Types of Table Service for Your Event

Every wedding is so much of the same...  You choose Chicken, Steak or Fish on your RSVP card, then when you get to the reception, it's American Plated Style.  You get a salad, your selection, and wedding cake, all plated in the kitchen and brought to your seat.  Yawn....  Stretch....  I like to play with different types of food service, it always is a hit with guests when they come to a wedding that's just a little bit different, special, and unexpected.  Here are some other choices besides American Plated Table Service:

French Table Service

Photo Courtesy of foodandwineaccess.com

Guests place settings are set for every choice available to them, fish knives, soup spoons, salad plates, anything that is on the menu.  The waiter may come to the table with a cart to show you your options for dining, and once you make your selection, he or she removes the unnecessary plates and utensils.  Sometime the cart display is only for appetizers and desserts, but sometimes it's every course of the meal.  Often, food will be assembled, cooked or garnished table-side on the cart.  You may have seen this with a flambe, salads, or the filleting of a fish. 

This type of service is usually a hit with guests, they can see the food before they select it and there is a form of entertainment in the presentation.  A great choice depending on the menu and if you have the space between tables to allow the servers to move.  Unfortunately, this can be expensive because you will need a qualified server for each table and many assistants.  Also, you will need a venue with a large kitchen to prepare the carts, which is usual in most event spaces.  

Russian Table Service

This can be a very elegant way to bring food to a wedding table, and is my personal favorite.  Once again the table is set with all of the utensils a guest will need, but only a charger.  The waiter will bring out the plate appropriate for the course, then return with a platter in hand to plate the food for each guest.  This allows the server to please each guest by giving them the desired portion.  The presentation of the platter can be quite beautiful, for instance if a rack of venison is being served, the kitchen will cut it into portions and reassemble it on the platter so the server will simply take a pre-cut portion for each guest.  This table service is quicker than the more labor intensive French, but still has a different feel.  Often two servers will come to each table, one with one choice of food and the other with a second, they will present the platters then come to each guest with an offering.  This will allow the guest to decide which they prefer.  

Family (or British) Style Service

A casual and intimate choice, Family Style Service is one in which platters are placed at the tables and guests will help themselves and pass the plates around.  Servers would carve any meat at the table, but most often the platters would be pre-cut and gusts could simply take the amount they prefer and pass the platter.  Since one course at a time would be served, tables would be set with utensils and a charger.  The wait staff would then bring out the plates appropriate for the course, and then the platters for the tables.  When guests have finished, they clear away the used plates and utensils and bring out the next course plates and platters.  

This type of service uses far less wait staff, and guests enjoy being able to decide what they will eat and how much.  Getting second helpings is always a hit as well.  Make sure the menu choices are easy for guests to get from platter to plate, for instance you wouldn't want to have something with too much sauce that can drip. 

Buffet Style Service

This type of service is another self-serving options, but unlike family style, where the food is brought to the tables, it is displayed on a separate food table.  Guests will be invited to get up from their tables, retrieve a plate from the end of the food table, and select food for their plates.  Sometime they will serve themselves, sometimes there is a buffet server who can serve the guest at the food table.  Guests then sit back at their tables to dine. 

I find this to be the the most relaxes way to feed a crowd.  Slong with American Plated Style, it is the most common.  There is good reason for it, too, you don't have to assign any seating, and you save quite a bit on the cost of wait staff.  Also, if you are serving several cuisines, buffet style service allows you to create vignettes of food.  

Have fun with your table service, think outside the Buffet and pre-plated dishes and consider something different.  How about Rodizio style?  Your guests will find the refreshing change worthwhile, I promise.

The Art of the Site Visit

On Monday, I took a client to visit some potential event venues for her upcoming corporate event.  I'll post reviews of some of the sites next, but before I do....

There is an art to a successful Site Visit, so are my top 10 tips:

1. Before you go, you've obviously called and made an appointment, but make sure you get the name of the person you will be meeting and a number to reach them in case you are running late.  
2. The day before your scheduled visit, call and confirm the appointment.  Event industry people in general are very busy and they could easily have forgotten or double booked you, I always call and confirm the day before.
3. When you get there, evaluate the parking situation.  Will your guests have to park the way you did?  Was it inconvenient?  Was it confusing to find?  Make notes on this because you may want to be sure to include a map in your invite if it is.  Is there a valet parking option?  
4. Cleanliness and Maintenance:  Make sure to look at the condition of the walls, carpeting, etc.  Is anything dirty or stained?  If so, ask if they can have it cleaned.  Are all of the stairs and elevators in working order?  Always check the bathroom, is it outdated?  Dirty?  Is it nearby the event location?  Ask to see the kitchen, is it clean?  Big enough to handle the size of your party? 
5. Facilities Check:  Are there any visual obstructions?  Can the room be divided if it's too big? Are the lights on a dimmer?  Are there any noise issues like planes overhead, nearby construction?  How will the flow work?  Where will servers come in and out of the event space from?  Where would they station food?
6. If it's a non-traditional site, ask about rentals, do they provide or should you bring your own?  Can you bring your own liquor?  
7. If you are having an audio/visual component to your event, look for outlets and make notes on their locations.  Ask about their electrical circuits, are all of the outlets on one circuit? 
8. Will you need anything additional from them?  Ask if they have easels, table signs, and anything else you might need.
9. Ask about any restrictions they have, like noise restrictions, time constraints (do you have to be out by a certain time?) Do they require you to use any of their vendors exclusively?  
10. Take pictures.  Use your phone and take pictures of what you discussed, i.e. stains they said they would clean.  Take a picture of your favorite thing about the venue and your least favorite thing, you'll forget if not.

What do you call a country with only pink automobiles?

A pink carnation!

Okay, don't use carnations (yuk) but you can certainly make your own floral arrangements.  I love buying fresh flowers and putting them all over my house, and when I throw a party in my own home, I always make my own arrangements, sometimes even from the flowers in my garden!  I grow peonies, black eyed susans, daisies, and other cutting flowers, and my forsythia's branches or hasta leaves make a great filler. 

Here's how to make your own arrangements...

First decide on your look.  Do you want something low and full or tall and sculptural?  Are you looking to coordinate with a color scheme?  Make those decisions and choose your container and flowers accordingly.

When you bring your flowers home, trim the ends with sharp scissors immediately and but them into a bucket of warm water until you are ready to use them.  When you're ready, you'll need to trim them a bit once again.  Also, always remove any leaves that will be in the water of your arrangements.

Also, keep the bouquet away from sunlight, and re trim and refill with water every other day or so.


You could decide to do one color in varying shades....

The shades of purple in this vase are created by lots of different flowers.  Start with the largest flowers first and keep spinning the container as you add flowers from largest to smallest to make sure it's full all the way around.  Here they used some grass inside the glass container to hide the stems or floral foam.  you can use large leaves, or even fill the glass with other things like citrus fruit, ornamental balls, river rocks, whatever you like.


I also like all one color arrangements...

I like white flowers in a white container in my dressing room.  To do a low arrangement like the one in the bowl, you will need to use floral foam.  Soak the foam in water for 15 minutes, then cut it to fit perfectly in your container, cut your flowers and stick into the foam, then add more water.  They will last for a long time.  Foam is also the key to using a basket or other unconventional container. 

And of course, you can always buy the grocery store bouquets and make them a lot more beautiful....

When you get them home, choose a shorter vase.  Cut the flower down rather short to fit into it, and here's the trick:  arrange them in clusters of the same flower instead of all dispersed like they sell it to you.

Finally, there is always the options of the same flower in many colors....

I love tulips, they are actually my favorite.   I love when they gracefully drape themselves and bend around the vase, but if you want to keep them standing straight longer, drop a penny into the water.  I don't know why that works, but it does.


Bring Spring in early with some flowers today!

~ Sue

Rules of Party Music

The same way the music in a movie drives the mood for the audience, the music at a party will drive the mood for the guests.   With a few tips, you can set the perfect mood for you guests, too. 

The first think I like to do is close my eyes and imagine the mood at my event.  Is it going to be a young, hip crowd that would enjoy Jay-Z, or an older, sophisticated crowd that would more likely appreciate Maria Callas?  Do I want the room to jump with energy or float with grace?  Once I get the idea in my head, I know the style of music to create that mood.  This is no place for ironic choices or contradiction.  If your guests are expected to come and enjoy a sophisticated meal, you won't want to play Lil Kim.  I promise it will kill the atmosphere and make some guests uncomfortable and want to leave. 

With the type of music you want to play flowing into your playlist, be sure it's long enough for the whole party.  You don't have to rush to the stereo's side because there is a jarring lull in the room that is making conversations stall and guests fidget.  If you are using an itunes playlist, it will tell you at the bottom, how long the music will last.  I like it to be an hour and a half longer than the party itself so I can start the playlist a little before gusts arrive and it can go an hour longer if necessary.  If you're party is so much fun the guests don't want to leave, let them enjoy it for a little longer.  Plus, this gives you some flexibility to skip if a guests asks you to change a song that they are particularly not fond of, without shortening the party.

Now, turn up the volume!  Music it should be just loud enough so that people have to talk above it slightly.  That's the perfect volume to create a fun atmosphere without getting too distracting.  Any softer and guests won't even notice there is music (remember what I said about setting the mood).  

Finally, and most importantly, always have an emergency playlist at all times.  Have some fun, classic, high energy music ready to go in case your party needs a jolt of energy.  I named my emergency playlist "the defibrillator" and it has (to name a few) Black Eyed Peas - Smells like Funk, P!nk - Get this Party Started, Gypsy Kings - Hotel California, Gnarles Barkley - Gone Daddy Gone, and Stevie Wonder - Superstition.  I carry this playlist in my phone and if I'm ever at a party that needs some life, I play it.  It works every time.  

Wedding Themes

David Tutera's wedding show, My Fair Wedding, highlights one very big difference between a professionally planned wedding and a DIY wedding.  The theme!  While themes are very helpful in focusing a wedding's style, it's so difficult to make it look right.  To make that wedding convey the theme, surrounding the couple with the ideas they love, without going overboard or kitschy (unless kitsch is what you are going for!) is a matter left to the professionals.  

Let's take the theme of a peacock feather as an example.  Suppose a bride decides that she loves peacock feathers and all of their colors,  the bold greens, blues and purples.  How would you incorporate this into your wedding without overdoing it?  The first step is don't take it too literally.  For example, instead of a floral arrangements full of peacock feathers, which would be the obvious choice, try taking the colors as the inspiration and hinting at the theme...

Next, and this one will seem counter-intuitive, don't limit yourself with those colors!  Your theme colors will stand even more out when set off by a different color.  In this example, how about washing the walls in amber light to draw the eyes to the rich peacock colors?

Finally, don't overdo yourself in the theme.  Your wedding pictures are going to last through generations, please take it seriously.  You want to have a lasting image of YOU, not your theme, to hand down.  Just because Carrie Bradshaw had those giant peacock feathers in her hair at her over the top wedding, that doesn't make it right for you.  I'm not saying don't put feathers in your hair, just do it tastefully.  Try something in the back that can pinned in after your ceremony is over and you've removed your veil...

This just scratches the surface of how to handle a theme properly, but it's a good start!  Happy planning!

Outdoor Events and Temperature Control

Spring, Summer and Fall are coming and you may be considering an outdoor event for these outdoor seasons.  Have you thought about the many options for controlling the temperature out there?  The weather can be unpredictable, so you may want to know your options and have them ready to keep you guests happily out there with you.

For warm weather, don't forget to hand out hand fans and have some golf umbrellas around in case anyone wants personal shade.  My two favorite options for cooling the warm weather are:

Shade Sails offer a stylish option for shading your guests.  They come in all colors to coordinate with your event and offer a lot of flexibility.  You can shade each table that guests are seated at, or an entire space.  They can give an air of whimsy, modern sophistication, or just vertical visual interest while keeping guests out of the harsh sunlight.

Misting Fans can be used to create dramatically cooler results.  At an event, though, your guests likely don't want to get wet.  If there is humidity under 60% and little wind, setting misting nozzles up and by the time the cooled air falls to the ground, your guests will be in temperatures up to 20 degrees cooler!








In cold weather, serve some hot soups and teas and have some pashminas on hand for guests to wrap themselves in some soft warmth.  My absolute favorite cold weather heating option is a patio heater.  

Patio Heaters, made popular by restaurants, are available for rent and are by far the best choice when the temperatures are just colder than comfortable.  You can spread them out around your event and the ladies who are dressed in strapless thin dresses can stand under them while the gentlemen in hot suits can stand just out of the reach of the heater.  If you place one at each table, they can be adjusted to each guests comfort level while eating, too.  They make everyone happy and they look sleek and unobtrusive.

Where to start planning your event

Are you embarking on the process of planning an event?  Perhaps it's as the committee chair for your charity's fundraiser, or you just got engaged on Valentine's Day and you're about to start planning?  Maybe you are going to plan your family's family reunion this summer?  Whatever it is, if you are staring this beast in the face and are starting to feel overwhelmed, your muse is here to help.  Here are the first two things you need to do get you moving....

First, sit down.  Take a deep breath and and think about this event, what you want it to be.  How do you want it to feel?  What colors inspire that feeling for you?  What is the message you would like to convey to your guests?  Write all of that down and use it for the basis of your theme.  Your theme could be a color scheme (your family crest colors for the family reunion), a seasonal theme (winter wonderland for a winter wedding), a place (your parent's favorite vacation for their wedding anniversary), whatever you like.  When you've finished brainstorming, you'll have a theme, some colors, an idea of what you want, stick to that.  Make sure that everything you do from now on serves the purpose of inspiring that feeling and that message to your guests.

Next, make a budget.  I'm sure you've been on the theknot or some other very useful website, but that generic one-size fits all budget is not necessarily for YOU.  While they may say that 50% of your budget should be spent on food and location, and 10% on your dress, it's not as cut and dry as that...   If you are the type of woman who uses her dining room as her walk-in closet and you are just dying for that silk organza Vera Wang gown that's $11,000, but you're only having 75 guests to a cocktail reception at your favorite little neighborhood restaurant; it's your wedding, make it fit you.  Spend more on the parts of the wedding that mean more to you and less on the parts that don't matter as much.  Whatever you do, though, decide that now and make a budget and stick to it.  If you decide to spend more on the cake than you budgeted for, take something out someplace else.  

Once you have a theme and a budget, the rest will fall into place.  If you are still feeling stymied, a good event planner will help you through all of this.  I have forms and questionnaires I use to help decide on the right budget and help the client decide on a theme.  Many clients want to plan their event themselves, and just need help getting started.  There is a service for that, too.  Just ask for a consultation.

Good luck!

Most Unique Destinations for Weddings

Do you want a destination wedding but not the kind where the name of the resort is on the bottom of the pool?  Here are some unique choices for destination weddings (and tell them a.muse sent you).  Of course, this is just a flavor.  I have many, many more destinations that I've either personally been to, or can vouch for.  If you are planning a destination wedding, drop me a line and I'd be happy to help!


The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, South Carolina

In the beautiful South Carolina low country, near Savanna and Hilton Head Island, the Inn at Palmetto Bluff has gourmet catering and award winning accommodations in a sumptuous location.  They have a darling chapel on the premises, bicycles to ride and take photos with, marshmallow roasting at night, a lovely pool, even a private yacht charter that can accomodate 28 guests for a little party the night before.  I recommend taking in the award winning spa for the ladies and canoeing for the guys on the day of the wedding.  Hand fans out to your guests, encourage hats, and have a charming southern wedding.  A very unique and luxurious setting!  Take a little scroll through their wedding slide shows here.

Alternate:
Chatham Bars Inn, Cape Cod Mass.


The Canouan Resort at Carenage Bay, The Grenadines

If a beach wedding with white sand beaches on a remote island that is more your speed, try the Island of Canouan, which means Island of Turtles.  Belonging to St. Vincent, Canouan is only 3.5 miles by 1.25 miles.  Also with a chapel onsite for your ceremony (if you choose not to have it right on the beach), the romance begins there, the 19th century church that brought stone by stone from England.  With ocean front pool suites to provide the bride and groom with some privacy, spectacular golf resorts for the men, and an over water spa for the girls, your guests would NEVER forget this wedding!  Watch a youtube slideshow of images here.

Alternate:
Cap Juluca, Anguilla

Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul at the Bosporus, Turkey

Were you thinking of something more exotic?  Did you know that Istanbul is the wedding capitol of the world?  There are so many Istanbul hotels to choose from, but with a spa inspired by the public baths of ancient Rome, the Four Seasons on the Bosporus has a unique couples hammam experience.  Schedule a tour of the romantic city for your guests, and skip to your honeymoon in the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts visiting the beautiful town of Kas or the Greek Islands (or both).  An exotic experience for sure!

Alternate:
Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur India

Entertaining Tip: How to do Hors d’oeuvres Right

I love hors d'oevres, sometimes it's my favorite part of the party.  When you are planning the hors d'oevres for your next event, here are a few tips that will make sure it's perfect, whether for a cocktail party in your home, the cocktail hour before your reception, or anything in between.

First of all, make sure you have a variety of choices.  Pick your favorite, for sure, but pick some you don't love, too, they may be someone else's favorite.  Make sure you have a meat, a chicken and a vegetarian option available; try to offer some sweet and some savory choices; and mix some hot and some cold.

Second, choose the type of hors d'oevres service you are planning:  light, medium or heavy hors d'oevres.  Light hors d'oevres are perfect before a meal.  They are usually light fare like fruit and cheese, dips and spreads or some bruschetta.  Medum hors d'oevres are similar to light hors d'oevres but can include some finger sandwiches or tarts.  Choose this if you are having an event in the middle of the afternoon or anytime smack between meals when your guests will be hungry but not ready for a full meal.  Heavy hors d'oevres, on the other hand, should be able to replace a meal.  They can include everything from the light hors d'oevres selection, but should include small portions of main course options.  Some favorites include chicken skewers, bacon wrapped scallops and puff pastries, or even a carving or pasta station. 

Third, getting the quantity right is always a question.  You will need to look at the serving sizes of each hors d'oevres, the number of guests you are expecting, and the length of your party to figure it out....  For light hors d'oevres, plan on 4-6 pieces per guest per hour, thought this is usually a one hour cocktail hour.  Medium hors d'oevres should have 6-8 pieces per person per hour, and this would normally be a 3 hour event.  Heavy hors d'oevres would generally have 10 pieces per guest the first hour, and 8-10 pieces per guest after that. 

Finally having the appropriate number of hors d'oevres is important, too.  For 25 people, 5 choices would be perfect, for 50 or more, 10. 

Stay tuned for tips on planning your cocktails and more!

Lighting Your Event Like a Pro

Have you ever walked into an event space and thought there was something about it that just made it look professional and special?  You couldn't put your finger on it, but there was something...  The way the room felt, the mood, the way the food looked delicious...  something...

Well, that "something" is a little secret we event planners like to call lighting.  You, too, can plan an event that has that special look of a well lit event with just a few little tips from this pro.

First, make sure light comes from many levels and sources.  Uplights are very useful at creating atmosphere.  Place the cans on the ground and focus the light up a wall or column for atmosphere, or up at a plant for interesting shadows.  Candlelight is a must on a table, the flicker of the warm glow is universally flattering and will make everyone look beautiful. Spotlights should be used to highlight anything important at the event, whether it's a special decor piece, the stage, your product, the food, anything and everything that you want people to notice must get a spotlight.  For some extra touches try gobos and projectors, too.  Gobos (see right) are spotlights with a message on them that you shine onto a wall, the dance floor, anywhere you like and it can say anything you like.  The wedding couples names, your company logo, your organization's mission statement, a design motif, absolutely anything can be made and it costs a lot less than you would think.  A custom element that adds that something very special to any party.  Projectors can be used for so much more than just corporate presentations.  Imagine a slide show of the people your nonprofit serves, or pictures of the wedding couple together, even images of snowflakes falling on the walls around the room.  Talk about creating an atmosphere!  Of course there are more options, laser light shows, searchlights outside, string lights, disco balls, you name it, but these are the bare bones of any well lit event.

Next, use colors.  Light doesn't have to be standard white light, it can be any color you can imagine.  Those uplights on your walls can be any color, turning the boring bare walls into the exact shade of blue that your bridesmaids are wearing, or you can evoke the colors of the season.  The gobo can do the same, it can even project the most intricate company logo in full color.  As for the spotlights, how about lighting the band in a contrasting color?

Finally, orchestrate it all.  When all of the cans are in place and the candles are lit, stand in the entrance of the room and have all the house lights dimmed, and play will all of the levels of all of the lights.  Imagine yourself a conductor of an orchestra, up with the gobo light, down with the band spotlight, more candles on these tables, spread those uplights out along the back...  fuss with it until you get that feeling you are looking for.  That's one of my favorite parts of setting the event.  So fun!

Calling all Fashionista Brides!

I was browsing a new favorite blog pit stop, La Vie a la Mode and came across the most delicious collection.  It's Alexis Mabille's spring dress line.  If you are planning a wedding and choose one of these sumptuous dresses as your gown, I will plan your wedding for free.  Seriously, just because you were cool enough to think outside the box and go with something really couture.  Here are some highlights, but you can browse the whole collection here.

One for the road

Photo credit:  Poetic Reality Photography via Engaging Affairs

One of my favorite things to have for an event, be it a fundraiser or a wedding, is to have a last surprise on the way out.  A little something to eat on the way home.  I've had burger stands serving cheeseburgers, fries and shakes for guests leaving a 50s themed party, a falafel stand outside a middle eastern couple's wedding, crepe stand outside a Parisian themed event.  The possibilities are endless and it's a great way to support small local businesses as well as give the guests something to talk about on their way home!  There are tons of food trucks to choose from in Philadelphia, too.  From soul food to cheesesteaks, to water ice, whatever your fancy, there is a truck you can park outside your next big event and make the night something to remember!