The heart of a wedding is the uniting of two people — with their families and friends as joyful witnesses. Then comes the celebration of the union, a reception made complete with delectable food, drink and festivities. Call it smoke and mirrors or performance art, but the mastery of a seasoned caterer is pivotal in creating a singular world for the bride, groom and guests on that exceptional day.
Whether you’re hosting an intimate rooftop gathering for 20 or a fabulous country field bash for 500, the following caterers have the vision and expertise to transform your wedding dreams into lifelong memories.
CLEAN PLATE CLUB
Monica Holmes, founder
Like many caterers, Monica got her start working out of her home kitchen. With clients primarily in production — television shows, music videos and photo shoots — she built a strong reputation for fresh, delicious fare, presented and served with aplomb. When Naomi Judd hired Monica to cater her wedding to Larry Strickland, it propelled her to take her business to the next level. She moved into a commercial kitchen — the first of four over three decades.
Celebrating 44 years, the Clean Plate Club has grown to be a premier full-service catering company boasting 25 full-time employees. Monica is proud that it is also family-owned and -operated, with her son Chris acting as partner and her daughter-in-law and two grandsons playing key roles.
SOURCES OF INSPIRATION
I love to travel. What an education! You learn so much about a culture through its food, drink, customs and aesthetics. Visually, it inspires me to be a better designer in creating an ambience for an event. Food- and beverage-wise, it opens me up to other possibilities. Say, for example, I’m working with an American bride whose husband-to-be is from India. That could prompt me to design a unique menu, a fusion thing, playing off the two cultures.
CREATIVITY AND VERSATILITY
When people ask me what we specialize in, I tell them our success is in our versatility. To be a good caterer means being able to create a variety of events in an array of tastes. There is a psychology to catering, which is why I prefer to meet with people, engage with them, and get inside their heads to find out what they really like and want. It is detective work. We are also honored to work with some of the top planners. I love the challenge of creating a menu that is cohesive with the design of the venue, and then figuring out all of the logistics.
Each menu is customized, but there are some constants. Nashville still loves a beautiful piece of beef tenderloin, and I laugh when I say our current kitchen was built on our Sweet Tea Brined Chicken — it is so popular for Southern casual events, as it is so delicious.
WORDS OF COUNCIL
The biggest mistake I’ve seen is couples putting the cart before the horse — booking band, photographer and venue before meeting with caterers to get a realistic budget. It’s more than food — there’s staffing, rentals, decor. There’s an impressive world of options. It’s such a personal event that you want to find a caterer you can relate to. Have that rapport. You’ll be working together over many months in the lead-up to the big day. You want to make sure it’s a good fit.
FLAVOR CATERING
Jason Crockarell, founder
Jason got a big taste of the art of catering in the ’80s, working under Tom Morales of TomKats Hospitality, feeding cast and crew on location on huge movie sets. He was the regional chef for Merchants and helped open Green Hills Grille. But becoming a husband — and then a father — instilled in him the desire to start his own business.
Flavor Catering was born in a borrowed kitchen 17 years ago, with Jason working solo. Now he oversees a leadership team of 20, with another 30 full-time employees. The large West Nashville operation houses kitchens, offices and tasting rooms, with the ability to execute sizable and concurrent events with mastery.
A PERSONAL PROCESS
In this business, as a chef, you must lose your identity in order to serve the needs and vision of a bride or groom. We don’t do “packages” — each menu is custom. What’s important to you? It’s our mission to find out. And it’s why, in our new home, we have the tasting room as a centerpiece. There, we set up tastings for the couple, parents and planner. We want you to have a clear idea of what we will be offering you and your guests.
EVOLVING TRENDS
Before the pandemic, many of our large wedding parties focused on family-style service for seated dinners, or a series of action food stations. Of course, that shifted with COVID — to completely shutting down, then reemerging as small, individualized, formal plated dinners. We got very good at multicourse plated dinners!
Now, with a loosening in our post-pandemic times, we are building small, composed plates that guests can easily carry and enjoy. It could be a plate of farro, topped with spiced grilled beef, properly sauced and beautifully garnished. We are also seeing a return to the stations. Our guests really like heavy hors d’oeuvres and the options this style affords. Perhaps you want a New-Orleans-influenced table — another with charcuterie, cheeses, breads and relishes, and yet another with meats carved to order.
WHAT MATTERS MOST
I tell my clients that there are only two people who truly matter in this: the spouses-to-be. Don’t be overly generic. Do what represents you best. Of course we will accommodate the dietary needs and restrictions of, say, your aunt, but don’t let that dominate your choices. Our intention is that it must feel special. Food is part of the aesthetic. Our mission and goal is that we treat each event and each venue as an extension of your home, being good stewards of the space.
CATERING BY JOHNNY HAFFNER
Johnny Haffner, founder
Though he grew up in a family that liked to cook, Johnny did not come to cooking professionally until many years later. His prime experience was serving in the front of house, and his résumé reads like a restaurant history of Nashville: Julian’s, Sperry’s, Maude’s Courtyard, and so on. It was at the latter where — after two lead cooks suffered injuries — he realized that he could step up, prepare dishes and plate them beautifully.
He went on to open hotels in Atlanta before returning to Nashville. He became sales lead for Cynthia Himmelfarb of The Premiere Event, and joined Frances Pilkington’s catering company, Something Special, in the mid-’90s. There, he shifted to food preparation full-time. Having gained experience in all facets of catering, Johnny set out on his own in 1998.
CATERING PHILOSOPHY
As a caterer, I want to focus on the food. We work with excellent planners, designers, photographers, florists and wedding cake bakers, and it all comes together to create an amazing event. Mrs. Pilkington trained me well in quality. Buy the best, and don’t screw it up! But that’s a key foundation. My clients trust me to get the very best for them.
SIGNATURE TOUCHES
When people come to a party and see truffle salt potato chips on the bar, they know it’s a Johnny Haffner event. But I’d rather be known for this: Every event needs to have one thing that stands out above everything else. It could be a look or a taste, but it must be something that is so bright, so unexpected that it makes an impression — a lasting memory. That’s my goal for every client and every event.
FAVORITE CHALLENGE
I loved catering my daughter’s wedding! Every detail was planned well in advance so I could be the father of the bride. My staff understood how everything had to be done. We served her favorite truffle ravioli, a charcuterie salad à la Deb Paquette, short ribs and risotto — with dancing between each course. At the end, each guest got a special plate with a slice of cake with a Brandy Alexander.
WORDS OF ADVICE
I ask every bride or groom, “What is your dream?” You have to have one. So let’s start with your best dream, and we will try to make that happen. I had one woman contact me saying she’d like a slider party at her reception, and I thought, that’s cool — we haven’t done that before. But there’s a lot of possibilities beyond the burger: grilled salmon sliders, brisket sliders, etc. I also love pictures. If you bring me images or tear sheets, that gives me an instant ability to really see what you like and want.
KRISTEN WINSTON CATERING
Kristen Winston, founder
Kristen’s love for food, presentation and entertaining stretches back to childhood. As a kid, she even created buffets for her Barbies. While in college on a pre-nursing track, Kristen continued to explore those passions, making and serving food for sorority gatherings.
After college, Kristen catered a friend’s engagement party to great success. That friend told her she should get into catering. The advice gave Kristen pause. She then worked for a local caterer for a couple years before launching Kristen Winston Catering in 2002. At the time, the company was a one-woman show in a red Volvo station wagon. But over the years, Kristen has grown her full-service company slowly and intentionally. And since 2014, she has catered the coveted Swan Ball.
THE HEART OF THE MATTER
I like to meet with people personally. It’s the best way to get to the heart of what you want. We don’t have set menus. Every event is customized. We pride ourselves on using ingredients of the highest quality and taking care in all the details of presentation. We always strive to be the best we can be.
I love passed hors d’oeuvres, petite elegant tasty bites — and we are known for our tiny grilled cheese sandwiches. I think it all harkens back to my childhood Barbie buffets! But overall, I love food in all its forms, all cuisines, and making everything visually appealing.
Catering a wedding, or any event really, is a whole experience. Our service component is key — how we make people feel.
TRENDS AND CHALLENGES
Weddings have become larger and more extravagant. Social media has driven those changes, with all the stunning images inspiring wonder and creativity. As caterers, we are playing an “away game.” And it’s like magic, mostly happening behind the scenes: cooking, loading and unloading, logistics and staging — all leading up to service. So many variables! We want to execute your vision, but at the same time, manage expectations — what is possible, what is truly important.
Accommodating dietary restrictions — and preferences — has gotten extreme. It’s more than nuts or shellfish allergies, or vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free. If you have 400 guests at your wedding and 20 of them have very different or specific preferences, it can impact the other 380 guests. You cannot please everybody, nor should you.
GUIDING THE PROCESS
The first question I ask is, “Have you hired a planner?” I cannot overstate how important that is. You have to handle so many moving parts, from venue to vendors. Having a planner will keep things smooth and worry-free. There’s a lot of emotion, and it should be joyful, not stressful. I also say: Serve what you want, not what you think you should. And enjoy the process.
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