Party Tips - Let's Talk Food.

Anyone that knows me knows I love food. And as we continue these posts on party tips, I want to talk food. Can you really have a party and not serve food of some kind? Would it even be considered a party without something to munch on?!?!?! Over the years of designing parties and events,  I've noticed a few tips of what works and what does not work. When I first started throwing parties, I would over prepare in the area of food. Definitely did not want to run out of wine at our wedding feast, so to speak. Now I'm a lot more laid back and instead of over-preparing and over-providing in the area of food, I try to keep the menu simple. Instead of purchasing ten different bags of ten different varieties of chips, purchase ten bags of three varieties of chips. I believe that offering your guests too many options not only interrupts the flow of your display table, but can also overwhelm your guests. However, if you are hosting a chip bar, then by all means, it is appropriate to offer ten varieties of different chips. Make sure that your menu is appropriate for the type of event you are hosting. We worked closely with our client on the menu for the Spa Party that we designed a year ago. Our client served menu items like lemon bars, shrimp tarts, and chicken salad cream puffs. Light, fresh food items. Imagine if the hostess had served wings, steak, or pizza. That type of menu would be better suited for Monday night football or a Superbowl Party. At times I also like to color coordinate the menu to the theme of the party! For this sweet first birthday, the primary colors for the birthday girl were pink and green. Likewise, we kept the menu along the same color palette. And of course, you can always throw something whimsical into your menu as well.