Simply Sated By Tessa

Thank you for your feedback. However, there is substantial context missing from your review that deserves to be acknowledged so the situation is represented fairly and honestly. For weeks leading up to your wedding, multiple attempts were made to obtain finalized timelines, logistics, and event details. Unfortunately, communication repeatedly went unanswered. We were never provided with a confirmed timeline, finalized flow of service, or clear direction for the evening. In an effort to help, I personally created and sent a timeline template, which was never completed or returned. To further complicate matters, we received conflicting ceremony times. The groom advised 8:30 PM, while the bride stated 6:45 PM. Ultimately, neither proved accurate, as the couple did not arrive to the reception until approximately 10:00 PM. Despite having no guests, no couple, no timeline, and no communication, my team remained onsite for over five hours prepared to serve professionally. Upon your arrival, my staff was met with hostility from several guests, including yelling, cursing, and demands for items that were neither ordered nor contracted. At one point, my team was even asked to dig through trash to retrieve discarded water bottles for counting purposes—something entirely inappropriate and outside the scope of professional catering service. Throughout planning, I repeatedly advised that your event required substantially more staffing to execute the level of service expected. However, there was continual pressure to reduce labor costs and keep staffing low despite my professional recommendations. Additionally, Simply Sated was never contracted to provide utility staff or dishwashers. Your agreement covered servers only. Despite this, my already stretched team was expected to wash and manage hundreds of additional plates and service items without proper back-of-house support. Even under those conditions, I still staffed 14 team members onsite. Contrary to public claims made afterward, not a single member of our team was under the age of 23. These were adult event professionals who regularly execute weddings and large-scale events. Our contracted departure time was midnight. However, due to delays and lack of coordination, my team remained onsite until approximately 1:45 AM. It is also important to acknowledge that your final balance—contractually due 7 days before the wedding—was never paid prior to service. Despite this, we still arrived and fulfilled services in good faith. Following the wedding, I removed all labor charges, refunded the salmon, and absorbed substantial operational and staffing losses in an effort to resolve concerns professionally. Additionally, the sandwich platter image publicly shared was misleading and did not reflect our original presentation. Sliders were initially separated and displayed on designated platters during service. The image posted showed sandwiches clustered together after service had already begun and the display had clearly been disturbed. My team walked into an extremely unorganized environment with no finalized timeline, no communication, and no leadership structure, yet still remained professional and did everything possible to accommodate your guests. We stand firmly behind the professionalism, resilience, and effort of our team under these circumstances.