Client Reviews
A Few Kind Words From Pure Joy Clients
"Pure Joy is Pure Magic! We loved everything you touched."
– Laura & Fred Gross (Mother of the Bride)
As part of honoring my daughter and son-in-law's first wedding anniversary I wanted to thank Pure Joy for making their day, our day and our guests' day a pure joy"! Ellen was our coordinator. She and PJ delivered a wedding event for Sami and Ben beyond our wildest dreams and at a difficult venue, El Capitan State Beach! Every detail was beautifully attended to...the food was scrumptious, the visual design so artfully created the perfect ambiance, and the service was impeccable with the bride, groom and family never wanting for anything. On the event day, Mike our PJ coordinator seamlessly worked with our masterful day of coordinator, Rachel Korrey and all our outstanding vendors (major kudos to Lani and the SPARKS crew!) and gave us and our guests a flawlessly perfect wedding. We were swept away by PJ from the very beginning "back door" tasting through all the planning to the magical delivery of our "dream wedding"! Pure Joy is Pure Magic! We loved everything you touched. And, you truly have touched our hearts.
Heartfelt appreciation for all the joy!
Laura & Fred Gross (MOB )
"We're So Happy That We Hired Pure Joy"
– Sharon Wu & Kenneth Hsu, Studio City CA
Hi Patrick and Lynette,
First off, we wanted to say THANK YOU so much for catering our wedding. We're so happy that we hired Pure Joy as our caterer, and there are a few things in particular that we wanted to mention:
- So many guests commented on how delicious all the food was! Our guests were thrilled! it sounds like everyone loved the food at the cocktail hour, dinner, the coffee, and the cocktails. I particularly loved the wild rice and beet salad, and Kenny's favorite was the salmon. The fry bar was a huge hit too!
- We were so impressed with the decor. We thought each place setting looked so beautiful with the fresh lavender and the buffet area was beautifully decorated too. We know you mentioned that you have a designer who works with our aesthetic, but we didn't give much thought to it. We felt like Pure Joy went above and beyond with the decor, and we were blown away by how beautiful the reception area was.
- We felt that Patrick was so professional, responsive, organized, and easy to work with during the entire planning process. We completely trusted him throughout the planning, especially since you'd worked at Rancho La Zaca before, and never once worried about our catering situation. We know some vendors are a bit more organized than others, but with Pure Joy/Patrick, we felt like we were in such good hands and never stressed about the food situation at our wedding.
Again, thank you so much for catering our wedding. We had such a beautiful day and are so grateful to you for everything you've done for us during our 2.5-year planning period through the pandemic. We'll be sure to refer Pure Joy to other friends planning wedding/catered events, and we hope our paths will cross again in the future :)
"Everything at the wedding was perfect"
– Kate Hildebrant, Los Angeles
Everything at the wedding was perfect. People raved about the food and service. Thank you so so much!
"The presentation was on point "
– Gulf Stream, Savannah, Georgia
What a pleasure seeing you again. Just as lively and lovely, just as I remember.
Guests raved about your food. The presentation was on point. Servers were on it. Overall, success!
"They go above and beyond to add the right special touches"
– Tami Davis, Chicago
If you want the most important day in your life to be planned, organized and catered by gifted, talented people who care – choose Pure Joy Catering. They (Ellen Reid) go above and beyond to add the right special touches to create a personalized celebration for life long memories. Ellen helped plan a memorial celebration for my beautiful daughter Megan and it was perfect. It truly honored her passionate life and precious memory. Wish you were here in Chicago – I would hire you for EVERY event! Thank you Ellen and Pure Joy Catering!
"Thank you for all the attentive professionalism"
- Kathy Borgers, Padero Lane
Catering and food were wonderful. Staff and entire evening were perfect. Bill was so happy. His party was exactly what he wanted. A great great night. Thank you for all the attentive professionalism. Amazing evening.
"We're so blown away by how great every single aspect was"
- Maegan & Nick Mascagno, Alaska
Patrick & Pure Joy Staff,
Thank you for creating the most unforgettable, amazing, delicious meal! We’re so blown away by how great every single aspect was. Our guests have told us MULTIPLE times that it was the best meal they’ve ever had! And, we completely agree! Our only regret is not being ale to have it again. Thank you for all of your hard work in helping us create this event from Alaska!
"The food was so good I only wish I could have eaten more of it"
– Nini Lucia Muñoz, Ph. D., Santa Barbara
We wanted to create a completely different style of wedding- an outdoor rustic dinner party wedding at Elings Park followed by an amazing indoor neon and pink velvet after party at the Maritime Museum. Pure Joy nailed both of our back-to-back events. They captured everything we had in mind and executed every detail to perfection. Needless to say, I had to extend their services by about an hour last minute because everyone was having such a good time and no one was leaving (definition of a successful wedding). We worked with Patrick Ward and Kacey House. They were flawless. Patrick oversaw our event, while Kacey was our day-off coordinator. She is simply the best- I highly recommend asking for her when working with the PJ team. The food was so good I only wish I could have eaten more of it and the services were impeccable. All of guest commented on how good the food was, and said it was the best wedding they had been to…I couldn’t agree more. Our event supervisors were Adam (for the dinner party) and Mike (for the evening After party) and they were superb – they paid close attention to all detail. If you are planning a wedding in Santa Barbara, please just go with the best team in town and avoid hassles, you will be stressed enough as it is.
"Everything done on time and with Class"
– Bernie and Kathy, Rancho Palos Verdes
My Daughter and new son in-law just threw a wedding at a Malibu estate and chose Pure Joy Catering to do the food and rentals.
I have never been so impressed with a company of any kind.
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Patrick and his staff provided: The best food imaginable. If you like braised short ribs that melt in your mouth, I suggest you try them.
The service was impeccable. The staff is trained to be professional, friendly courteous and to go out of their way to make sure each guest feel special.
The estate where this was held, Villa Sancti (Spectacular) presented many special arrangements which Patrick did with ease and grace.
Everything done on time and with Class. Patrick much thanks from my wife and myself. You made our daughters dream come true.
She is in Bali now and I am sure she will contact you when she returns.
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THANK YOU AGAIN !!!
"You guys nailed it last weekend"
– Jaime Kostechko Wild Heart, Coordinator & Event Designer
Hey Lynette, Patrick and the whole Pure Joy Team,
I cannot thank you or sing your praises enough! You guys nailed it last weekend at Holland Ranch, and I have been getting texts for the past 2 days from the client who was THRILLED with your services. They said ‘Pure Joy was top notch, I am soooooo glad we used them’. ‘People went out of their way to tell us how good the food was’. For such a particular client to come back with such rave reviews is unbelievable! Kudos!
"Ellen and her team did an incredible job from start to finish"
– Katie, Boys & Girls Club Gala
We cannot thank the incredible team at Pure Joy Catering enough for all that they did to make our annual auction gala such a huge success! Ellen and her team did an incredible job from start to finish. From the planning stages with Ellen to the event staff going above and beyond for our guests, everything went off without a hitch! I already told Ellen, that Mikey and Kasey were ROCKSTARS, they did an amazing job! We have had so many emails from guests saying how delicious the food was (and that it was hot!), people were very impressed. [250 dinner plates served in 13 minutes!] The best part of our event was not just the service, food and ambiance, but that the people of our community came together for a great cause, to support the children in our community that need it the most. I would recommend Pure Joy Catering to other non-profits that are looking to host a fundraising event, they could not have more accommodating and helpful in the overall planning process, they helped put us at ease and that is priceless! Many, many thanks!
"Ellen and her team made that day as worry-free and as perfect as it could be"
– Ali T, Beverly Hills
Please extend a special thank you to Ellen and to everyone who made the event go so smoothly. From the first phone call to the last guest to leave on the day of the memorial, Ellen and her team made that day as worry-free and as perfect as it could be.
And this was done in spite of a difficult venue and somewhat uncooperative weather.
Thank you so much!
"Everything was so organized and seamless"
– Alexis Alegria
Thank you SO much for everything! Wow! I knew it would be amazing, but your staff really went above and beyond to coordinate and make everything incredible. Everything was so organized and seamless! People raved to me about the food and the cocktails were a hit!
It seriously meant so much to me that one of the wait staff came and brought us drinks, appetizers, and our food!!! That extra step helped so much! Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have eaten anything!! My husband loved it all, especially the tri-tip!
Thank you again for everything! Patrick, thank you for working with us every step of the way and providing all accommodations we needed! Kudos!
"We were so grateful ours (wedding) went off without a hitch"
– Gianna Biscontini and William Thomas, San Diego
Ellen, You guys did an incredible job! We went to another wedding in Malibu the weekend after getting back from our honeymoon- they didn’t have enough heaters, the dance floor was too small and they hadn’t set up the buffet to accommodate everyone :-/ It really shone a light on how professional and well-prepared you and your team is. We were so grateful ours went off without a hitch!! Thank you again:)
"The food was so amazing and our guests couldn't get enough"
– Renee Xiong, Nebraska
Ellen was such a great person to work with. From day 1, she was so helpful and dedicated to us. We live out of state so we didn’t have a chance to get to do a food tasting but we went with our gut and reviews and went with them. Seriously Pure Joy Catering is amazing! The food was so amazing and our guest couldn’t get enough. We wanted to go back for food over and over but we were so full and satisfied we couldn’t fit anymore! We had an open bar which PJCstaffed the bartenders and the bartenders were great. All the staff that helped out at the wedding were super professional and made everything run so smooth. We are so happy we choose PJC and couldn’t be more thankful for making our dream wedding come true.
"The food was important to me, so we splurged"
– Megan Burwell
I used Pure Joy for my wedding many years ago. It was a large part of our budget, but the food was important to me, so we splurged. We had multiple people tell us it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding. A friend of mine who is now getting married just contracted with Pure Joy, because 9 years later she still remembers how good the food was at our wedding. Highly recommend them!
"The chicken katsu was really outstanding in particular, a real superstar"
– Scott Shell & Andrew Masuda, Buellton
Just back from our short honeymoon trip, and I wanted to send a note now that we have a little more time. We wanted to thank you for such an incredible job on our wedding reception. We heard from more than a few guests that it was some of — if not THE — best wedding food that they remembered in recent times. It was really quite amazing, and the execution was flawless, which made it so easy on us — KEY! We especially appreciate the bringing of a few cocktails and apps over during the family pictures, and saving us a platter of the appetizers to enjoy during dinner. We did have a chance to eat (rapidly!) but we were able to sample everything and I can say that the food was delicious. The chicken katsu was really outstanding in particular, a real superstar.
Again thank you for all of your help in preparing for and then executing our event. It was better than we could imagined! Ellen, thank you especially for your superb organization, quick responses, and overall professionalism. It was a pleasure to work with you.
"The party was great!"
- Jeff & Susan Bridges
The party was great! We’re happy to use you again and recommend you. Thanks so much.
VOTED BEST CATERER
- Santa Barbara Independent
Any catering company that can go from vegan to vegetarian to gluten-free to fried chicken and Belgian buttermilk waffles without missing a beat or sacrificing even one ounce of deliciousness is clearly a special sort of operation. Lynette La Mere’s Pure Joy Catering is exactly that type of business. As full-service an outfit as you could ask for, Pure Joy is once again our readers’ landslide pick for caterers here in Santa Barbara. No matter the occasion, from weddings and birthdays to cocktail parties, corporate affairs, or whack-a-doodle theme parties, La Mere and crew have you covered with their trademark “sexy” food.
"We felt like we were in great hands throughout the entire process"
- Edith & Stefan
Thank you so much! Everyone we’ve spoken to has raved about how fantastic the food was, how large the portions were, how great the service was, and just all around how perfect you guys were. We can’t thank you enough, you guys went above and beyond what we expected and we felt like we were in great hands throughout the entire process.
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We’ve had multiple people rave about how amazing the Moscow Mule’s were – in part I think because of the homemade ginger beer, which was fantastic. But I wanted to check – did you guys do different ratios than normal, or 4 oz Ginger beer, 2 oz Vodka, splash of lime juice? I’ve had a few requests for the “Pure Joy Moscow Mule” so I had to ask!
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Thank you again for everything!
"The food was phenomenal"
- Niki Lanni, The Humane Society
Hi Ellen and Patrick – I wanted to email you this morning to thank you for doing such an incredible job at our first Santa Barbara gala last night. Ellen – you were so responsive and patient with the many changes leading up to the event and Patrick, you and your team were lifesavers the day of the event with all of the table changes and snug table arrangements. The food was phenomenal – guests were raving about it (a first for one of our events!)
Your staff was so incredibly professional and helpful in assisting my team with our myriad of needs throughout the night. Ryan – one of your servers – was fantastic. He catered to our VIPs beautifully, making them feel comfortable and well-taken care of. Any time I needed extra assistance, Ryan was right there to lend a hand.
Patrick, thank you for being my support throughout the evening with the sometimes cluster of issues that presented themselves! You were a true pleasure to work with.
Ellen, thank you for helping me design such a delicious menu (you were totally right about that veggie tower – I wish I was eating leftovers right now!).
I should note, the owner of the home, now wants to use PJC exclusively for all events that she hosts. I will be sure to provide her with your contact information.
Have a great rest of your weekend. I look forward to working with your team again for next year’s event!
"Pure Joy exceeded my every expectation"
- Yee Chow
Greetings from Puerto Vallarta! Joe and I just got here today and I’m looking forward to my first night of over 5 hours of sleep in a few days :)
Thank you SO much for everything! Pure Joy exceeded my every expectation, and I’m sure you hear this all of the time but our guests at both our Welcome Dinner and our Wedding were going CRAZY over the food!!! Patrick, you were the BEST project manager and the wonderful ideas that you and Liz shared with us were a hit. Everyone kept coming up to us and raved about literally every appetizer, entree, and dessert (each person had their favorite dish) – not only was everything absolutely delicious, but gorgeous as well. And your staff was incredibly kind, helpful, and upbeat which really added to the mood at both events.
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I will be singing your praises for years to come!! It was an absolute pleasure to work with all of you and I hope that we keep in touch!
"Thank you for your hard work this past year with creating the wedding of our dreams"
- Oriana & Patrick
Pure Joy team!!
Thank you SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even though I wasn’t able to eat much, our guests could not stop telling us how amazing the food was!! Thank you for all your hard work this past year with creating the wedding of our dreams!! Food and drink was a very important piece to us as we have been to so many weddings where the food is awful so I want to give extra thanks for how incredible everything was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Special thanks to P
Patrick and Alizabeth for going out of their way for making sure all the crazy last minute details were attended to!!!
Words do not actually express how grateful we are!!!!!
"The best wedding decision we made was to hire Pure Joy Catering"
- Laura Hoehne (MOG) & Terence Pow (FOB)
The best wedding planning decision we made was to hire Pure Joy Catering. When the unexpected happened (rain in July in Santa Barbara) they reacted with extraordinary skill and grace to rescue our reception. Somehow, they managed to set up tables and chairs in our very limited space inside, while simultaneously tending bar and passing appetizers. Maneuvering through a crowd of 80 people, they set up and maintained a buffet that (judging from the empty plates and many compliments) everyone thoroughly enjoyed.
We chose Pure Joy not only because of their amazing food but also because we had confidence they would make sure that everything would go smoothly. They were truly put to the test and in every way exceeded our very high expectations.
"Pure Joy made our wedding UNBELIEVABLE!"
- Tracey & David
We just got home from our wedding weekend & the first thing I wanted to do was write you because Pure Joy made our wedding UNBELIEVABLE!
The entire process was a joy from the initial meeting to all the tweaking along the way. We were on a tight budget & didn’t know if we could afford it but the food was so amazing we just had to find a way. Patrick is OUTSTANDING! He really listened to us. He helped us splurge where we wanted to and save a little where it wouldn’t be so noticeable. We are foodies and I sat next to my best friend at our table (who is not a foodie) & she couldn’t stop telling me how delicious the food was as she delightfully cleaned her plate :) That brought me so much joy to watch her happiness eating. Many guests came up to tell me how exceptional the food was which just added to the specialness of the evening. I love good food and I enjoy sharing good food with others. My sister cannot stop talking about how incredible the food was. My top two items with the wedding were a gorgeous, outdoor venue (thank you Firestone) and scrumptious food. Thank you Pure Joy for enabling us to have our dream wedding. Although you are in trouble now because you may have ruined salmon for me, I don’t think anyone can make it taste as amazing as Chef Jerry’s oven roasted salmon with sun dried tomato & pine nut crust with lemon gremolata. That is an explosion of deliciousness in your mouth.
On top of the food being amazing, the people were fantastic. My wedding planner, Janelle, told me the following day that at the wedding she’d say to Patrick we need to do such & such & Patrick would always answer, “Already done.” A top notch operation. I had no idea how much prep, organization, & coordination was involved in putting on an event & Pure Joy made it seamless. I wish I could do it all over again. May I be so lucky as to be invited to an event that Pure Joy is catering. Or we just may have to have a 5 year anniversary party with Pure Joy catering it.
I will be sending a proper card when things settle down but in the meantime, where can I post this? The world needs to know what a stellar catering company Pure Joy is from start to finish.
"I would choose them again in a heartbeat!"
- Tracy F.
I would definitely recommend Pure Joy! Alizabeth helped me in the early stages of planning my wedding at Chase Palm Park and her thorough detail about why PJ’s quote was easily comparable to other caterers was why I ultimately when with the Pure Joy team. Ellen ended up being my event manager and she was fantastic. She delivered on everything I wanted and had planned with Alizabeth. The guests loved the food at the buffet and were even more impressed with our Thai cocktail hour. My only regret is that I didn’t get to try the pad thai, which was made from scratch right there in front of the guests. Ellen was also awesome leading up to the event and handled my gazillion questions with professionalism and understanding. Overall the event went off perfectly and I would choose them again in a heartbeat! Thanks, Ellen and Pure Joy! :)
"I cannot be happier & more impressed with every, single part of my experience with your staff." - - Sophie Spier, M.A., Amazing Days Events
Lynette,
I have had the pleasure to work with Pure Joy teams on 4/5 at Firestone & 4/18 in Montecito with your PJ Teams.
I cannot be happier & more impressed with every, single part of my experience with your staff. From the planning emails & rental orders to the food service & clean up, it was all just flawless.
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Mike was the manager at Firestone on 4/5 and did an incredible job. He was calm, cheerful, helpful, and got service done in a timely & relaxed manner. The buffet displays were beautiful, the food was delicious & perfectly cooked, and the guests (and Bride) were beyond-happy.
Patrick was the manager at the estate wedding we did on 4/18 and Mike was there as well. Honestly, the team that you sent to that wedding was BEYOND the A-Team! All of the servers were familiar to me, cheerful, helpful, flexible, and paid attention to all of the details – and there were quite a few. The photographer made us run late on the timeline but Patrick & the team caught us up (which I LOVED) during dinner service so we were right back on track by entree service!
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As you can see, I LOVE working with you & the PJ Team and I just wanted to give kudos to your whole team and specifically to Mike & Patrick for all that they do for the Bride & Groom, the guests, the family and the vendors… and little ol’ me.
Pure Joy has been the #1 caterer on my Preferred Vendors List for 4 years now and these last two events are the reason for that!!
Thank you again for all that YOU do because your leadership shows in your staff & performance. Well done, well done!
PS – the fingerling/caviar limes at the cheese station were EPIC! And were there mulberries too?! You guys think of everything!
I remember when we did our first event “together” at El Capitan Canyon – 10 years ago – and you put dragon fruit on the breakfast buffet table. I was BLOWNaway. So creative. Obviously, it was memorable.
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Looking forward to many more events together!
"Pure Joy offers incredible value to clients on all kinds of spending plans"
- Kerry Lee Dickey, CEO/Founder Santa Barbara Wine Country Weddings & Events
Dear Alizabeth;
As I was thinking about my note of gratitude to you and Pure Joy for Kara and Joe’s wedding, I realized I wanted to say something different. I’ve worked with Lynette and Pure Joy for about 10 years. Some things never change and in fact, only get better: for example, I could write about the ultra most fresh ingredients that are sought out with love and hand picked and cooked and displayed to perfection. Or that guests are in awe of the burst of succulent flavors on their first bite into heaven. I could also write how PJ is full-service and coordinates all rentals and items necessary to ensure the backbone of the entire event is seamless.
But what I want to mention in this note of gratitude are a few things that I don’t think get mentioned in all the plethora of thank yous that you receive. And it is this: Pure Joy offers incredible value to clients on all kinds of spending plans (budgets) and treats them with equal dignity, enthusiasm and respect. Pure Joy is an award-winning caterer and top notch. But what I don’t think potential clients realize is that you are able to take almost any spending plan and make something delicious and extraordinary. The special touches you offer like asking the bride what her colors are so that your décor on your food tables complements it; the re-doing menu and rental proposals to make it fit within the client’s budget but without compromising your quality and service- now that takes skill, experience and brilliance. Clients get more than they pay for with Pure Joy, no matter what their spending plan. It is an investment that they are receiving the best value possible in perhaps the most important service for their most important day.
Thank you, as always for a lovely wedding and to your consistently strong team – in particular Adam- for producing a lovely wedding for my client at Chase Palm Park.
"We’ve received so many compliments about the food and service"
- Nicolette & Bobby Hamm
After finally getting settled in as newlyweds, we wanted to take a minute to thank you and your team for everything you did to make our wedding day so special! Working with you and your staff was such a pleasure. We’ve received so many compliments about the food and service that evening and we couldn’t agree more. Please pass our thanks along to your team and many thanks for the cook book as well.Looking forward to many more events together!
"We couldn’t have pulled it off without you" -
- Dash & Stephanie
A very quick thank you before we head off to Honeymoon in Africa, but Saturday was absolute perfection and we couldn’t have pulled it off without you and the Pure Joy team. Everyone LOVED the food, and all the rentals, lighting, layout etc was SO perfect. We had a blast and cannot thank you enough for being on our crazy wedding journey, it was really fun working with you. You and Jill Remy are the total dream team.
"You have been truly wonderful to us"
- Sarayu & Jon, Fess Parker Winery
I am so thankful that we found Pure Joy, that you were available AND that you were able to be with us on the day! You have been truly wonderful to us – I mean PB & Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Cookies??!! Thank you for your kindness & for remembering all our little details. I said it before & I’ll say it again- You’re the best! We adore you!
"Our guests were in food heaven"
- Laura & Matt, Firestone Winery
Alizabeth-
Thank you so much for everything. Yesterday was an absolute dream and we are so appreciative of the incredible contributions you made. The food was amazing! – of course Matt and I didn’t get a chance to eat haha- but I’m just so happy all our guests were in food heaven:). Thank you again for all your hard work in making our wedding so amazing and special. I couldn’t imagine it to have gone better!
"It was so smooth no mistakes or issues"
- Sharon & David
Dear Patrick & The Pure Joy Team,
David and I would like to say a special thank you to all of you. You made our day so amazing and special, we could not have asked for a better ceremony and reception. If two couple could have dreamed about having their dream wedding, I would say that we did. Everything was amazing and you all coordinated and did such a wonderful job. David and I will never forget how great our day went, and so smooth no mistakes or issues. Perfect!!
"Such an exquisitely seamless event!"
- Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Van Dyk
We would like to say our own personal thank you to everyone for making our wedding such an exquisitely seamless event! Everyone we spoke to commented on what a beautiful wedding it was, how great the food was, and how wonderful a time they had. We couldn’t have asked for more. Thank you all again for helping us create so many beautiful memories!
"I couldn’t have asked for more."
- Rita, (The Wedding Hostess & Groom's Grandmother)
Dear Pure Joy Catering,
Hey that was fun for everyone and the family was very very amazed that we caught the spirit of their desires.
I loved your crew and Ellen was a good partner. The bartender a hero. You really have it together there Dennis. I couldn’t have asked for more. I am hoping to have a party this summer.
Thank you so very much.
"Our wedding team was so awesome"
- Erica
You are awesome, our wedding team was so awesome, Barbara specifically was awesome, the food was a HUGE hit and we so appreciated their graciousness and flexibility as the schedule got so off. We are so grateful!!!!!!
"You have a special crew of professionals"
- Emily & Eric
We just can’t get over how incredible everything was. You guys were a joy to work with. Sincerely. We continue to receive so many compliments about the food, bartenders ( a perfect match for us … thanks again for setting them up for us!), service, set-up and KRISTIN! The staff setting-up was sure to congratulate us as we walked through taking our pictures, and were all just incredible. I knew myself how great she was, but I also continue to hear wonderful things about Kristin from our guests. I guess there was some drama during the day with flowers (which we were spared from, so we still don’t know the story). However, my brother-in-law said that Kristin was there to help, trouble-shoot and was just wonderful in general. You have a special crew of professionals with you. Truly.
Thank you so very much to you all for making our wedding so much more than we could have asked for.
"You went above and beyond and it far surpassed anything we could have possibly imagined"
- Heather Bernardi
I know this is really random because it has been almost three years but we just got the un-cut footage of our wedding from Gina Jones with Lola Video and I just had to email you and let you know again how amazing you guys are and what a ridiculous job you did at our reception. We didn’t really get to appreciate the food tables, presentation, etc. because we didn’t go through the buffet and there was a clip of it quickly in our wedding video but we got to see everything in the un-cut footage and you guys were just over the top. I couldn’t even believe it. You went above and beyond and it far surpassed anything we could have possibly imagined for the event. Thank you so much for your attention to detail and for everything you guys did to make the day so wonderful. You are truly a master at your craft. Hope all is well!
"The food & décor surpassed all expectations"
- Norm and Jennifer Liversidge
Just a quick belated note to thank you and everyone at Pure Joy for the hard work at our wedding. The food & décor surpassed all expectations. In all the events I have planned over the years, you stand head & shoulders above all caterers in terms of service, professionalism and most importantly food! You and Kristin were an absolute pleasure to work with. Best of luck with the continued growth of the company.
"You made it work seemlessly."
- The Bentleys
Ryan & I wanted to say thank you so much for all your help and coordination at the wedding and rehearsal. The schedule got off and you made it work seemlessly. We had a wonderful time and the food was amazing, thank you very much.
"From the first phone call to you I knew we found the perfect caterer"
- Barbara Rinkenberger
Thanks to you, Kristin, and the entire Pure Joy team for making Karey and Bobby’s Wedding so special. The food and décor was fabulous, and really fit their amazing Farmhouse wedding site. As you know it can be very difficult planning a wedding 2000 miles away, but from the first phone call to you I knew we found the perfect caterer and coordinator. You made me feel you were there for ONLY their wedding. Our own little taste testing was special and so appreciated; it was hard to choose when everything was outstanding everything was perfect and very professional. Great job keeping ALL the candles burning too! I am sure as Karey and Bobby reflect back on their beautiful wedding they will remember Pure Joy played such an important role in making it perfect.
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"You made it work seemlessly."
- Nancy
Where do I begin to thank you and your incredible staff ( and I really mean this as I have done so many events at my home and helped with many events for United Way and UCI etc). Each and every staff member was polite, competent, caring, and attentive … no detail was left undone. I felt at times like I had a personal staff member to wait on me … not really but it felt like they knew what I needed even before I asked. You are amazing and the food, well, I know now why Greg said you were the only one he wanted……it was delicious and presents so beautifully. So many things go into planning and presenting an event like a wedding…so many emotions are present…each and every part of the evening is a special part and if one goes “south” it affects it all … you were so pivotal in the entire thing and you were THE BEST!!!!! I have had so many calls and e-mails asking for your contact information… Also our friends from Montecito were extremely impressed and said now they know they can recommend or use you without any hesitation. So glad you could met them personally. I also know that Avesta and Jil LOVED having met you and experienced firsthand what you do and how you handled it … and as we left they said they look forward to working with you again. It is definitely a long haul up that road, but once there it is magical! Thank you for all your patience and caring planning for this special day … I also know Beth was VERY pleased and would also recommend you with no hesitations.
Thank you again for everything….this hardly seems like the right words, but just know that all of us are so grateful we found you!
"Small details were handled perfectly! "
- Laura Becerra, Rob & Maryanne Underwood
I just wanted to write a quick ‘Thank You’ on behalf of Maryanne, Rob and myself to all three of you and your incredible extensive staff that worked Maryanne and Rob’s wedding on Saturday. Pure Joy Catering made this entire event go off without a hitch! It was everything I personally dreamed it could possibly be. The entire location was set up perfectly; the entire staff was extremely friendly, kind and helpful. The entire staff was also very professional and dressed as such. The food was very good, and everything I expected it to be. The timeline, transferring of the chairs and all other small details were handled perfectly! Thank you so very much for all your hard work, help, suggestions and diligence. We greatly appreciate everything everyone did!
"We are happy to recommend you in the highest!!"
- Jackie & Greg Eliason
Thank you Thank you!! For the wonderful job you and your staff did on our wedding. Everything was beautiful and the food was EXCELLENT! Please feel free to use us as a reference in the future – we are happy to recommend you in the highest! Thank you for all your work and patience and the wonderful meal.
"Thank you to Lynette for the creative Irish menu"
- April Pharoah
Our event went so very well, your team is a credit to the Pure Joy Catering image. They were professional and extremely friendly, and very helpful. It was a pleasure working with them all. Our guests really enjoyed the food and the service, so thank you to Lynette for the creative Irish menu, and to Manny for the on site cooking!
"The displays of food were incredible"
- Blake and Tanya
We’re finally back from our honeymoon and back to reality. It seems like we were never gone, everything went by so quickly! We just want to thank you and the staff at Pure Joy for making our wedding so incredible. Everyone did such an amazing job and I’m still hearing everyone talk about the food and drinks! Amazingly we both actually ate at our own wedding (Tanya missed the appetizers).
The displays of food were incredible, the tables looked great, and everything was so incredibly efficient. I don’t think anyone went without anything all night…except maybe Tanya’s dad who refused to drink because he was still hungover from the rehearsal dinner. :)
It’s funny that over a year ago a colleague of Tanya’s (who now works in Japan) told her about this fantastic catering company Pure Joy that she used for her reception in Santa Barbara. After doing a small amount of research we knew Pure Joy would be perfect and we even booked you before we booked our wedding site! We were the first wedding Pure Joy has done at Condor Ridge, right?
"Blown away!"
- Kerry Dickey
Everyone commented on the quality of the food and the presentation. They were blown away!
"The food was divine."
- Mark & Heather
Thank you so much for such an amazingly beautiful wedding. It was stunning, perfect. The food was divine. Everything was just as we’d hoped and even more delicious than we’d imagined. Many people told us it was the “perfect meal”.
Your staff was excellent. So kind and friendly and quick! You transformed the place beautifully!
I hope you heard from everyone how perfect it was. You made it so easy and took care of and coordinated everything. I know that you do many of these, thank you for making ours so special.
"You all lived up to your name and more…"
- Jeannette & Tom Schneller
You all lived up to your name and more…you made our celebration a Pure Joy!! We have heard nothing but wonderful things since our party; the food, the presentation, the service were all so incredibly awesome. No one could ask for a better caterer. Thank you to each of you that did your part to make our celebration so fabulous.
"People raved about the catering. We can’t get them to shut up about it."
- The Formerly Single Brian Keenan
What can we say? You and your staff were excellent!
When we first started planning the wedding, I knew I wanted the catering to be one of the highlights of our day. With so many people traveling long distances from so many different directions, it was very important to me that I give them a meal they wouldn’t forget. It was all that and more! People raved about the catering. We can’t get them to shut up about it. It’s actually kind of annoying. What about the bride and groom I say?! And I predict the Sangria will become a legend. “It was on an August day. Just like this one…”
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I also have to point out that over half our guest are designers and illustrators who are very, let’s say, visually aware. I can’t tell you how many of them commented on the presentation of the food and the
tables.
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I hope we have many opportunities to recommend you in the future.
Thank you for your professionalism.
Thank you for your attention to detail.
And thank you for the Sangria!
"Everyone was raving about how the food was gorgeous, elegant and delicious"
- Jaime and Keith Bussell
We just wanted to send you a quick note of thanks for our August 24th wedding. Everything was perfect- everyone was raving about how the food was gorgeous, elegant and delicious, and how the service was extremely pleasant and attentive. There wasn’t one thing I would have changed. Thank you, thank you for making our wedding day even better than we imagined!
"You provided us with total peace of mind so that we could really enjoy the wedding"
- Carolyn & Ernie Siracusa
We wanted to let you know how very pleased we were with your catering services for our daughters wedding. We were so impressed with how you managed the entire occasion, which provided us with total peace of mind so that we could really enjoy the wedding too. Thank you for all your advice and assistance. It was a joy to work with you.
All of the guests raved about the appetizers and the dinner. The food presentation was very professional, beautiful and artistic. We enjoyed your staff, all of who were very friendly and efficient. The service was excellent and the guests felt so pampered. Please use us as a reference.
"Compliments to the chef, the food was outstanding"
- Tianna
Thank you so much for making our day possible on Saturday in Montecito. It was lovely. You and your crew did a beautiful job, and everyone was so friendly. And compliments to the chef, the food was outstanding….we got so many great comments from our guests, about the meal. It was nothing like the traditional catered food. You guys made it so easy for us.
Thanks for being a part of our day!
"You definitely made sure all of our expectations were exceeded"
- Nicole & Tony Ortega
We just wanted to thank you for the amazing catering you provided for our rehearsal dinner and wedding reception. We have received countless compliments on the food from both occasions from all of our guests. Our priority was the food and you definitely made sure all of our expectations were exceeded, even with two so very different themes! We are so grateful for the good food and excellent service you and your staff provided for our parties.
Thank you so much.
"I was in awe of the superior quality & artistic design of the stations"
- Laurann & Robert Putnam
Words cannot express what an extraordinary party you created for our wedding. Most significantly the FOOD was exceptional! I was in awe of the superior quality & artistic design of the stations. Unlike most bride & groom stories of not getting to eat, we indulged thanks to your thoughtfulness in serving us. The Crab and the Garlic Mashed Potatoes were my favorites. Many of our guests stated it was the best food THEY EVER HAD, pretty impressive coming from Italian New Yorker food connoisseurs.
I would also like to note that your staff was excellent; they took great care of our every need; including set-up and break down of everything. Robert was particularly impressed with their ever-famous response of, “don’t worry, we’ll take care of it”. This should be your logo.
The Ice sculptures ROCKED! Please convey to your sculpturist that he is fabuloso. I can’t thank you enough for your attention to detail; you and the weatherman were our most stellar performances.
It was truly a pleasure to have found you and to have worked with you. Your exquisite food presentation and unparalleled food taste, your expertise, and your unsurpassed attention to detail, made our event the most memorable day of our lives…THUS FAR!
"Without your help this wedding would have been impossible to organize from New York"
- Lina and Ookie ma
Thank you for the wonderful food, service, and efficiency with which you organized our event. Ookie and I were extremely pleased and happy with your services. We would like to thank all of the staff for being so attentive and understanding to our needs. Without your help this wedding would have been impossible to organize from New York.
Thanks!
"It would take me a day to relay all of the "oohs and ahhs" I heard"
- Marcy England, 2023
I know I told you at the dinner how wonderful everything was, but I just had to say it AGAIN! Thank you for your advice, your patience with me and for your execution. I cannot begin to tell you how many wonderful comments I got about the evening, mostly that the food was delicious. And, it's the little things that made the evening so special - I found out that you overheard one of the kids ask for more mac-n-cheese when it appeared there was none left, but you took care of it and brought him some!! It would take me a day to relay all of the "oohs and ahhs" I heard, but I sincerely wanted to thank you for such a beautiful evening.
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The reviews online about PJC lived up to the hype - from planning, catering, billing, execution - all 5 star in my book!!
"the party was perfect from the welcome cocktail to the end"
- Jennifer, 2023
Pure Joy recently catered our son's wedding, and it was pure joy! Patrick, the event manager, made planning easy and understandable, and the party was perfect from the welcome cocktail to the end. The food was fantastic and so was the staff. I will absolutely use Pure Joy again!