One More Bite Catering and Events

Tag: Party Planning

How to Be a Good Host

‘Tis the season for lots of parties! Whether it’s with friends, family, or co-workers there’s a lot to celebrate in the coming weeks. Here are some tips if you find yourself hosting any parties this holiday season.

Communicate

Make sure you’re clear on the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How! No one likes ambiguity when it comes to a party, unless it’s a surprise party and they’re the guest of honor. Make sure your guests know who is invited. Is it just them, or can they bring a plus one? What are they coming for, and do they have to bring anything? When should they arrive? Better yet, when should they leave? Setting an end-time is a great way to wind down activities and make sure no one overstays their welcome. Where is the party and are there any special instructions on getting there? For everything you tell your guests give them the why and how. Leaving out details can lead to confusion.

Stick to the Plan

Once a plan is solidified, stick to it! If you have to change details of the party do it as early as possible and communicate it thoroughly. I would recommend reaching out to each guest to ensure they know of the change. Keep in mind, if you invite someone to an event they’ve now scheduled their time around you. A last minute change or cancellation can throw a wrench in your guests’ day. Be respectful of their time.

Plan Accordingly

If the party starts at 6:00PM, don’t head to the grocery store to pick up food/drinks at 5:00PM. Plan ahead and make sure your venue is clean and ready well before the start time. All food and drinks should be planned out as well. There should always be something available. If you’re having a larger meal, some light snacks are good. If not, continuous food is a good idea. Don’t put everything out at once. Make sure it comes in waves so it’s always fresh. Also, know how long it takes to prep and cook a dish. If you’re guests are arriving at 6:00PM and expecting to eat around 7:00PM, you’re going to have a problem if you start cooking a turkey at 5:00PM.

Consider Diets and Preferences

All parties should have some form of refreshment. Always make sure your guests have water at a minimum! Any other drinks are your discretion. Did you invite someone with lactose intolerance or a vegan diet to the party? You better have more than just pizza to eat. Also, make sure you have enough cups, plates, bowls, cutlery and napkins as appropriate.

Stay Engaged

Make sure to greet your guests when they come and go. Also ensure everyone is having a good time. Don’t seclude yourself or only talk to a few people.

There’s a lot more to consider when hosting a party, but I highlighted these because I’ve been to parties where the host made some of these offenses. Can you think of anything else? Put it in the comments below!

November 8, 2018
Managing Party Stress

The holiday season is coming! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years. Those are just to name a few. It’s a wonderful time to host and go to parties with friends and family. Unfortunately, we can get in our own way and make these events a nightmare.

Hosting?

If you’re hosting a party this can be daunting. Whether you drew the short straw with your family, or are graciously opening your home, it can be stressful. After all, there is a lot to do: cleaning, cooking, decorating, coordinating activities. Our one big tip for hosting. Plan in advance. Doing as much as you can ahead of time can help you stay on track and eliminate some stress. It also gives you more time to enjoy the day. Cooking? Choose recipes that keep a day or two ahead and keep them in the refrigerator or freezer. Clean and decorate a day or two in advance as well. This will help you to visual the event and you can focus on all the other details. Overall…have a plan, stick to it, and don’t overthink it.

Attending?

Chances are you’ll be invited to some events this season. Even though you want to go, you may be on the fence or have social anxiety. This shouldn’t stop you from enjoying yourself and the company. Our tip here is to find someone to stick with. If you know someone very well, stick with them. Knowing the guest list ahead of time can help you plan. Discuss with another guest and let them know how you’re feeling. If there is no one you know, ask the host if you can bring a plus one. Another tip is to take breaks. Step outside and get some air, or go to the bathroom to freshen up.

The holidays are a great time to enjoy with others. Don’t let stress get in your way, and have a great time! How do you fight party stress? Tell us in the comments below!

October 15, 2018
DIY or Why Bother?

So…you’re planning a party. In the world of Pinterest and Instagram you might feel obligated to really up your game when it comes to the food and décor. That’s when it happens; you go right down the Pinterest rabbit-hole. You’ve pinned and shared so many ideas that you don’t even remember what type of party it was. What’s worse is everything starts looking the same. How can you decide!? Which diaper cake looks the best for your sister’s baby shower? What’s the correct number of candy options for the candy bar? Which phallic food option do I serve at my friend’s bachelorette party!?

The answer…who cares? Honestly. At the end of day guests remember three things. Whether or not the food was good, who was there, and did they have a good time. The fun decorations and party favors certainly add to the overall atmosphere, but they’re not the core of the party. Here are some pointers to keep your party planning under control, and to figure out if DIY is right for you.

Stay On Theme

The first thing is to have a theme, and stick to it. There are a lot of great ideas out there. Having a theme in mind first will definitely help you to stay focused. That way you don’t end up rationalizing why there’s a watermelon cut into a shark at your movie night party (and no…. it’s not shark week and this is not Jaws). The key is not having to explain the decorations. When you take a step back and look at everything, it should make sense.

Don’t Go Overboard

Even if you find a great theme, there can be tons of ideas to sift through. You don’t want to go overboard on the theme. Every element of the party does not have to beat you over the head with the theme. Not every food item needs to have a gimmick and not every decoration needs to be over-the-top. Find one or two centerpieces, two or three other decorations, and one or two food/drink items. The rest can simply match the color scheme and fit in perfectly. Having some simple decorations also highlights the showstoppers, rather then having them compete or blend in.

So Should I DIY?

So now you have a theme and an idea of what you want to do. So…do you take a trip to Party City or start thumbing through apps for ideas? There are a few things I like to consider: cost, ease and the overall vision. Is the cost of making something that much lower? Will it be that much easier to make? Can you buy something that looks like what you want, or would you have to make it? All these factor in to the answer of “should I DIY.” A really good recent example of this was when Zoe was helping to plan a family wedding. She needed a chuppah (a traditional canopy in Jewish weddings where the ceremony takes place). She was looking at $750 or more! She priced out building it herself for about $300. That was an obvious DIY.

In some cases half the work is already done! In a DIY world there are retailers that sell kits. All you have to do is buy the kit, follow the instructions and ta-dah! All of the materials are already sourced. You just have to put it together! Some kits make it easy to customize.

Above All…Have Fun!

The most important part of the party is to have fun and make memories. Don’t stress yourself out. If needed, enlist help. In my opinion, DIY is better with friends!

If you’re having a party and thinking of doing some DIY we hope this article helps. If you have some projects you’d like to share or have suggestions for a topic to cover, send them to us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. We’d love to hear from you!

Special thank you to our friend Grace for modeling in the cover photo! Follow her on Instagram HERE!

September 21, 2018