PARTIES HAVE A MIND OF THEIR OWN: THINGS TO CONSIDER

Everyone is nervous about giving a party and having it be a success!  Have you ever been to a large party that could have been a lot better?  There is always a good reason for this and not always one you might have guessed.  My 30 years of experience have taught me certain things are true about any party.  I’ll summarize them here.

• Always assume your guests are hungry and thirsty when they arrive!  You’ll be right!
• Serve the buffet right away, or at least an appetizer and drink if they must wait for something else to happen. 
• Always have plenty of delicious food with interesting variety to please varying tastes, vegetarians, or those with food sensitivities.
• For parties of 20 or more, consider an hors d’oeuvres buffet instead of a meal.  The advantages are flexibility, more choices, immediate and longer service, freedom to move about and visit, cost effectiveness (fewer tables, cloths, service, etc.)
• Full-service professional catering is important at wedding because of the need to coordinate with ritual toasts, cake cutting, and first dance.  This is also true at any large gathering with an awards ceremony or a seminar.
• Carving / Pasta / Fruit / Veggie Stations and Displays are fun, but cost more.
• There are pit-falls to buying ready-made platters and hiring non-experienced servers.  Ask me!
• If the party is on a weekday, some people will arrive late.
• The most relaxed parties are on Saturdays and mid-afternoon on Sundays.
• During hot weather, serve a room-temperature meal.
• Should you invite children?  It is up to you.  If there are many, think of serving “kids’ foods”.  They really care about the cake!

There are numerous ways to save money:

• Use colorful disposable dishes.  They are very acceptable.
• Get a caterer to supply only the food, ask friends to do the serving (be careful of those who want to chat!)
• Simplify
• Have your party at home to save rent on a hall.  Most folks are really very thoughtful of your carpet and most of the time are well-behaved.  If your home is too small, consider just serving hors d’oeuvres or using your back yard.

Should you hire a licensed bartender?

• For any large party, the answer is YES!  They have the experience to serve drinks appropriately.
• It’s OK to use your own bar.

When should you hire a caterer?

• Weddings, seminars, business or cocktail parties are all events which need a caterer.
• Whenever you just do not want to do it all by yourself, or your time is crunched.
• No matter how simple it may seem to do it yourself, there is always a lot of work to be done from successful planning, to serving, replenishing, and the most loveable job of all – cleanup. 

What can go wrong without a caterer?

• Not enough food or drinks.
• Inappropriate menu for the event or the weather
• Forgetting something important
• Unplanned disasters
• Friends who promised to help but didn’t
• Under or over-estimating the number of guests that will attend
• Incorrect timing of food service
• Taking care of late-arriving guests

Should you give servers a gratuity?

• Yes!  $50-$75 per server is appropriate, depending on the size of the party.
• The catering business is hard physical and mental work, especially on party day.
• Servers are often on their feel 12+ hours on party day.
• We often have to go to the chiropractor the day after the party!
• It takes years of experience to put on a party well.

The point is that having a party, no matter the occasion, is a stressful event.  If you have ever done it you know that you spend more time worrying than enjoying yourself and your friends.  If you hire Camilla’s Catering we will do the worrying for you!  We go through the party details very carefully.  Believe it or not, the day of the week, the time of day, the holiday it falls on or near, the weather, or the number of guests can really affect your gathering. These are the things you hire us to do so you don’t have to.  We provide an atmosphere of comfort for all.  You are free to just have fun!  I will always provide you with plenty of delicious food and impeccable service at a price you can afford and I’ll call you with updates during the process.


Thank you ! Camilla

P.S. Bookmark or print this info while in the planning stage and read it often!