Party Planning Tips


• Do something authentic and unique. Gran Caffe L’Aquila likes to “wow” guests with authentic and unique experiences such as customized wine dinners or Italian culture classes.


• Great Performances suggests choosing the three most im- portant moments of the evening and presenting them in the most effective way possible. Instead of trying to “top the com- petition,” just stay true to the mission and people will feel like they’ve had a complete evening.


Focus on the timeline, too, advises Great Performances. Don’t let the food get so overwrought that the evening drags along and becomes more about the food than the overall experience of the evening.


Great Performances also says that even planners on a tight budget can still make their event feel like a million bucks by planning little food moments presented in smaller batches that appear and then disappear. This will help in keeping cost down and interest high.


• Grazing stations can be as simple or elaborate as a budget al- lows, notes Catering By Design. And those on a tight budget can choose foods that don’t require the need for servers/wait- staff.


• Di Bruno Bros. advises planners to avoid the trap of doing what has always been done. Explore new ways of entertaining guests, like dinner by the bite instead of a plated meal, or brunch food at a cocktail reception, such as French toast, bacon and quiche.


To help brand an event, Di Bruno recommends picking a single element (such as a color, logo or shape) and really playing it up.


• Garces Events suggests that planners get creative with pres- entation. Ask the caterer to serve menu items in unique ways - maybe on a chilled spoon or in a carved-out vegetable shell or as part of a beautiful display where guests get to select their own toppings.


Stella in New Hope, PA


Great Performances was founded in 1980 to provide flexible part-time work to women who were pursing artistic ca- reers and has since grown into the largest independent catering and events company in the New York tri- state area, as well as into the largest women-owned foodservice company in the region.


Great Performances demonstrated its commitment to sustainability long be- fore it was fashionable when it opened its own organic Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, NY back in 2007. Today, the caterer continues its commitment to the future of the planet with plant- based menus where vegetables are fea- tured, paired with animal protein sides.


This vegetable-centric caterer offers a popular twist on the traditional meat station by instead offering a vegetable carving station that features whole roasted vegetables served with a vari- ety of sauces.


Also tapping into the trend toward more veggies is Garces Events. “Plant- based items are all the rage,” explains Claire Kos, senior catering sales man- ager. Garces Events is the full-service catering and events division of Garces Restaurant Group and is rooted in the culinary vision of world-renown Iron Chef Jose Garces, known for his heart- felt approach to Latin hospitality.


Garces Events is the exclusive caterer for a number of high-profile venues in Philadelphia, including: Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts; Academy of Music Ballroom; Spruce Street Harbor Park and many others.


Kos notes that most guests are accus- tomed to dining out and have sophisti-


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