February 2011

Dear Dan and Victoria,

On behalf of the Heasley family, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Lake Union Café family. In December 2010, the LUC hosted the wedding of my daughter, Alyssa, and our new son, Landon (Yokers). Not only was the wedding/reception professional, the event was personally-meaningful for all attendees and it raised the bar for weddings in our family! Specifically, our family and friends said they had never had such delicious food at a wedding reception, they enjoyed the beautiful setting, and they were all treated splendidly by the staff and management.

From day one in the process of wedding-venue touring, I was impressed by the management and staff at LUC. Alyssa and Landon had only to meet Dan and Victoria to know that the handling of their wedding would be absolutely perfect. Then, throughout the process of planning the wedding, the LUC management was there to assist, suggest, and support our wishes. From recommending other wedding planning services to making sure guests were comfortable and their every need was met, the LUC came through.

A few specific "wows" from the wedding:

• The Bride's Room and the Groom's Room - awesome!
• Outstanding service from management and staff
• Candlelight package/ambiance was unbelievable
• Delicious, plentiful food

One final note...my 87-year-old Mom was in attendance. She has trouble walking and while there were many family members in attendance who could assist her, Dan thought ahead once again, and realizing the required responsibilities of the wedding process for immediate family (including myself) assigned a staff member to be her personal "helper" for the evening. The staff ensured she had seconds at the buffet, a front seat for the cake-cutting, a glass of champagne for the toast, and a steady arm for trips to the Ladies' room. It was a relief, as you can imagine for me - the Father of the Bride - to have that assistance with my Mom.

Thank you, so much, for the wonderful experience, from the entire Heasley family. We will be using the Lake Union Café in the future for more family events!

Curt and Kim Heasley, Maple Valley, WA

October 2010

Dear Dann and Victoria,

I'm so ashamed to be so late in saying thank you to you for all you did in making Joe & Dave's retirement party from the Seattle Fire Department so memorable. Life can really spin out of control sometimes and I regret that I have taken so long to tell you how much I appreciated all of your efforts that made it a such a successful event.

I've done many events over the years and I must say, I don't think I can remember another venue and staff that was as wonderful, gracious and accommodating as you and the Lake Union Cafe. The venue and decor fit the event for the Seattle Fire Department so beautifully and I owe a great deal of gratitude to Dann for his impeccable attention to every detail. The service was outstanding and yet unobtrusive, and as if by magic, every need was fulfilled before I could even make the request. I received many compliments on the warm and homey atmosphere and how everyone felt like they were right at home.

I always judge the success of my events by the laughter in the room and there was plenty of that all night long. I will never forget the smiles on the recipients faces and the laughter of all the guests - It was truly one of my most successful events and that's because I had so much support from you.

I can't tell you how happy I was to learn that the Seattle Fire Department chose the Lake Union Cafe to host a dinner for all of the departments retired firefighters of 2010.

I look forward to another wonderful event at the Lake Union Cafe and look for every opportunity with prospective clients to host more events at The Lake Union Cafe in the future. You are truly the dream team!

Wishing you continued success with all your events,

Most sincerely,

Shari Bunich

June 2009

Dear Victoria, Dan and the Lake Union Cafe Staff,

When I flew in from New York for my niece ’s wedding at the Lake Union Café, I was expecting a week of the usual grind, design and production problems always associated with these kinds of events.

Instead of long, torturous hours and grumbling staff , the norm in NYC, I was totally surprised by your on-time efficiency, an unbelievably hard working team and big senses of humor all round. You actually enjoy your work!

Victoria, hanging on the ceiling, draping fabric garlands one entire afternoon, Dan with his broken foot in a boot racing around, making everything the best, the LUC staff, all teeth and eyes, joking and laughing while delivering smooth, professional party service without a hitch.

You all make it look so easy and fun. If I did not know better I would think it is. Thank you for such a wonderful , enjoyable experience behind the scenes. Come to New York, we need your kind of party here.

Thank you all,
-- Patrick Orton
Urban Retreat NYC

April 2009

Puget Sound Research Forum has been holding our monthly luncheons at the Lake Union Café since 2002. We originally picked the Lake Union Café because they appeared to be very accommodating, the space would work for our group, the location is easy to access and they offer plenty of free parking. Victoria and her team did not let us down!

The chef develops reasonably priced seasonal menus for our events. The food is excellent – no rubber chicken served here. Because the Lake Union Café works to address our particular needs, they spoil us with three meal choices per luncheon (which our members love) rather than just one.

We continue to return to the Lake Union Café each year because of the good food and wonderful service we receive.

-- Nancy Hardwick Past President
206-232-9400 

January 2008

Dear Lake Union Café,

We are writing to THANK YOU for the wedding reception of our dreams…

As small business owners, we know that quality service can bring lifelong customers, and to put it plainly- you now have lifelong customers. From the moment we chose your venue to the end of our amazing evening, we felt special. Victoria was extremely accessible throughout our planning, and answered all of our anxiety-ridden questions without judgment and sincerity. She also gave wonderful suggestions on other vendor choices, which really helped to expedite our interviewing time. Even more impressive was her ability to remember our names and the details of our day with all of the other events she was coordinating! At our reception, Dan was truly the brains and engineer behind the operations. And, not only did he make sure all details were running smoothly, but he also made time to pay special attention to my grandfather, our other family members, and our guests. My family is still talking about Dan and his spoon-hanging-on-the-nose trick!

BRAVO to you and all of your staff. You have created a team of people that know how to provide an atmosphere of warmth, class, elegance, and most of all, fun! We have already referred many to your venue and can’t wait to find another reason to have an event at the Lake Union Café!

With Gratitude,
~ John and Lyla Morris
206-226-5952

August 31, 2007

Dear Lake Union Café,

Every woman dreams as a child of having the perfect wedding, and you helped make my dreams come true on August 18th, 2007. From the very moment we stepped through the elegant vintage spinning doors of the Café to meet Victoria we new we were in good hands. The time she took helping us plan every detail was invaluable. Her many years of experience in the business pointed us to other amazing vendors we would eventually use on our wedding day. The genuine and caring way Victoria assisted us in the planning process minimized any stress or concerns we had over details of the big day. On several occasions, Victoria and Dan went above and beyond what was expected to ensure that our day was perfect…and it was. It is clear that Victoria and Dan are experienced and passionate about what they do. I was told on several occasions that you have to prepare for “something” to go wrong on your wedding day.

Thanks to Victoria, Dan, and the staff at the Café, we can honestly say nothing went wrong on our wedding day. Dan orchestrated the entire reception that night and made sure we took time to enjoy every minute. We have since been contacted by several of our guest raving about the reception and the service they received. From the moment we arrived we had someone taking care of us getting us anything we needed; clearly our guests received the same stellar service. Our dream was to have an elegant, classy, personalized, and stress free wedding day. Thank you Lake Union Café for making this dream a reality.

Sincerely,
~Luke & Teresa Russell

Dear Victoria,

Mere words of thanks seem hardly adequate for the magnificent dinner prepared for our 2001 WWAMI Legislative Conference. Everyone I spoke with marveled at the details of the dinner and the Café itself. One of the doctors I sat with during dinner commented on how she had dined at the Café some 20 years ago and was amazed with the restoration. Several people have suggested that we use your facility for our final legislative conferences and I quite concur. I also want to think you for your patience in dealing with our Purchase Order System,. It can be a bit cumbersome at times. You and the Lake Union staff did a spectacular job!

Sincerely,
~Michael R. Ritter
WWAMI Legislative Conference Coordinator
University of Washington Medical School

Victoria,

So seldom do we experience such great service that we are compelled to write a commendation letter, however, our wedding reception at Lake Union Café was such an occasion. The Décor…it is a gorgeous space that allowed intimacy without overcrowding.

The Planning…Victoria, the event coordinator, gave us helpful advice and suggestions for the dinner menu, flowers, the ice sculptor and especially the timing of the evening. We felt at ease and comfortable with Victoria immediately and always received a prompt response to our inquiries. She was not only proficient; she was fun to work with.

The Food…our compliments to the chef! Many, many guests praised us for the selections from the innovative shrimp on a spool to the appetizer to the beautiful plated mixed grill entrée and we must pass their accolades on to you.

The Service…very attentive and professional. Several of our guests are in the hospitality industry and were quite impressed by the quality of the staff. High praise from business peers.

Finally, as a bride and groom, we confidently put the reception on the hands of Victoria and her staff. From the moment we arrived, everything was in place, looking spectacular. The evening flowed seamlessly from start to finish, allowing us to fully enjoy the event with our guests and family.

We promise, next time we have a party for 150 of our closest friends, we’re coming back!

~Rita Lindle and Dave Pruin

January 10, 2004
I can’t express in words how wonderful you made our wedding. From the beginning, Victoria was always there making sure all questions and concerns were answered. Your sweet yet professional demeanor was exactly what we needed to calm us down and make us feel confidant that our wedding would turn out great.

The café sold itself; it is absolutely breathtaking. It has the classic feel we were looking for and seeing it all lit up was amazing. The food was unbelievable - people were talking about the food as one of the highlights of the night; it was awesome and abundant, and everything we hoped for.

When we came for the rehearsal, we met Dan and immediately latched on to him! He not only helped us thought the rehearsal, he helped us decorate, set up, made sure everyone was where they needed to be and that everyone did what they needed to do. If the DJ needed his money, Dan took care of it. I needed a glass of wine, Dan was right there. When it was time for me to leave the bridal suite, he was the one holding my hand and letting me know that it was time. If the guys didn’t have their boutonnieres on right, he helped them. To this day, we cannot talk about our wedding without mentioning Dan’s name, he played such a huge role. We still talk about how wonderful you were Dan, and how we couldn’t have done it without you – literally.

Victoria and your wait staff will always hold a special place in our hearts and our memories of the happiest day of our lives. Thank you.

With all our gratitude,
~Ryan and Carissa Almli

LAKE UNION CAFÉ selected for the

2007-2009 “THE KNOT: Best Of Weddings” magazine!

The Lake Union Café in Seattle has been selected as one of the top wedding facilities in the country by The Knot: Best of Weddings for the past three years. The Lake Union Café is listed as a top rated wedding facility for 2008/2009 in The Knot’s third annual edition of The Knot Best of Weddings, as voted by members of The Knot who rated their wedding vendors. The Knot members rated wedding vendors who dazzled them across many category-specific characteristics (including creativity, organizational and planning services, and more).

The Lake Union Cafe is proud to attain this status from such a reputable organization.