Events, Etc - Catering and Design Blog

Ladies' club luncheons, Bar Mitzvahs, fundraisers, dinner dances, birthdays, anniversaries, retirement parties -- the list of social events goes on and on. But you'd be surprised how often the social catering company forgets the social aspect. A line of guests stretching across one long table can only interact with the people right next to them or directly across from them. They're also stuck in their seats, waiting for the waiter to bring them one course at a time -- and everybody's eating the same thing! These are the events that have you checking your watch and eyeing the nearest exit.

Here at Events, Etc... we believe in keeping the "social" in social catering for the Bay Area. This usually means getting people up on their feet and interacting, and one great way to do that is to create a self-serve environment where people can chat and mingle as they pick out their favorite items. The mere fact that the guests have the option of choosing what's on their plate lends itself to conversation ("Oh, what's that you're getting? That looks great! Are you a vegetarian?"). Standing up and moving around is also more stimulating than sitting and waiting for the waiter to bring the food.

If you really want to get your Bay Area social event going, set up multiple food stations, each with a supply of small plates to keep guests from getting stuffed on any one dish. Your guests will love the excitement of discovering one delicacy after another as they move from station to station. This approach really boosts their ability to mix and mingle as people are going in all directions  and making new connections at every turn. We can create a truly social social event for you, so contact Events, Etc... and let's make it happen!

We'd like to share the story of a recent social event we planned for one of our clients. It's a perfect example of how event planning extends far beyond mere food preparation -- and how our expertise at it can make your next event shine.

 

The client in question wanted us to do something extra special, something really over the top, for his wife's surprise birthday party. We knew that we could achieve a stunning yet elegant ambiance through the the combination of our own natural menu of organically-grown foods and an organic environment that brought the natural world to the forefront.

What did we do to accomplish this? First, we were going to be seating 26 guests around a single outdoor table, so we used that table to help everyone connect with each other and with nature. A lush collection of floral centerpieces, dominating a tablecloth of real lemon leaf, created a serene, captivating dining environment. A flowered chandelier helped to ensure that beauty surrounded the participants everywhere they looked. We even used lamp posts that doubled as heating units, a comfortable addition to a potentially chilly California evening. And of course the fact that all of our dishes consisted of natural, organically-grown ingredients only enhanced the overall feeling of freshness and life. The client's wife was so moved by all of this lavish attention to detail that she cried.

 

That's the true power of event planning by Events Etc. A successful social event requires more than just great food -- it should engage all of the senses. That's why we look beyond the menu at all of the small but critical extras that make an event an EVENT. We're creating more than a dinner or celebration, after all -- we're creating memories that will last a lifetime.