Events and parties are part of our everyday life. Because we have so many reasons to celebrate, party rentals have played a huge role in making the planning stage and execution process easier. A lot of events and party concierge are out there willing to give you an extra and take off a lot of weight on your shoulders. Imagine the loads of stress and pressure that you will be going through the moment you started organizing a big event. May it be a wedding, bridal shower, baby shower, stag party, reunion, homecoming, send-off, birthday, or whatever reasons you have to throw a party is completely understandable.

Start Searching For Your Catering Partner

No matter how grand or comfortable your venue is. And no matter how accommodating you are as a host or organizer, still the part in any event is the FOOD. It’s what delights your guests more than anything else. If the food is memorable, then your event will truly be unforgettable.  What you need in this case is a trusted and professional catering company. If you have worked with one, keep them. But if you have never had any personal favorites, then start doing your homework and begin your road to a successful event.

Before anything else, finalize your event concept or theme first. Is it going to be an outdoor pool party, private dinner, children’s party, adults or teen party, daytime, noon, or dinner-dance event? Or is it going to be for a small group or a huge crowd? Do you have an estimated number of attendees? Is your budget prepared for whatever concept you have in mind for that social gathering you’re are working on? You see, acquiring a professional catering service will cost the same as bringing the party at a restaurant.

In scouting for a catering company, referrals, suggestions, and recommendations matters. Of course, you will not trust your event to just any caterer, you will definitely, and must settle with the one who has an established reputation and experience. You can start with –

• Friends who knew of a catering service provider whom they find outstanding when comes to food and service.
• Recall the parties and events that you have attended which made you satisfied with the totality of their service and find out who they are.
• Call the known party venues around your area and ask them of a catering company that they have worked with.
• If you know of a culinary school around, ask them for recommendations too. They will unequivocally have records of their graduates who have ventured into catering business which they highly recommend.

After pulling all of your research together, it’s time to make phone calls and go straight to business.

Get to Know your Caterer Well

You must be personally hands-on in interviewing the catering company to find out if they are within the scope of your budget and if they can provide exactly what you have in mind. It is important that they understand your thoughts and concept about the event so they can properly assemble a list of what they think your party needs. Ask them for a menu list and party packages, may it be a hard copy of their menu or a website that they can refer you to. Dish pictures, details about the food, and prices are important in your decision making.

If you have made your pick, meet with the caterer in person privately over coffee or at their business office. Never at an event because that means that he or she is not focused enough on your proposal or idea. Remember that a professional caterer will sit down with you and give his or her undivided attention. This means that if the event is very special to you then the catering company should treat it the same way too.

Of course, you don’t want to be dealing with multiple people in a single catering firm. Identify who their manager is so you can work closely with that person all throughout the event planning and until the big day. Make sure that the two of you are comfortable working together. It is important that your working relationship is both fun and professional. Ask for events and parties that they have catered which you find familiar otherwise, don’t close the deal with them.

The Menu Matters

The best part of hosting or organizing an event is the food and drinks choices and selections. But before you go further, decide first on how the food will be served:

• Buffet (staff serving or guest serving)
• Plated
• Packed and passed around

Nowadays, the most common way of food serving is the buffet where catering staff will be doing the serving on the guest’s plate. Normally, the guest gets to choose which food that will get and serving sizes. Expect that there are some guests who are vegan or meat lovers so they will be opting for more of that dish compared to the other main courses on the buffet table.

Be open about your menu preferences, if any. Your catering partner should be open to that too and is prepared to meet that for you. Like for example if you need dishes that are gluten-free or low-carbs or desserts that should be sugar-free. Let your caterer know all about your important requests to avoid any allergies to happen to your guests.

Request for a food tasting appointment with your caterer. This is where your chosen dishes will be served to you for you to be able to experience them first hand. So that if in case changes in the menu needs to be done, then it can be arranged before the actual day of your event.

Now that you are presented with the steps on how to choose the best catering company for your event, not only should you consider a party tent rentals Maryland but as well as a credible catering partner that you will be pleased to work with. Because the total success of your event will depend on the teamwork that you have built with your party suppliers over time.