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Your Pre-Planning Checklist for Holiday Entertaining!

Your Pre-Planning Checklist for Holiday Entertaining!

Presented by Fabulous Foods:

For our Loyal Corporate, Social & Charitable Organization Clients

PHASE ONE

  • Choose Your Date.  Primetime Holiday Parties typically fall between December 3rd and December 23rd.  If the affair you are brainstorming does not fall within this date span, have no fear!  Often times, when you plan your holiday party on an “off” day (such as a Sunday or midweek day), you will find much more availability with your preferred partners (for example caterer!). 
  • Draft Your Guest List.  This does not have to be finalized early in the planning process, but you should definitely have a ballpark number of attending guests in mind. As the event gets closer, it’s important to have a better grasp of the accurate number of guests so your event planner & caterer can plan accordingly in terms of the food quantities & floor plan. 
  • Contact Your Event Planner & Caterer.  Reaching out to your preferred event planning & catering company far in advance is vital in securing your event spot on their calendar during the busiest time of year! Not only are you ensuring their availability to accommodate your needs, but this also leaves ample time for sharing inspirations & developing a plan to bring your event to life, leaving your guests with a memorable experience. 
  • Book an Available Venue.  Once you have the date picked out, you can begin your search for the ideal venue (if applicable). The perfect venue can accommodate your anticipated guest count and is available on your chosen date. Don’t sweat this one, Fabulous Foods partners with exclusive New York City & New Jersey venues to guarantee the right fit for your event! As your “one-stop” Event Designers, we take care of this process from beginning to end! 
  • Brainstorm a Theme.  Want something classically festive to celebrate the Holiday Season?  Perhaps something “out of the box” with modern flair & unique elements?  Share your ideas with Fabulous Foods to get the creative process rolling. Here, we have a team of professional event planners that are eager to make your event visions into a reality!

PHASE TWO

  • Choose your Food Service Style.  What type of food service do you envision at your company’s holiday party this year?  Your choice will depend on multiple factors. To list some:
    • 1) Personal Preference
    • 2) Budget
    • 3) Guest Count
    • 4) Venue Size and Capabilities
    • 5) Setup/Floor plan 

*Example: Although you may love the concept of a formal multi-course sit-down dinner, if you are expecting 500+ guests, this may complicate the expediting process and substantially increase the price tag. It may be worthwhile to speak with your event planner and consider other options that can better accommodate your guest count and budget, such as a unique short-plate style cocktail hour where guests are encouraged to mingle & help themselves to gourmet & beautifully designed food stations throughout the course of the event.

  • Finalize Your Custom Menu.  With plenty of time to spare, you should begin to work with your caterers in narrowing down & finalizing the event menu. Fabulous Foods works directly with clients in designing a menu 100% CUSTOM to your particular event. Whether you have specific allergy requirements, religious food restrictions, or vegan/vegetarian options, our years of experience allow us to accommodate anyone without compromising the “WOW” factor of our food’s flavor & presentation. 
  • Choose a Bar & Beverage Package.  If you are planning to offer a bar to your guests, be sure to choose a package that represents the theme of your event. For example, let’s say the theme of this year’s holiday party is “Whimsical Winter Wonderland”: offer a Winter White Chocolate & Wild Cherry Martini as one of the specialty cocktails. Your guests will love your attention to detail!

PHASE THREE

  • [Let US ]Hire Entertainment.  Fabulous Foods recommends incorporating holiday-related interactive activities for your holiday party entertainment. Some examples include wine tasting, caroling, dancing (with a live band or DJ), watching our live liquid nitrogen ice cream makers, festive social media photo booth, and SO much more. Having children? How fun does cookie decorating, writing letters to Santa, or a winter wonderland photo shoot sound? You will want to secure your entertainment well in advance, as entertainment tends to book quickly this time of year. Fabulous Foods has access to some of the best vendors in the industry & can’t wait to tell you more about them for your event! 
  • Approve Your Event Layout.  Work with Fabulous Foods to solidify all the event logistics.  This can be designed after other vital decisions are made such as finalized guest count, style of food service, bar size, venue size, seating arrangements, entertainment space, etc. Often times, we encourage clients to participate in an event walkthrough so you can begin to get a feel for the layout & flow of the space! 
  • Review Event Rentals.  Because Fabulous Foods works with you in every aspect of the event planning & production process, it is important to understand what type of rentals will be needed to bring the event to life. Rentals include everything from tables, chairs, linens, floral & décor, lighting, staging equipment, fabric & drapery, specialty food displays, back of the house set up, bar equipment, sanitation and more. 
  • Review Your Event Timeline.  The Fabulous Foods Event Team develops detailed timelines to ensure the event runs smoothly from start to finish. It is vital to share ALL relevant event information with the event team to avoid unexpected hiccups. Having a special speaker, guest of honor, or surprise performance? Be sure to make sure it has been included in the timeline, Fabulous Foods will be prepared with all necessary equipment & set up these elements may require. 
  • Market, Market, Market.  It’s a given that you want the best turn out possible to make your holiday party special, so give your guests a “heads up” in advance so they can plan accordingly. You may want to consider sending out a “Save the Date” prior to sending the invitations. Another way to create some buzz surrounding your event is to create a social media presence and frequently post exciting news to make your guests feel a connection to the event before they even arrive!

Fabulous Foods cannot wait to start planning your Holiday Event! Give us a call to

Reserve the Date & Speak with one of our Planners TODAY!

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