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Family style catering is the sweet spot between a buffet and a plated meal. Platters and bowls of food are brought directly to each table, and guests serve themselves and pass dishes around. It creates a warm, communal dining experience that feels personal and connected, which is why it’s one of the most popular formats for weddings, rehearsal dinners, holiday gatherings, and intimate celebrations.
Our family style menu features the same entrees as our buffet menu, including options like Atlantic salmon, sweet heat chili-glazed cobia, herb-crusted beef medallions, citrus caper chicken, cider-glazed pork loin, and our signature seafood lasagna with shrimp, scallops, whitefish, and lump crab. The difference is in the service. Instead of a line, everything comes to you.
Each table receives platters of your selected entrees along with sides like creamy mashed potatoes, roasted seasonal vegetables, rice pilaf, and sauteed green beans, plus a salad course and warm bread service. The dishes are replenished by our staff throughout the meal so your guests never run out.
Family style works especially well for events of 30 to 150 guests, where you want the elegance of a sit-down meal without the formality of individual plating. It also gives your guests more control over portions and variety. If you’re planning a wedding reception, a Thanksgiving dinner, or a private celebration and want the table to feel like home, family style is the way to go.
Our staff delivers generous platters of entrees, sides, and salads directly to every table. Guests serve themselves and share, creating a warm, communal atmosphere.
Choose from the same high-quality entrees on our buffet menu, but served tableside. It's a more personal, relaxed way to enjoy a full catered meal.
Our team monitors every table throughout the meal and refreshes platters as needed. No one has to ask for more. We keep an eye on it.
Larissa S.
Traditions makes it so seamless for clients!
Love working with Annie from Traditions, she makes it so seamless for clients! she’s
very knowledgeable and ensures that all the right questions are asked and answered.
She’s always an email or phone call away to assist with any last minute items and goes
above and beyond for clients! Thank you!!!!
Ashley Decoteau
On the wedding day, everything ran smoothly - and our guest couldn't stop talking about how delicious the food was!
Traditions were on our venue’s preferred vendor list, and we’re so glad we chose them! They were the only caterer that offered a tasting, which gave us the chance to meet the chef and our sales consultant, Zanny, and sample the amazing food ahead of time. The team was professional, efficient, and easy to work with throughout the entire process. On the wedding day, everything ran smoothly – and our guest couldn’t stop talking about how delicious the food was! Highly recommend!
Molly Joesten
"Thanks to Traditions, our wedding day was not only beautiful but stress-free and full of amazing memories."
Having Traditions cater our wedding was one of the best decisions we made. The food and service was absolutely phenomenal! We opted for a plated dinner service, and everything from start to finish was flawless. Our menu included Chicken Cordon Bleu, Beef Tenderloin, fingerling potatoes, asparagus, a fresh salad, and warm dinner rolls—and every single item was cooked to perfection. We received so many compliments from our guests—everyone raved about how delicious the meal was. One guest even told me it was the best wedding food they’d ever had! The bartenders were fantastic, too. The drinks were yummy and they managed the bar line with ease. From the start, the Traditions team was incredible. From the office staff – Annie and Zanny, to the team at the wedding, everyone was kind, professional, attentive, and truly went above and beyond to make sure everything ran smoothly. They made sure we were well taken care of and allowed us to just relax and enjoy the night. Thanks to Traditions, our wedding day was not only beautiful but stress-free and full of amazing memories. They truly exceeded all of our expectations—we couldn’t have asked for anything more. Traditions ROCKED IT!
Michele Coleman
"The chicken, the beef, the shrimp, the mexican cream sauce, all of it delicious!"
My Daughter and new son-in-law got married a few weeks ago and Traditions catered the event. The food was DELICIOUS!!! We chose to go with passed hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour, then for the reception we had the carving station, taco station, pasta station, vegetables, and then a dessert station. The Beef Tenderloin was seasoned and cooked perfectly, literally “melt in your mouth” heaven. The tacos were sooooo good! The chicken, the beef, the shrimp, the mexican cream sauce, all of it delicious! The pasta station was just as good, my favorite being the vodka blush. I received multiple compliments from so many guests on how delicious and amazing the food was. One guest even stated that it was the best food he had ever had.
Chris Twiford
"Everyone at my table raved about how hot, fresh, and tasty everything was."
I attended our annual Treasurer’s Office Christmas Party which was catered by Traditions Catering. The food was delicious! We had grilled chicken skewers with a sweet Kentucky Bourbon BBQ glaze, which was light and tasty. The chicken was moist and flavorful and grilled perfectly. We also had crustless mini quiches in a variety of chicken, ham, and veggie, which were all tasty; caprese salad skewers with a drizzle of balsamic glaze; and a nacho station with multi colored chips, and all the toppings to include white queso, nacho cheese, shredded chicken, seasoned ground beef, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, chopped red onions, sour cream, and salsa. Everyone at my table raved about how hot, fresh, and tasty everything was. We all went up for seconds, and some of us went back for thirds!
Kristine Shifflett
"The event itself was spectacular and I got many complements from our guests about how nice it was."
I was really impressed with the service I received from Traditions. I planned a surprise 60th birthday party for my mom at Chesapeake Golf Club. Our event planner was Caitlin, and she was great! She always made herself available to meet with me and was quick to respond to my emails. All of the staff members I came into contact with were great. The event itself was spectacular and I got many complements from our guests about how nice it was. The food was very good! I would recommend Traditions!
Elizabeth O’Hargan
"I would recommend them as a both a catering company and as a company to cater and provide your wedding venue."
Traditions was easy to work with while planning our wedding and very helpful. We worked mainly with Zanny, who was honestly one of the main reasons we decided to go with Traditions. My husband and I got along very well with Zanny and she helped make the wedding planning process involved with Traditions, fun. We had our wedding at West Neck Village Hall and it was absolutely beautiful. During the reception, we noticed that the food was served on time and quickly, plus it tasted great. My husband and I were very happy with how everything turned out and if our guests felt different, well, they didn’t tell us. Their prices were reasonable and appropriate. Every aspect of working with Traditions was positive: ironing out the details, the tasting, the food, and every person we encountered at Traditions. If we did it all over again, we would go with Traditions. I would recommend them as a both a catering company and as a company to cater and provide your wedding venue.
Jennifer Segbers
"I truly felt like a princess by the way they made sure I had everything I needed"
Traditions Catering was hands down the best decision I made for my wedding!! Not only was the food absolutely delicious ( I will be dreaming about those southwest eggrolls and steak tenderloins for awhile), but the service is what put them above the rest. I had the pleasure of working with Zanny and Caroline all the way up until my wedding day. The were very professional, attentive, kind, and confident! They handled every little detail perfectly. I also wanted to shout out the staff that handled my wedding, they were incredible! I truly felt like a princess by the way they made sure I had everything I needed, and even cleaned up my mess when I accidently spilled something. The captain was especially wonderful! If you are debating on hiring Traditions Catering, DO IT, they will not disappoint!!
Amber Hamilton
"Truly, you all have outdone yourselves!"
The entire team at Traditions Catering was FANTASTIC! I cannot speak highly enough of Zanny & Annie our coordinators. They made the planning process so easy and enjoyable which can be a challenge when planning a big event! The crew with us for the evening was equally as outstanding. Kudos to Sebastion, Christopher, Gabby, and their entire team for making our event at Nauticus a huge success. Special shout out to Chef Courtney for the AMAZING food and presentation. Truly, you all have outdone yourselves and we will absolutely be using you again for any future events!
Anna Duren
"The food was delicious and the presentation was beautiful!"
I have held several events with Traditions Catering at Chesapeake Golf Club and have always been completely satisfied. The most recent event was no exception. The event coordinator, Caitlyn Murphy, was a delight to work with. She was very helpful with planning the event and quick to respond to e-mails and/or phone calls. The wait staff (Jessica and Maria) were very accommodating and a joy to work with so that the evening was carefree. The food was delicious and the presentation was beautiful. I received many compliments from the guests about the food, service and accommodations. I highly recommend Traditions Catering.
Williamsburg’s blend of historic charm and modern event spaces makes it one of the most popular destinations for weddings and special occasions in the region. We cater events at plantation estates, winery venues, hotels, and private properties throughout the area. It’s a bit of a drive from Virginia Beach, but we make the trip regularly and treat every Williamsburg event with the same care as one in our own backyard.
Find answers to common questions about our menus.
