When to DIY a
party and when to hire professionals (planner, caterer, etc.)
Some people like getting crafty, have a good eye for coordinating
colors and patterns and have the time to incorporate some DIY into their
holiday party. If you enjoy doing it
yourself, then there are a few DIY party projects that I suggest considering
investing your time on, others, are better left to professionals.
·
Tablescapes and Decor- For a small dinner party, a little goes a
long way when decorating the dining table. Easily make your own, no-sew, table
linen in a wide variety of fabrics, by buying fabric by the yard at your local
hobby store and using a stich-witch type product as a double-sided tape, to hem
the edges. If you do plan on investing
in a luxurious tablecloth, choose a neutral colored linen that you may be able
to re-use in other seasons. When choosing your table centerpiece, keep in mind
the size of your table, number of guests per table and how many plates,
glasses, silverware and food dishes you will need to fit on the table. Round tables look best with one large
centerpiece, or a clump of a few small centerpieces in the center of the
table. If you are seating people at long
banquet tables, place small décor items such as votive candles and small
bouquets all the way down the center of the table atop a long table
runner. Wooden farm tables are trendy
right now either left uncovered or with just a table runner. Your guests will want to see and talk with
other people across the table, so remember to keep centerpieces, at all tables,
low enough to see over, or tall enough to see through/below. Pick a color scheme and stick with it. Obviously red and green are universal
Christmas colors, for example, but explore more unique color combos, such as
red and teal for a modern winter twist or forest green, white and silver for a
woodsy, elegant theme. DIY simple
arrangements such as a hurricane glass filled with pinecones or colorful, round
ornaments.
For larger events- If you will have several round tables, vary two
or three different centerpieces with the same all-around theme or color scheme. It is usually more economical to rent linens
from a local party rental company, if you have several tables, and they will
have a large variety of colors, fabrics and patterns to choose from. While you are in their showroom, check out
what they have to offer in the way of table décor options. Often, they can rent to you lanterns, vases,
chargers and other small items to add to what you already have or plan to
purchase. If you plan on making your own
arrangements for all of the tables, make sure that you do a mock-up centerpiece
ahead of time, obviously to make sure that it looks alright, but also to be
sure that you have all of the right materials and to gauge how long it will
take you to put all of them together. I
would suggest leaving fresh floral arrangements to a professional. Not only will a florist have a great eye but they
can also offer their expertise in what flowers are going to be in season and
they may receive wholesale purchasing benefits to offer you savings on
materials, versus just buying whatever your grocer has to offer that particular
day.
·
Food- If you enjoy cooking, and consider yourself to be fairly good
at it, you may choose to make the meal yourself. Prepare as much as you can ahead of time so
that when your guests arrive, you can be a proper hostess. Consider time savers such as purchasing store-made
appetizers that all you will have to do is plate and garnish. Keep in mind that it is not necessarily
improper etiquette to ask each guest to bring a dish to share, such as a side
or a dessert. Many people like
contributing and having an excuse to share a favorite recipe with their friends
and family. Whenever possible though,
organize who will bring what type of dish ahead of time, so that you don’t end
up with 10 dishes of green-bean casserole.
Like the idea of hosting a dinner party at home but don’t have the time
or skills to cook the meal? The trend of
hiring a personal chef for your event may appeal to you. They will meet with you in advance to discuss
a customized menu that may include specific dietary options, such as gluten restrictions
or food allergies. They will show up early to your party, cook in your kitchen
and may even do the dishes!
I discourage trying to cook yourself,for parties over 20 guests. iI
is just too time-intensive and stressful.
If you are not having a potluck, you will need to decide on whether to
contract drop-off catering or full-service catering. For shorter, more informal events, you may
wish to partner with a favorite, local barbecue restaurant,etc who will bring
the menu items in disposable pans to put out on a table that you will provide
and your guests will be responsible for serving themselves. You must budget for disposable plates,
napkins, utensils and servingware. You
will also need to figure out how you will provide drinks (being careful to keep
any self-serve, alcoholic drinks away from anyone underage.) Food will only stay warm in a disposable pan
for up to 1 hour, so if any of your guests come later on in the party, they may
be eating cold food. Although an added
expense, hiring waitstaff and bartenders for your event could ensure that
service for your guests is top-notch. A good caterer will help you coordinate
all of your needed rental items, such as plates, glasses, linens, tables,
chafing dishes and chairs. Waitstaff can
help answer questions from guests as they serve them, regarding what ingredients
are in the dish, etc. Hiring licensed
bartenders may be imperative to making sure that under-age guests are not
served alcohol and that overall consumption stays at an appropriate level. Finally, your caterer may be happy to lend a
helping hand to set up and decorate for your event, placing linens on tables,
setting out all place settings, lighting candles and folding your napkins into
cute little swans. If you are renting
out a ballroom or other venue, you may be required to hire an approved caterer
who has proven to run successful events and will be trusted to clean up the
room and kitchen according to the venue’s standards. Do it yourself and you may run the risk of
losing big bucks in a cleaning or damage deposit if you don’t return the venue
in the condition that it was rented to you.
·
Professional Party Planner- I highly recommend hiring a party
planner for any size party. Many think
of this service as an additional expense but when you calculate the number of
hours saved in researching vendors, planning menus, meeting for contract signings
and walkthroughs, making checklists, and finalizing payments, this service can
prove invaluable. A professional planner
has worked with many venues, caterers, photographers, musicians, bakeries, and
they know who is dependable, reputable and good. No hostess needs the headache of finding out
that their vendor has gone out of business the week before their event or has
double booked. A bonus- sometimes
vendors offer special discounts or incentives for those events booked with a
professional planner, because they look forward to working a well-organized
event and of course, appreciate additional referrals. After all of your hard work, you should be
able to enjoy your party with your guests, not worry about getting food out on
time, cueing music, cutting and serving desserts and all of the dreaded cleanup
at the end of the night!
No comments:
Post a Comment