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Don’t forget the candles…

This sounds like a no brainer but I’m not talking about everyday candle lighting with your basic tea lights, I mean really putting thought into your candles, having lots and going big.

I catered a party this summer where interior designer Andrika Lawren(www.andrikalawren.com) was a guest and also helped with the set up. She did a great job with simple but wow worthy candle lighting.

Flowers are fine but they were all around the garden anyways. The best was that as the sun went down the candles when from pretty and warm to something really special and created  such a beautiful atmosphere.

Andrika used large glass candle holders some of which were about 3 ft tall, these also created a lot of interesting dimension and gave it a very urban feel.

Budget Friendly Ideas

Want to emulate the same idea but don’t want to break the bank? Hit your local Ikea and Dollerama to stock up on vases and candles.

This Ikea Vasen will do the trick. It’s the perfect price at $1.99 and runs  about 7 inches tall   .

Their  thick white candles candles start at $1.99 and some have a nice light scent.

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/00017133/

Happy Hosting!

- La Petite Chef

 As a caterer I could not survive without my function sheet. In catering terms this means a to-do list. It is the single most important step I take when planning a party. It will include a timeline of the event as well as a timeline for all the jobs that need to be done before. It will have a menu breakdown, a rental list and everything in between. Every caterer and event planner has one and for a good reason. I think the same should apply for anyone hosting a party. It usually takes a few minutes to write one up but it can save you so much time as well as prevent disasters from happening.  My list is more extensive but the principle is the same. Writing down the details helps you get organized and you know what they say, take care of the details or the details will take care of you!

The secret to writing a party list is to start backwards. I like to start with the very end of the night. It’s the part that many people forget about so it’s a great place to begin.

Once you have come to the decision that you want to throw a party and you know roughly the amount of people, the time and what you had envisioned with your menu you should start on your list.

1. Start from the cleanup.

You will probably be tired and it the last thing you want to worry about so find away to make it easier on you. Hire a cleaner if it’s really going to be a disaster and book them in advance. You may only need them for a few hours but it can be such a relief! If you realize you need to party proof your house, write down the details for that. Make sure you have enough garbage bins , paper towels for spills, a broom handy etc. Designating a clearing room is something caterers always do. We store dirty glassware, dishes etc, anything unsightly. If you have plastic bins or milk crates they are  great place to put everything. Later all dishware can be easily transported to a washing area quickly.

2. Write out the event agenda

Try to be as specific as possible but be ready to be flexible. Again, I like to work backwards. It may look something like this:

• 12:00 am Guests leave
• 9:00 pm Dessert & Coffee
• 8:00 pm Speeches , dancing or games
• 7:00 pm Dinner
• 6:00 pm Appetizers
• 5:00 pm Hors d’ouevres & cocktails
• 4:00pm Arrival time.

3. Pre party Prep.

This section will include your shopping, cooking, decorating, picking out your own outfit, cleaning your house etc. I think by now you might have guessed it…work backwards. Include times if you can, but just the order itself will be a big help.

• 3:30 pm light candles, turn on music and pour yourself a cocktail
• 3:00 pm get yourself dressed
• 2:30 pm finish all food prep or welcome caterers and wait staff (like La Petite Chef!)
• 2:00 pm set up bar
• 1:00 pm set table and clear out coat closet
• 12:30pm decorate
• 11:00 am clean house
• Day before- purchase all food, alcohol and decor

If you follow this list you will have a smooth event. Every party is different but all of them benefit from having a plan. It really gives you an idea of what you are up against!

Once again,

Happy Hosting!

The Rules for Shoes

 This post is dedicated to a client who recently asked me what to do about her awkward shoe dilemma. She was throwing a party that evening and it had been raining all day. She was worried that her guests would not be taking off their shoes and that she would have to spend the night running around and having that annoying conversation over and over again. Here’s what I suggested to her.

If you hate asking people and are your voice is getting hoarse from yelling across the room for new arrivals “take them off !” save yourself the stress! Get onto your computer and using a nice big font print up a sign saying something  like “Kindly remove your shoes”. Put in a nice frame and put it up somewhere near the doorway. This saves you that awkward conversation and has fairly warned each of your guests. It takes a few minutes but saves you the trouble all night.

If you are a guest remember this:

Every house party has different rules on shoes, that’s the rule. If you are going to go to a house party assume that you will be taking off your shoes so either bring a pair of clean flats, clean sox, nylons or an awesome pedicure and you will be prepared. If the host lets you keep your shoes on then there’s nothing to worry about. Men (and women) make sure your feet don’t stink. Change your sox or nylons before you get there and make sure they are clean and dry! Feet that wreak like stinky cheese is never a good impression to leave.

Another piece of advice that I have found useful is that girls tend to stress about leaving shoes in a pile of other shoes by a doorway somewhere, especially if they are a favourite pair, so come prepared. Don’t blame it on the host if you shoes get lost or damaged, they are just trying to keep their floor from being scraped and stomped on all night long. Bring a clean zippered bag of some sort that has your shoes and stash it somewhere where you will remember.  If you will be leaving the party, then a plastic bag that can be thrown in the recycling on the way out work just fine. You can label it if that makes you feel safer but the best part is your shoes will be fast to find and won’t be under a pile of sopping wet stilettos.

Hope that solves the shoes-off dilemma for good!

Happy Hosting!

 The Rules:

1) Learn the art of introduction

2)  Include activities

3)  Consider the music

The Art of Introduction:

 Pretend you are arriving at a party by yourself. You don’t know anyone except the host. You arrive, you open the door and enter. You see what feels like a wall of strangers look at you and then turn their backs, you can’t see the host anywhere. Do you feel welcome? Probably not, do you want to crawl away? I would.

Keep this vision in the back of your mind when you are hosting a party where not everyone knows each other. Being a good host means making sure all your guests feel comfortable. When you bring new groups together you need to know how to make introductions and how to help people to introduce themselves.  The good news is it’s easy to do!

 If you feel like you should follow proper etiquette heres how:

When you find yourself in a group of people who require introductions, first say the name of the woman, the older person, or the higher-ranking person. Repeat this rule over and over, and rehearse it with a friend if it is a stumbling point: the lady, the elder, or the honored person comes first.

I then like to follow this with an interesting point about them or simply how I know them.  For example:

Linda, I would like you to meet my friend Matt. Matt, this is Linda, we worked in Paris together last year. Linda, Matt and I met through my sister, he is her room- mate. 

Hopefully, they will strike up their own conversation from there as they try to find some more common ground but you need not worry too much as this point because you did your part. You are free to move on.

Formal titles such as Dr, Ambassador, Father or Rabbi are a safe bet to start off with and often the person will give you an indication if they prefer to go by their first name after the first introduction. Using Mr. and Mrs titles is appropriate at very formal occasions but at a casual house party using first names is common.

If you know if someone is arriving alone and they may seem aprehensive, tell them to call you when they arrive and meet them at the door. Make sure to keep your cell phone handy and charge it!

Including Activities:

A great way to bridge gaps it to have activities available. Don’t force people to play if they don’t want to but games are a great way to bridge gaps.

 I like the idea of having a party tickle-trunk that includes random items like cards, twister, charades, trivia and even costumes. Any bizarre items that might be fun to get into closer to midnight always make for a great time and anchors the party in a way. It doesn’t have to be expensive. I give myself a budget and go to town at the local dollar store or event thrift store.  You can reuse them a lot if you entertain often and it can even become a signature moment that people look forward to. You can bring it out at midnight and hand out items or just leave it open for people to help themselves.

Some other great ideas:

• Poloroid cameras
• Cocktail recipes
• Drinking Game Rules
• Poker Chips
• TV show trivia from the 80′s
• Would you rather questions (e.g. would you rather be a giant hamster or a tiny rhino?)
• Loot bags

Consider the Music:

Getting different groups of friends to enjoy the same music is tricky. Music plays a big role in creating atmosphere and should never be overlooked. I-pods are a great invention for that, you don’t have to worry about Cd’s anymore. Making the perfect playist is easier than in the 90′s but still requires some skill. Some genres of music cross boundaries more easily than others.  Make a playlist of atleast 3 of them and you are bound to keep people happy.

Genres that never fail:

• 60′s
• 80′s
• Classic Rock
• Lounge/ Ambient
• Brazilian Bossa Nova
• Top 40

Make your own playlist of what you love but if that fails you know you have these as backups. Mix it up or allow your friends to play D.J.

Ordering things can make a difference too. I love to start with Lounge music, Bossa Nova or Jazz when people first start arriving. It’s great for background music that isn’t over powering so that people can catch up as they begin on cocktails. Half way through I like to pick up the tempo a bit and include music that people know the words to, like 80′s or 60′s music. I then will switch to top 40-ish songs that people like to dance to if people want to dance. I will usually keep that on or some sort of bar/club music until the very late part when I want to wind things down a notch but not turn things off, I’ll put on classic rock and leave it at that. I love Indie/ electronic music and will include that during the top 40 segment but I watch my guests moods to see if they are not feeling it and then I will switch accordingly.

Happy Hosting!

 When planning a guest list consider the following:

1)  Budget

2)  Location

3)  Food and Bar service

4)  Personalities

Budget: Decide this first and foremost, it will answer most of your questions right off the bat because of the restrictions it may entail. For example, if your budget is $800.00 Chances are you won’t be able to throw a party at a private dinning room in an expensive restaurant for 20 of your best friends. You will go over budget very quickly. So set yourself a realistic budget and try to stick to it.

Location:  House party, condo rooms, backyards, a bar or restaurant are just a few of the options for most small private parties (less than 100 people). Consider how much room they offer. How much seating is available, how many tables etc. The menu you decide on will also come into play here a little. People need to sit at a table if they are using a fork and knife to eat and are drinking at the same time.

Food and Bar service: The more people the more work. Even self-serve food stations like a buffet require maintenance for setting it up, filling it, refilling it, shutting it down etc.  A sit-down dinner for more than 15 people can be a lot of work even for simple menu. Decide on how much work you are prepared to do and if you can afford hired help. For people to be able to enjoy themselves in a relaxed environment, food and drink need to be readily available and easy to access.  Under 15 people is a good bench mark for do-it yourself, anymore than that and you need help, be it a friend, spouse or service staff. For every 8-10 additional people or so, add another hand for help and you will be ok and most importantly don’t forget about cleanup!! Having lots of garbage cans and recycling bins around is a really smart idea. Trust us on that one…

Personalities: This can be somewhat tricky especially when you want to bring together different groups of friends that don’t know each other. It can be a lot of fun to mix work friends, university or high-school friends as well as neighbours all from varying ages and backgrounds. Overall, look for people who are easy going and also outgoing. A party with segregated groups is awkward and kind of weird. Bridge the gaps by including people who you think would make the effort to try to get to know a new face. Try to include a good mix of singles and couples. For some people nothing is worse than being the only single person at a party so take that into consideration as well.  Make a point of introducing everyone to someone new, get friends to help the rest will take-care of itself.

Happy Hosting!

We get this question a lot. There are some very simple formulas that work well most of the time.

They are:

  1)  1 drink per person per hour

  2)  4-5 glasses in a standard 25.4 oz bottle

  8/10 times it’s right on. Sometimes when there are a lot of speeches and people can’t “refill” this might decrease the number of glasses people will consume. Other times, you might just have a crowd of really heavy drinkers. Know your guests and the event agenda and you should be able to come to a number that is pretty accurate using these two formulas.

  Now let’s all do an example together, if you have 50 people over and they will be staying for 4 hrs with little interruption you will need 200 servings of wine, 40 bottles in total, 20 white and 20 red.

The colour of the wine can depend on many factors but going 50/50 is a safe choice.

If there will be other cocktails this may make things a little more complicated. Guests will still be consuming approximately 1 drink per person per hour but there is just no right way to figuring out how much to scale back on the wine.  Many factors can contribute from the gender of your guests, to their  age,  the temperature of the room and even the season. It depends on your crowd which only you will have the expert knowledge of.

Lastly and most importantly, when in doubt buy more because you can always drink it later and few people like a “dry” party.

Another great help is going to this site: http://www.winelog.net/googlegadget/DrinkCalculator

Their estimates are a little generous if you are serving 6oz portions but its fairly close and it helps with mixed drinks too!

Happy Hosting!

La Petite Chef

Hiring servers or bar tenders are worth the extra cost. Many people shy away from hiring on wait staff as it increases the cost of a party but from our experience they are an essential element to throwing a great party no matter what the size is. Having an experienced server or bartender really allows you to enjoy your own event. They take care of set up, cleanup and everything in between so consider these few guidelines when hiring that much needed hand.

Bartenders: 1 bartender is the minimum for every 50 or so guests. If there are extras like martinis or speciality cocktails you will likely need more. In addition, if the party is on more than one floor you may need more.

Servers: 1 to 2 servers for every 50 or so guests. Again, the layout of the event may require more servers as well as the manner of dinner. Formal sit downs usually require more so that food can be served to everyone at the same time.

Chefs: 1 to 2 for approximately 50 guests. The complexity of a menu can require more kitchen staff.

Some extra things to consider…

-Servers and bartenders should always be Smart Serve certified
- Smart Serve is a training program that teaches people how to ensure that no one abuses alcohol in a way that will be harmful
- Having someone else “cut off” a friend that is clearly intoxicated saves you that awkward conversation!!
- Serving alcohol at a party can bring on liability issues, be aware of your responsibilities
- Always have a plan to prevent drinking and driving and hire some professionals to help you monitor your guests, it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Let La Petite Chef help you with staffing your next event. E-mail us for a quote today.

Happy Hosting!

A common question and concern we have come across when planning parties, especially cocktail parties is how many hors d’oeuvres are needed. Well there are a few rules of thumb that we live by.
1) If the hors d’oeuvres will be followed by a full course dinner, either sit down or buffet at the same venue then 3 hors d’oeuvres per person is sufficient
2) If there is a dinner option but some guests may not be staying over then 6-8 per person
3) If it is only cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and the event runs over the course of “dinner time” then 8-10 pieces is required.

These numbers refer to the total amounts required. You can have as many as 7 or 10 different kinds of hors d’oeuvres but as long as the totals fall into these categories. For example, if you are having a cocktail party with hors d’oeuvres only and you have 20 people coming you will require a total number of 160 hors d’oeuvres, 8 per person. If you have 8 different kinds than you need 20 of each. You get it? Great! Now go forth and plan that cocktail party, but don’t forget to call us!!

Happy Hosting!

We at LPC are pros at planning parties. We have a wealth of knowledge that has come from many years of experience. It is time we shared some of this knowledge so that you too can plan the perfect party! Check our blog often as we will be adding tips and party guidelines every few weeks. Happy Hosting!!