Fred Harteis News Articles - This is the time, this is the season. After years of attending everyone else's holiday soirees, New Year's brunches, 50th-birthday bashes and other celebrations, you've decided to throw a party of your own.
Not a casual get-together for close friends, mind you, but a big blowout. Whether you're marking a milestone birthday or anniversary or simply feeling the holiday spirit, you're looking to make this party truly memorable, the kind of event where everyone has fun and guests are still talking about the details for weeks to come.
But be honest: You're not looking forward to peeling hundreds of shrimp or wrapping dozens of dollops of goat cheese in phyllo squares. You're nervous about whether you know the right little touches that will take the event from ordinary to extraordinary.
Choose the right place
Decision No. 1: whether to hold your event at home or in an outside venue. Space is a key consideration. Count on needing four to five square feet for each guest to avoid feeling squeezed; if the rooms you'd use to entertain are often euphemistically described as "cute," maybe you should play host elsewhere.
One way to keep the price down: Ask the manager if you can bring in your own wine and spirits. If the answer is yes, you may be charged a nominal corking fee to open the bottles, but you should still save at least $25 per guest.
Hire help
If you're planning a lavish affair, you may want to work with a full-service party planner who can help you dream up a theme, find decorations to fit it, book a venue, create a menu and hire a caterer, waiters and entertainers. (The hot theme nowadays, according to event planner Cara Kleinhaut: "green" parties, with organic food and decorations made of recycled materials.)
To find a great planner, ask friends, relatives and business associates for recommendations or contact the International Special Events Society's online directory at ises.com. Meet with candidates to discuss your event, look through photos of their past work and ask for references who've hired them in the past year to work on parties similar to yours.
Know where to splurge...
If there's one aspect of the party you shouldn't skimp on, it's the food. "People remember what they ate a lot more than fireworks or a hot-air balloon," notes Sam Sears of South-Van Events. Want fine cuisine for less? See if culinary schools in your area can recommend student chefs who do catering on the side (to find local schools, go to culinaryed.com).
Rather than ask guests to sit down to a formal meal or serve food at a single buffet table, party experts increasingly recommend setting up food stations - say, a sushi table here, a pasta station there and a barbecue stand over there. "The different tables are more visually interesting than an ordinary buffet," says Kleinhaut. "And they break up long lines so there's no wait for food and get your guests circulating."
...and know where to save
The surest way to cut the expense of throwing a big bash is to cut the guest list. "You're better off inviting fewer people whom you then treat royally than to ask many people and not be able to serve them as well," says Laurel Szeto, an event planner.
Party like it's $19.99
If you've got champagne tastes on a Budweiser budget, you can still throw an enviable soiree with these cost-cutting tricks:
- Go back to school Live music adds an elegant touch, but professional musicians can cost you thousands, depending on the size of the group. Contact nearby music schools for the names of student ensembles that work private parties - almost pros for a fraction of the price. Before you hire, review a performance tape and get references from recent events where the group has played.
- Limit the libations Cut your liquor bill by 20 percent or more by reining in choice. Instead of a full mixed bar, Los Angeles event planner Cara Kleinhaut suggests serving wine, champagne and one signature cocktail (a vodka-based drink usually goes over best). If your party has a theme, you can tie the specialty drink to it (say, calling a martini an anniversatini if it's a party to celebrate your 25th).
- Don't do dinner A sit-down meal is the hardest and most expensive to pull off for a crowd - you'll have to serve heftier portions of heartier food and you'll need a bigger waitstaff to dish it all out. Consider going instead with a daytime buffet brunch or an evening cocktail party with fancy hors d'oeuvres. Chances are your guests will have more fun too if they're able to mix and mingle.
Source: Cnn.com
About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. Fred Harteis has a background in agriculture and has created many successful business ventures.