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Things You Should Know When Selecting Catering Services

There are many things involved in selecting the right catering services for your event. Wedding catering services require a high level of quality because it's the biggest party of the bride's life. Party catering can range from a simple buffet meal to an elegant sit down reception. Regardless of the type of event, there are several things to keep in mind when working with a local caterer.

What's Your Vision?
Do you want your service to be big, small, elegant, simple? Know the answer to this before meeting with your caterer. Your caterer will want to discuss this with you at the first meeting because this determines the type of catering services that you will need for your event.

Stick To Your Vision
It's your wedding so do not be concerned with asking for things to be catered to your specific requests. While there is some give and take to be expected, it is ok to speak up about your preferences.

Know Your Caterer's Strengths
What are his or her most popular dishes? What type of service (wedding, party, large, small) does your caterer prefer? Knowing these things or learning these things early on will make this part of the process much simpler.

Be Candid About The Budget
Do not be afraid to discuss the food services budget with your caterer. A good caterer will find ways to work within the constraints given or let you know up front of any major changes.

Speak Up About Foods You Do / Do Not Want
It is very valuable to discuss the foods that you prefer. However, it is just as important to discuss the foods that you do not want included on the menu. For example, note any food allergies that you are aware of.

Don't Micromanage Your Caterer
Most people want to see the Eiffel Tower but don't care how it's built. It is important to be available to answer any questions that your caterer may have, but allow him or her to work comfortably without unnecessary interference. Once the right caterer is chosen, you can trust their work without the need to be constantly available.

Encourage Communication Between Catering and Wait Staff
The kitchen and the front end work together so encourage fluid communication between what should seem like one group. This may be less necessary when hiring party or wedding catering services that include bar and wait staff. However, hiring a separate company for wait staff may present an issue if communication is not encouraged.

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Cinco De Mayo- Fiesta Ideas!

Everyone looks for a good reason to celebrate. Cinco De Mayo is just such a reason. After all, commemorating independence is a wonderful reason to celebrate. Although Cinco De Mayo is the celebration of Mexico's Independence from Spain, it has great significance to those in the United States as well. Mexico and the United States have fought shoulder to shoulder to protect the freedom and liberty of their citizens. This wonderful celebration can be enjoyed by anyone from anywhere. It all begins with an authentic Mexican fiesta!

Planning Your Cinco De Mayo Fiesta

Cinco De Mayo Candy Table

  • Invitations – Make them festive.  You can buy invitations or create your own. Creating your own invitations can be fun and inexpensive.  Whether you buy party invitations or create your own, make sure they are colorful and festive.  Get creative with your designs. Use maracas, Mexican flags and the colors red, green and white as your part of your invitation theme since these are the national colors of Mexico.
  • Decorations – Make them come alive. If you want to make this fiesta memorable, go over-the-top with your decorations! Include sombreros, Mexican colors (red, white, and green), colorful streamers and a lot of party balloons in your decoration scheme.  The more bright and festive colors used the better.
  • Food – Make it tasty & spicy.  Food is the main attraction and the one thing everyone looks forward to at a party. Don't limit yourself.  Any type of Mexican food will be a star at this festive party.  Think spicy, think flavorful when you plan the food selections. Chicken molé, tamales, tacos along with chips and salsas are pretty standard fare for a Cinco De Mayo celebration.  Don't forget the sweets.  Cream cheese flan or sopapillas dipped in honey are great items for the dessert table.
  • Entertainment – Make it active.  Every celebration needs entertainment.  Add excitement to the fiesta by incorporating activities as part of the entertainment. Teach your guests to do the macarena or have a piñata for the children. At any fiesta music is a MUST! Add a little musical spice by playing cumbia, salsa, or any latin music that you would enjoy.
  • The Finale – Light up the Sky.  In many countries, fireworks are a traditional way to end the celebration.  Plan a firework demonstration for the end of the party.

Regardless of the decorations you choose, the food you cook, or music you play, a well planned fiesta is sure to be a great success!

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The Attraction Of Photo Booths At Weddings and Parties

Photo Booths Way Back When

Since 1925, when Anatol Josephino invented the photo booth, kids and adults have been creating photo memories and having fun.  In the early days, photo booths could be found on the boardwalk, in departments stores and amusement parks across the nation.  It seems no one could resist the urge to mug for a picture when they happened upon a photo booth.  In fact, you probably have a few of these photo booth pictures tuck away in a drawer somewhere right now.

Contemporary Photo Booths Make The Guest List

Photo Booth From Say Cheese
Why would a photo booth receive an invitation to a wedding, a prom, a birthday party, a family reunion, a Bar/Bat Mitzvahs or an asundry of other special events. Laugh-out-loud, unforgettable fun, that's what photo booths bring to the party. Renting a photo booth can inspire fun and create memories at any special event even a quinceanera, anniversary party, holiday party or a fun-raiser.

Photographers capture a party guest in a moment of time.  However, photo booths will capture your guests in the moment. Photo booths are entertainment and posterity all rolled into one wonderful party accessory.  A photo booth naturally brings out the adventure in every guest. These candid pictures are a great way to remember the fun you had at an event.

Photo Booth Props From Say Cheese
It not just the photo booth that makes it fun, it is all the props that come with a photo booth rental.  Neat hats, masks, boas and other props that guests can wear when they step inside of the photo booth are just a few of the great props that come with renting a photo booth.  Along with the props, many rental companies offer a scrapbook package.

Photo Booth Scrapbook Package
The photo booth scrapbook package adds an extra element of fun. Guests can have their picture taken and then add it to the scrapbook along with a personal message.  This makes for a wonderful piece of memorabilia after the event is over.

Photo Booths A Rising Trend

I can see why this new party and wedding trend is quickly rising to the top.  It is an easy way to entertain guests as well as create and save memories.  It appeals to the young and old alike.  It fits well into the scheme of a wedding reception, a graduation party, a charity gala or a sweet sixteen party.  As a party or wedding trend, photo booths have real staying power.  After all, they have been around since 1925 and people are still drawn to them.

A special thanks goes to Say Cheese Photo Booth, an Austin Texas Photo Booth Company, who was kind enough to share some of their photos.  I think they speak for all photo booth rental companies when they say "our mission is to inspire laugh-out-loud-unforgettably-fun memories everywhere we go."  That's the attraction of photo booths and why you should have one at your next event.


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Eight Simple Taste Testing Tips When Hiring A Caterer

There should be little confusion or hassle when hiring a caterer. With all of the other things to do when planning a wedding or party, hiring a caterer should be a simple event performed near the start of the planning process. Taste testings are very definitely encouraged. After all, this is the only trial run that you will get before enjoying the meal at your event. To keep everything running smoothly, remember these eight simple tidbits when taste testing options from your local caterer.

Eight Simple Tips For Your Taste Testing Events

1 – Often it is a representative of the chef that presents the food. If this is the case at your taste testing event, ask if it is possible to pay your compliments to the chef. This positive feedback will be well received by the chef and likely work in your favor later.

2 – Bring others along who will be helpful in selecting the proper foods. Your wedding consultant or party planner can offer helpful tips during this process. Your mother, maid of honor, groom and others very close to you are also able to offer constructive advice during the sampling.

3 – There will be many options when sampling foods from a caterer so remember to pace yourself to enjoy each of them. A small bite or two is all that is necessary to enjoy the tastes of the dish.

4 – Discuss particular preferences with your wedding caterer or party caterer. If you have a favorite food or type of food, feel free to discuss foods with these particular ingredients that will be included in the meals. This information will be very helpful for the caterer to note later in the planning stages.

5 – Discuss alternative ingredient options with your caterer. If you like something but want it to be "vegetarian friendly," simply ask your caterer if this is possible.

6 – Look for signs of quality foods and other ingredients. Catering is not limited to the expensive or the inexpensive tastes. You want the best for your guests regardless of the budget so look for signs of freshness and quality when talking with your wedding caterer or party caterer.

7 — Ask your caterer to present the food to you the way it is to be presented at the wedding reception or party. If it is to be served buffet style over warmers, ask to try the food in this manner. If it is a passed tray reception, ask your caterer if it is possible to sample the food this way. This will help gauge how the food will taste at the reception as well.

8 – Though it does not necessarily pertain to the quality of the food, it is important to take note of the attentiveness of the wait staff. Pay attention to how the front end (servers) and kitchen (chef) communicate with one another. Do things move fluidly or in a disorganized manner? This tip is particularly important if you plan to hire the caterer's wait staff.

Ready to start taste testing?

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Chef, Host, And Party Planner: You Can Do It All With These Party Tips

You've decided to host the party at your house and bravely prepare the food yourself.  Although I prefer to use a caterer, I have occasionally prepared the food myself for one of my informal shin-digs. These are some helpful tips that will keep things running smoothly around the table while still allowing you to enjoy the party.

  • Keep things simple. Purchase snacks like chips, dips, salsa, nuts, cold cuts, bread, and prepared salads. This cuts down on prep time in the kitchen. All you’ll have to do is open and serve.  Tip: serve gourmet chips or specialty nuts like wasabi nuts or pita chips to give your snacks an upscale attitude.
  • Incorporate healthy dishes based on fruits, vegetables, and grains for those friends of yours that might be on a diet.  This is another easy way to make your food table look fancy.
  • Serve buffet-style.  Spread selections of vegetables, dips, finger-foods and pre-sliced meats around the table on small platters.  This will help keep people moving around the food without forming a long line.
  • Make it a BYOB and ask your guests to bring wine, beer or soda. This is not considered rude at all if the party is for more than 8 people and an informal drop in get-together.
  • Don’t try to manage all of the trash with that tiny container under the sink. Create well placed and clearly marked areas for trash throughout the house. This way you won’t have to change trash bags every five minutes and guests won't have to hunt for a place to discard their trash.
  • Be sure to have plenty of ice on hand. There is nothing worse than running out of ice at a party.
  • Set and dress your table before your guests arrive.
  • Wrap utensils in napkins and place them  for your guests to easily grab and hold.
  • Designated an area in your kitchen for storing "refill" food until it is needed.  You will need a shelf in your refrigerator for the cold items, a warm oven for the hot items, and a place on the counter for chips and the like.  This way you can easily refill the buffet table.

The most important tip is to be prepared.  Prepare and store everything that you can the day or at least several hours before the party.  Following these tips will help you throw a successful party that you can enjoy.

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Where Can I Buy Fondant For A SpongeBob Cake

Ask The Celebration Advisor: I'm making my niece a Spongebob Squarepants cake for her second birthday but I don't know where I could purchase any roll out frosting? Could you tell me where I might find some? Laina

Celebration Advisor Reply:

I believe what you are calling roll out frosting goes by the name fondant. You can purchase fondant icing or make your own. I personally have no experience in purchasing or making fondant icing. However, I found a website that has very detailed instructions on how to make fondant icing. Go to Fondant Icing 101 – Marshmallow Fondant. These detailed instructions will walk you through the process with step-by-step instructions including adding food coloring and the proper technique for apply the fondant.

There are places that sell pre-made fondant as well as fondant mixes. Try a cake decorating supply store or a crafts store. I'm sure that there are place online that sell fondant but I not sure which ones to recommend. You might start with Wilton.com. They have fondant and all the cake accessories you need. Hopefully someone else will have others idea of where to buy fondant.

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Party Caterers: The Key To A Successful Event

The thing that everyone remembers about a party is the party food. The comments that follow are often friends asking for the name of the party caterer. They say that the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach but the same can be said of any true food lover. It's easy to impress guests and have them returning to all of your parties when you serve the right food.

How Will I Know What Foods To Serve?

Want to know what party foods are popular in your area? Ask a local caterer for help! Having been a special part of many local parties, catering companies in your area will be very familiar with local tastes. Of course, the style of food depends on the type of party. Caterers are still a huge help because they can offer suggestions for very appetizing additions to the menu. Many of those catering a party often tailor their menus to the particulars of the occasion anyway, so why not take advantage of this expertise?

Give Yourself A Break:  Hire A Party Caterer!

Not only will party catering be able to successfully satisfy everyone's appetite, professional catering services take some of the hassle out of planning a party. You read that right! Hiring a caterer for your party means that someone else is responsible for planning, preparing and delivering the food! Some party catering companies even provide wait staff and set up the food table. When it's time to focus most of your attention on a different aspect of the party, hire a local party caterer to fill the hungry stomachs of your guests.

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Not Your Ordinary Wedding Shower

It’s coming up on wedding season once again. Just like years in the past, I am frantically scrambling to come up with creative ideas for my friends’ bridal showers. I feel like every wedding shower is the same: table full of gifts, assortment of finger foods with punch, and lots of females in fancy pastel dresses. This year, I wanted to do something different. This year, I want to host an exciting wedding shower!

I came to the conclusion that to be able to shake things up a bit we needed to do three things:

1) Have the shower in the evening.

2) Invite the boys.

3) Serve amazing food (and drinks of course).

By having the wedding shower in the evening, the atmosphere will be more like that of a dinner party; a relaxed atmosphere where people can have great conversations instead of a stuffy "Sunday shower" environment.

Bringing the boys along allows the groom to be in on some of the special catering the bride gets so much of in the months leading up to the big day. It also gives the guys and gals a chance to mingle.  ( Tip: It is a good idea to let guests know that this is a good shower for "manly gifts" like  Bar-b-que tools).

When hosting a party in the evening, the food must be a little more extensive than hors d'oeuvres. As you probably know, I am a fan of the caterer. If you aren’t a multi-tasker who can cook and host at the same time, have the party catered or do restaurant carry out. However if you are brave enough, you could pull it together on your own. Nothing fancy required, just enough to get those stomachs full and maybe a signature dish or two. In fact, a great idea for a spring wedding shower is to serve ribs with slaw, beans and rolls and for dessert – "bridal shower" cupcakes. Many bar-b-que places will customize your order based on how many guests you are expecting. All you have to do is take it home and set it out to serve. It’s always a great hit with the male guests too!  To really take the party to new heights, add a little spirits with a beer and wine bar.

So, be on the cutting edge in your circle of friends and host a couple's wedding shower.  It is a great way to have a dinner party and honor your firends at the same time.

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3 Tips For Successful Bachelor or Bachelorette Parties

Planning a Bachelor or Bachelorette Party? Follow These Tips For Success.

  • RSVP HEAD COUNT – as the host it is important that you have a count of those who will be attending. You may invite several and may even get several "maybe" answers. However when planning something like this, a head count is crucial and dependent on the RSVPs. Depending on the nature of the party, whether it is a local get together or a weekend getaway to a big city, numbers are necessary to make reservations for dinner, shows and hotel Continue reading "3 Tips For Successful Bachelor or Bachelorette Parties" »

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Where Can I Find A Pepe LePeu Cake In Indianapolis?

Ask The Party Guide: My wife is celebrating her 50th Birthday. And she is a avid fan of Pepe LePeu (The skunk). We are planning a special celebration and I know it would be a great surprise if I could find a cake designer who could craft a 2' cake of this little fellow with hearts. We will celebrate our 8th anniversary the following day. The day we want to celebrate in March 28th at 4:00PM. We have about 50 friends that we are planning to surprise her with this event. This will mean alot, she wanted me to contact the famous ACE Chef, but he would not do it….

I am hopeful that you will be able to direct me to someone that can do this task….thanks

We are both retired Army soldiers and this will be the first time that I have been able to do something nice for her, she has always been there for me…. David in Indianapolis Indiana

Party Guide Reply:

David,

What a wonderful idea for a birthday cake. There is a place in Carmel Indiana (about 22miles from north of Indianapolis that creates custom birthday cakes. Classic Cakes has created some really cool cakes. For instance, they have created a pueblo village cake, a doctor's bag cake and my favorite a cake that looked like a plate with sushi. I'm sure that a Pepe LePeu cake would be something that they could do. So give them a call.

Please keep me posted. I think your idea is so sweet and your wife is very lucky to have someone who is willing to put the time and effort into making her birthday a special one.

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