Written by Dianna Candido
It’s that time of year again, and holiday party planning is in full swing. If you’re planning a holiday party, you may not have thought about the timing for food at your party… but you may want to start.
Timing is everything. You want a smooth, fun experience for your guests, and that means nailing down timing so there are no awkward lulls, there’s sufficient time for mingling or entertainment, and no one gets uncomfortable waiting on beverages or the next course. (Have you ever felt extra hungry at an event? No, thank you!) Your guests deserve better.
One of our catering partners, Debbie Kullman, Founder and owner of Just Us Catering said it best when she said “I don’t want to serve food that is leftovers by the time they get to it.” And your guests will agree with her! Just Us Catering has been serving guests for 30+ years, so they know exactly what your guests need and how to make it happen.
Recently, we chatted with Debbie to get the inside scoop on nailing down the flow of food for your holiday party. Want to wow your guests with a flawless event? Here’s how to time the flow of food at your holiday party this season.
4 Key Factors to Perfect the Flow at Your Holiday Party
There are lots of pieces to the party planning puzzle, whether your holiday party is simple or elaborate. Here’s what to consider when planning the flow of food at your party.
Length of the Event
Do everyone a favor, and don’t serve dessert 10 minutes before the official end of your party. Putting your last course too close to the end is a holiday party (and any party) no-no. At times limiting alcohol access at the end of the party is acceptable, but definitely have drinks available as soon as guests arrive.
Give yourself and your guests plenty of wiggle room to arrive and depart. Consider the length of your party including what time guests will arrive, how long it will take for people to get settled, and when you expect people to start trickling out the door.
Are your guests going to feel welcome to stay as long as they like, or will it naturally fizzle out by a certain time? How long do you want your guests to stay? When would you ideally like them to be ready for the main course?
Your timing for food and beverages has to fit within the limits of your guest attendance, ideally without rushing your guests through any specific part of the event.
Guest Count
Guest count is one of the most influential factors for timing your food.
For example, if you’re hosting more people and are transitioning from a cocktail hour to a dinner service, it might take 10 minutes. On the other hand, if it’s a smaller party you can probably ask guests to the table in a much shorter time.
Guest count affects things like:
How fast your guests will move through each course
How quickly guests will go through the buffet line
How much time you should allow for cocktail hour
Your caterer will be able to advise you on all of these. They’ve done this many times, and they’ll know how to properly accommodate the number of guests at your holiday party given the event type and space. Make sure you get an accurate headcount for your caterer, so they can plan accordingly.
Entertainment/Speeches, etc.
If you have specific entertainment or speeches during certain times, that will automatically impact the flow of your food and beverage. Do you want your guests to pause their conversation during cocktail hour for a brief welcome and thank you? Does it make sense to have them sit for the speech and do it during the appetizer course?
It’s possible your caterer will need to tweak the timing of your food to accommodate any entertainment or special moments taking place during your holiday party, so make sure to communicate with your caterer.
Event space
Event space is another big one. Sometimes literally. Flow of food will look different at a bigger event space versus a party hosted in a much smaller venue. Think about it: Caterers bringing appetizers to and from the kitchen, entree delivery, transitioning guests from one part of the party to another… You’ll have to control the timing of the food and how your guests are interacting.
Event space is one of those areas where having a caterer gives you so much more insight into what you should plan for, because they’re truly the ones who will be able to spot areas that need focus or tweaking.
When it comes right down to it, caterers will know how to handle food flow and address each of the factors listed here.
Should you hire a caterer for your holiday party?
If you’re in the planning or pre-planning phase, you may be on the fence about hiring a caterer. Our take? Don’t be.
A caterer is going to be THE expert you need to make sure the timing of your holiday party goes off without a hitch. Which means no guest starts making the rounds asking when dessert will be served or telling you that the cheese platter on the appetizer table is so warm that cheese slices are sticking together.
A caterer will not only help you with a realistic and insightful schedule for the party but will also lend expertise to many different areas:
Rentals for your event space
Timing for entertainment, food, and beverages
Consideration for the type of foods being served
They think of all the details that go into mastering the timing of your event, no matter the type or size. And then take those details and shed light on everything that needs to be in place to make your event flow smoother.
Need a solid caterer for your event?
Good news: We’ve got you covered. One of our catering partners is Just Us Catering, run by our partner Debbie Kullman.
Just Us Catering has been in event catering for over 30 years. Debbie Kullman, who runs Just Us Catering, actively chooses not to have a catering website because she prefers to get her clients from word of mouth, rather than just anyone. As someone who works closely with Debbie, we’re proud to be one of those spreading the word of her expertise in her industry.
Want a reliable and professional caterer with decades of experience? Email Debbie at justuscatering@gmail.com.
If you’d rather contact us directly to hear about other catering partners, please reach out to us here.