When planning a party, food is very important. It’s more than just making sure people are fed. While this is crucial part of eating, it’s not all there is to it. Especially not for a party. Not only should you make sure that there is enough to feed everybody but the food was fit the theme of the party and of course it needs to taste good. Not to add any pressure, but many people gauge the success of the party on the flavor and creativity of the food. When providing food at your party you have several options that might work. The following list outlines them.
Catering
Catering is probably the most convenient way to provide food at your party. You can decide how much you want to spend on the food and what kind of food you want to serve and then figure out the restaurant from there. Keep in mind that not all restaurants offer a catering service so don’t get your heart to set on one in case is not an option. Of course, if you absolutely have to have the food from a certain restaurant and they do not offer catering then you could simply have the food ordered takeout. However, employing caterers usually does include waitstaff and the cleanup service which makes having a party a breeze. However, this is not always included and doesn’t have to be if you are trying to stick to a smaller budget. Also, catering does not have to just be for a fancy party. You can cater anything from chicken wings to escargot, depending on the place you choose.
Cooking
You could opt to do all the cooking yourself. Again you want to pre-plan the menu and your budget as well as any other factors that may be included such as how many people are going to be there. What time you were going to eat is an important factor to keep in mind because this will determine when you start your cooking. You may want to invest in warmers so that once the food is done cooking you can keep it warm without drying out your meal. If you are having a smaller party, doing all the cooking yourself may not be that big of a deal but for a large party, it can be very stressful. Unless you have a commercial kitchen at your fingertips, you may find that you run out of burners and counter top areas and refrigerator space before you were done cooking. If the party is at your house you will also need to finish cooking in time to clean up the kitchen and decorate the house as well as get yourself ready and if the party is at a separate venue you will need to figure out how to transport all the food safely.
Potluck style
This is probably the most informal and inexpensive way to serving food at a party. If you are having an elegant event, this is definitely not the option but if you were having a birthday barbecue or simply gathering of friends they can be quite appropriate and stress free. You can either set the menu yourself and delegate who brings what to make sure that all the bases of sides and entrees are covered or you can let everybody bring whatever they feel like bringing. The latter option does come with risks. There is a chance that everyone will bring dessert or everyone will bring sides and you won’t have very many options for entrees or you may have an over abundance of fast food entrees and no sides or dessert which will make for a very boring meal. However, letting people bring whatever they want is a very non confrontational way of providing food which many people prefer.
Whichever method of food service you decide on really does depend on your personality and the type of party you are throwing. Do what will make you feel comfortable as the host. If you know your own food will be the best, then go for it! However, if you aren’t so sure then maybe caterers are in your future. You should be able to enjoy your party and know that others are also having fun.
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