they wanted but in the interests of completeness, I include this comment.
My wife and I would absolutely recommend Willaby's for anybody hosting an event in the Portland/Hood River area. Their operation is very smooth and professional, and the staff exceedingly courteous.

Keena F.

My husband and I worked with Willabys for our 2024 wedding, and they were absolutely spectacular. Megan was the main reason we pursued an initial tasting with the company—she was the most responsive and accommodating catering lead I’ve ever worked with, and I have an extensive background in weddings and events.

As a vegetarian, I was able to build a custom menu that not only accommodated but exceeded my dietary needs. The staff on the day of our event was professional, and our food arrived at our table on time and warm. Also, the food was incredibly fresh and delicious.

Willabys truly delivered an exceptional experience! If they have your date available, book them! You will not regret it!

Chloe H.

Willaby's was absolutely wonderful to work with! When my husband and I were deciding on Zenith Vineyards for our wedding venue, the quality of food offered, wide-range of food options available, as well as the efficient and kind communication, truly contributed to our decision to secure the venue. Megan played a huge role in ensuring our wedding planning process was enjoyable and stress-free! Not only did they cater the event, but they created an entire room map, and assisted in both the set-up and tear-down process. Lastly, the food at the wedding was DELICIOUS, and our guests continue to rave about it to this day. I highly recommend working with Willaby's - We are so thankful we did.

Natalie J.

My husband and I booked with Willabys for our wedding and most everything was wonderful. Megan was very detail-oriented and she and the other day-of staff were very kind. Their menu is extensive with an array of price options, the food was delicious, and they were able to accommodate a number of guests with dietary restrictions.

A couple things to note: Our tables were not uniformly set, some place settings were set differently than others for some reason. The bulk of our wedding cake was also not cut and served as requested, so we ended up taking home a whole tier. The catering team also accidentally broke several of our glass rentals. We understand mistakes happen though, and thankfully, the rental company did not end up charging us for this. Willaby's was very kind and offered to pay for any damages if we had been charged. Just some observations and none of these things adversely impacted our day though.

Overall, the positives far outweigh the couple insignificant hiccups and I can't emphasize enough the kindness of their team or the deliciousness of their food. Would recommend.

Abi O.

Megan was so great to work with throughout the planning process. She was extremely kind and made us feel so comfortable throughout. Megan was extremely helpful with providing options to stay within our budget while maintaining a great guest experience. Willaby’s had a ton of menu options to choose from which allowed us to really curate the menu to fit our food preferences. The food was amazing and probably the best food we’ve ever had at a wedding. We received so many compliments from our guests on the food and it truly elevated our guest experience. I am 100% recommending Willaby’s to all my friends getting married in the next few years!

Hilary S.

We had the best experience working with Willaby's! The entire team was outstanding to work with and executed every detail I envisioned perfectly. Our day couldn't have gone better, thanks to Megan, Sara and her team.

From corresponding with the owner, Jean Mateson and experiencing a complimentary tasting, we knew this was who we wanted to work with. After pushing it back almost 2 years due to Covid, we FINALLY had our dream wedding on May 14, 2022. I kept hearing from couples that something will go wrong, and you just have to plan for that. But I couldn't put my finger on anything that went wrong that day. Even the weather cooperated for us! The weather was questionable right until the last few hours leading to the ceremony. But the Willaby's staff was so flexible that they were willing to move the ceremony setup from outside to inside, up until an hour before the ceremony, if I wanted that. Luckily, the sun came out and made for a perfect ceremony outdoors, as originally planned. But they treated me as though they could make anything happen!

Megan and Sara were extremely friendly, professional, responsive and flexible throughout the MONTHS of correspondence! I sent Megan countless emails with questions/suggestions/change requests, and she was willing to do whatever it took to make me have the most epic day. She even provided several of her own suggestions, which was super helpful, considering I felt lost at times with how to go about the planning process. Not to mention, she was so upbeat and made me feel at-ease anytime I started to get a little stressed.

On our wedding day, all of our guests mentioned that they LOVED the food. Megan and Sara also made sure that myself and husband had a full plate of food and replenished our drinks at all times.

There are so many details that go into a wedding, including the timeline coordination with the other vendors, but they did not miss a beat. The other staff members from Willaby's were ALL so friendly and fun. Even one of the bartenders joined the dance floor and taught our guests the "Cupid Shuffle!"

The only bummer out of this all was that the night had to come to an end. Our day was literally a fairytale - and I owe so much of that to Willaby's for exceeding every expectation I had. I will be sure to refer Willaby's to any of my future-bride friends! Thank you, again!

Nastasha F.

Willabys is SO good! Our wedding had over 130 people served buffet style and everyone’s food was delicious and hot, several people came up to us and said it was the best wedding food they had ever had. They wrapped up plenty of leftovers for us and Megan is wonderful to work with! I highly recommend them for your wedding needs!

Mary-Jordon B.

Willabys understood the assignment. We hired them to cater a retirement party in Downtown Portland and wanted an elegant and beautiful charcuterie table.
They were a dream to coordinate with as we planned the event. Megan was consistently responsive and communicative, which made us feel confident she was going to handle everything just right. The pricing was great and their proposal was detailed and left nothing to mistake.
And if that isn't enough, the entire team entered the space with such positive energy, staging the event as if it were a joyous hobby and not a job. They provided bartending as well as bussing service, which allowed me and my colleagues enjoy the party and hand over responsibility to them.
They set up in 1.5 hours and returned the space to it's orginal state at the end like wizards.
Thank you Megan, Wendy & the Willabys team!!!