Arrangements
Aside from hiring staff from Asheville Event Staffing to make your party a huge success and the talk of the town, we have put together a list of things to remember to make your party come together smoothly.
Guest List
Planning a guest list take a lot of time and hard work. So the sooner you start your list the better. You will find that you will be making several drafts.
When you have set a date for your event you can send out a notice or commonly called a save-the-date letter or card. This is a common practice for many a corporate or non-profit event to help groups plan their calendar year. But it is always appreciated by the private sector, especially for those who's lives are on a tight calendar schedule. Your thoughtful note of the upcoming event will be greatly appreciated.
Invitations should go out six-to-eight weeks before your event; eight weeks to out-of-town guests for sure. Make it eight-to-ten weeks when it’s a holiday weekend like Labor Day, Memorial Day or Thanksgiving! Believe me, sending out your invitations and notices in a proper time frame is appreciated.
Party Essentials
Glasses:
Prep the bar with twice as many glasses as guests.
Happy partygoers are notorious for ditching their drinks and starting
anew. Or help your crew track their cocktails by offering ways to ID
drinks— such as charms or decorative writing on the glass in permanent pen (it’s easily removed with a scrubber).
Ice:
Even if you’re serving your libations “straight up” you’re still
going to need to shake them with ice—and ideally keep your bottles
of booze, beer, wine, or soft drinks chilled without cramming them
into the refrigerator. A general rule is to have two pounds of ice
on hand per person.
Napkins:
Forget to load up on these wondrous wipes and you’ll
be blessed with permanent party reminders—a.k.a. water rings—on
every vulnerable surface. Help guests help you—have more than
enough on hand.
Food
The beauty of cocktail party food is that it can be a fun, eclectic selection of items. Since nobody will be eating lots of any one item, you can toss in a few experiments and still have enough safe items so that no one will go home hungry. Here are some basic guidelines for planning your cocktail party menu:
Strive for variety in your menu including seafood, meat selections, finger food, canapes, hot and cold dishes.
Although sweets are not typically considered cocktail party food, I like to offer one or two sweet nibbles toward the end of the party. In addition to satisfying any lurking sweet teeth, it helps to let guests know that the party will be wrapping up soon.
When estimating food quantities, plan on serving approximately 6 bites per person, per hour for a two hour party, when no dinner will be served.
For hors d'oeuvres that are not pieces, such as cheese and dips, one ounce is equivalent to one bite.
It is always better to overestimate than underestimate the amount of food you serve.
Drinks
If you're having a party and you're wondering how much it will take to quench the thirsts of your guests, keep these handy Ideas in mind.
On the average, expect guests to drink 2 drinks or servings of an alcoholic beverage the first hour and 1 each hour thereafter. Remember, people drink more when the weather is warm.
If you plan to serve bar drinks, you should allow 1 1/2 ounces of liquor for each drink. That means you'll get about 16 drinks from each 750-milliliter bottle (fifth) of liquor. Allow about a quart of mixer -- carbonated water, tonic water, or ginger ale -- for every 3 persons.
When serving wine, plan on one 750-milliliter bottle for every two guests (one bottle for every 3 to 4 guests if the wine will be served only during a meal). If you prefer to buy the large 1.5-liter bottle of wine, it will serve 4 guests (6 to 8 guests if served only during a meal).
When ordering beer for a party, allow about 12 ounces per guest for every half hour to hour. For a large crowd, you might want to buy a keg.
Always have some nonalcoholic beverages on hand. Besides having juices, bottled water, lemonade, soda and/or iced tea, consider nonalcoholic wines and beers.
Stocking Ideas for a Mixed Drink Bar
Liquors:
Rum, Vodka, Gin, Canadian Whisky (Rye), Tequila, Scotch and Bourbon.
Liqueurs:
Amaretto, Irish Creme, Creme de Cacao, Kahlua, Sweet/Dry Vermouth, Triple Sec
Carbonated Beverages:
Coke, Diet Coke, Ginger Ale, Club Soda, Tonic Water
Juices and other liquids:
Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Tomato Juice, Lemonade, Pineapple, Grapefruit, Sour Mix, Lime Juice, Grenadine, Simple Syrup, Half and Half, Milk
Other Items:
Limes, Lemons, Oranges, Celery, Marachino Cherries, Olives
Party Tips:
Keep a garbage can handy, guests are more likely to throw their stuff away if they are readily available making clean up easier after the night is over.
Leave a towel or cloth near the table or discreetly on the table so guests can wipe their hands or any minor spills.
Cut the fruit garnishes ahead of time.
Have plenty of ice ready. You can never have too much ice!