Every event planner has a few secrets up their sleeve! What’s Yours?
Time is valuable…it also seems to fly by. There are nights when I’m laying out food and getting dressed all the while hoping/praying the first person to arrive is a few minutes late!
For cocktail parties on nights such as these, when I know time isn’t on my side, I plan easy finger foods that look more elaborate than they are. For example, spinach dip in a bread bowl garnished with a couple of cherry tomatoes, rather than plopped a ceramic bowl. (Sounds basic – but people love it!) I’ve also taken a 45 piece shrimp cocktail and put it in a large martini glass with shaved ice, lettuce leaves and lemon wedges. Again, it all sounds easy…and it is…and guests love it!
When life gets overloaded, I’ve also been known to re-plate catering on my serving china. (Shh! My friends think that of course I have time to cube 100 pieces of cheese into perfect squares while doing everything else for the party!)
There is only so much time in the day…but presentation is everything! Think of novels ways to make the basic extraordinary. It keeps your prep time simple, but adds the finishing touches that makes a party pop!
Laying out catering
Do you have a hosting secret? Send it to cynthia@redcarpetrollout.com and include:
- Your secret
- A photo of you
- If applicable, a photo or two of your secret – or something that visually represents it
- A line or two about you: who you are, where you live, parties you host, etc.
- A link to your blog or your website if applicable
2 comments
Lema says:
August 12, 2011 at 4:01 pm (UTC -4)
Thanks for these tips! I definitely agree that a few extra touches added to finger foods can really spruce up the presentation, while saving a lot of time too. One of my favorites from an event I recently attended was sliced fresh mozzarella with half a cherry tomato garnished with a basil leaf (all on a decorative toothpick). Again, really simple and quick but the guests loved it! Another technique I’ve used recently for a larger event was providing wristbands to identify those over 21 at my event. This made it easy for bartenders to keep the service flow moving without having to stop and check ID’s every time a guest ordered a drink. Hope this helps!
Christina says:
August 12, 2011 at 10:45 pm (UTC -4)
Trader Joes! I don’t have time to stop at 5 different stores to pick up everything so I make sure to plan out what I am serving and just stop once! Trader Joes has everything I need to make sure my parties run smoothly and look great! From fresh cut flowers to nuts, veggies, the yummiest dips and pre-made appetizers! It’s easy to throw a party after work now!