No matter how often you organise events helpingoutbarbados.com reminds you that you will still need to capture the details of your event from start to finish to guarantee that a smooth process takes place.  This is because there is profit in planning.  Planning is key to retaining your clients, ensuring the satisfaction of the attendees and generating new business.

 

You may want to have young, hip, top level, high powered guests at your fundraiser with none other than chart topper, singing sensation Rihanna of Barbados being the feature performer.  However, if you miss one main step of the planning process from:

• theme development
• venue choice
• invitation design
• RSVP follow up
• welcoming and rolling out the red carpet on D Day

you will not be remembered as the great event planner but as the one who missed the boat.

Write it down, check it twice, review, double check again.  Then and only then should you proceed without a hitch. Even if something unexpected occurs, which by the way, you should have anticipated unless it is an Act of God, then you will have another option to pull from your bag of tricks and keep on moving towards your successful finale.

Remember always to:
keep on theme
keep on time
keep on budget! 

The good thing is that knowledgeable planners such as helpingoutbarbados.com know how to take the stress out of planning. Ask us to help you clarify the vision to your successful events, we are here to help.  Happy Planning from helpingoutbarbados.com!

Wedding Locations - Outdoor Option

Weddings are memorable occasions and the happy couple wants everything to go smoothly on their special day.  Lots of planning goes in to the day and one of the important decisions is where to have the wedding ceremony. With an events/wedding planner on hand you don’t leave it all to chance as this is your day to enjoy the moment of a lifetime.  So you decide. Will it be your church, hotel banquet room, an historic house, enchanting restaurant, or out in the open?  When you opt for an outdoor location be it a white sand beach, a sloping garden or an underground picturesque cave you want it to fit perfectly with your overall plans.

Become One With Nature

Your event planner can offer endless possibilities for outdoor locations for your wedding ceremony or just the reception following. Choose a place you like.  Make sure if you are not familiar with the location that you do a site visit.  After all you want a fabulous backdrop for your special wedding attire in those photo albums. Once you have both agreed on the outdoor location there are things to consider to ensure that the special day runs as smooth a silk.  Yes, before the day plans have to be made to safeguard the set up for the ceremony, food and beverage and the space for easy flow of your guests to mix and mingle whilst celebrating your new life together.

Be Prepared – There are Location Challenges to Overcome

With the outdoors come a constant challenge of whether you should go for cover or not.  Always remember that no matter how much you check on the weather forecast sometimes the unexpected happens, so be prepared.  It rains, it’s too windy and the arrangements start to blow around.  Bear these things in mind, ensure the decorations can withstand the conditions and plan in such a way that you are not left rushing indoors at the last moment.  It’s all in the event planning details, details, details. 

A wonderfully decorated quality tent or marquee can be the answer to your weather fears.  Choose one that will cover the number of invited guests comfortably.  Helpingoutbarbados is confident that once you have put the planning details in place and your event planner has carried them through you can get ready to have the absolutely most memorable day of your life!

Helpingoutbarbados reminds you that whether it is a corporate event or party you should be as clear as possible about what you are trying to achieve with the event and the impression you want to leave with the participants or guests.  The worst thing is to come off disjointed and unsure about what your goal was in holding the event in the first place.

 

Is the event meant to be a corporate team building exercise, a retreat for strategic planning, a product launch or an interactive seminar?

Is the party for friends and relatives, co-workers, employees or potential business investors?

Unless you have a clear vision of the objectives the steps to get there will be fraught with challenges.  As with Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland

 

 ‘Alice came to the fork in the road.
"Which road do I take?" she asked.
"Where do you want to go?" responded the Cheshire cat.
"I don't know," Alice answered.
"Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."

 The good thing is that a knowledgeable planner such as helpingoutbarbados.com knows the questions to ask at the initial stages to clarify the vision.  Happy Planning from Helpingoutbarbados.com!

DECIDE ON YOUR CATERING SERVICE OPTION

 

Buffet Style

• Less formal
• Guests have more menu choices—greater variety of dishes, allowing guests to pick and choose
• Tend to create a more casual, sociable atmosphere
• Guests help themselves from large displays of food
•  Buffets lend themselves to fashionable styling—add tiers, floral displays, mirrors, candles, themed props, colorful linens and table skirts                    

Traditional Buffet

• Hot food is put into chafing dishes on a buffet table and may be either served or guests serve themselves
• Large plates are used and after guests pick up their food they sit at the table to eat
• An event with a traditional buffet generally starts with a cocktail and hors d’Oeuvres hour
• The tables can be set with a formal place setting or the guests may pick up their silverware from the buffet
• Salads & bread baskets can be preset at the guest tables or can be on the buffet table
• It is best to select 2 or 3 entrees with a beef item, a pourltry item and a fish or pasta dish

Food Stations

• Food stations offer guests culinary splendor and a wide variety of choices
• “grazing” style (hot buffets/cold buffets)
• May feature regional cuisine with themes and props
• Similar to buffet service in that guests serve themselves
• Instead of one long table, food is divided into several themed locations
• Several small stations are set up with plates at each for guests to wander to and from at will
• This style of service has the option of giving your guests ultimate freedom to pick and choose from the menu items that you have chosen for them
• Can use many round free-standing tables around which guests can mingle and chat
• Allow for you to have a fancy, yet informal event with a variety of dishes
• Also allows for casual seating, allowing guests to get up and mingle
• Generally use 7” plates and small forks
• Alternative—use larger plates and full flatware and treat as a full buffet
• Guests can feast at their own pace
• Food stations can be traditional, such as carved meats, side dishes (rice, potatoes, pasta) and vegetables, salad stations, dessert stations, etc
• Can also have dessert stations with anything from make your own sundaes to imported chocolates, to an assortment of cheesecakes

Chef Attended Food Stations

• You may elect to have a chef at some of the stations to carve meat, cook crepes or stir-fry or serve sushi
• With 1 or more grills, the chef can actually make parts of the menu before your guest’s eyes.  The flavors of the menu are in the air and menu items are enhanced by guests watching the chef in action at the grill

Tray/Butlered Service

• Great for a cocktail party
• Waiters walk among your guests with trays of hors d’oeuvres or drinks 
• All menu items are passed except for simple nuts, olives, etc placed on tables

Combination

• A combination of buffet and sit-down service
• This style offers table service for the first course and dessert
  The main course is served buffet style
• A great choice if you wish to have some formal components mingled with informal

Plated Service/Sit-Down Dinners

• The plates are already full of food when they’re brought from the kitchen and placed in front of your seated guests
• Best for a more formal wedding reception or banquet
• A set menu selected by you and each course is served by a waiter or waitress
• You may choose to offer your guests a choice of entrée
• You may wish to choose a plated appetizer, soup or dessert

Russian Service

• Trays of food attractively presented to each guest and the guest serves him or herself.
• This type of service presents a formal, “at home” and “uncatered” feeling
• Waiters hold the trays of food in one hand and serve the guests with the other.

French Service

• Waiters serve each guest individually from a tray held by another waiter
• Great for formal banquets

Home Style or Family Style

• The food is put in the center of the table in bowls or on platters and guests pass the food and serve themselves while seated at the table
• This style of service encourages chat amongst your gests and offers a mini-buffet of choices at each table. 

Small Plate “Tapas” Tastings

• Food is served “home style”, but many small plates and small bowls and many platters of foods and courses to taste, pass, and nibble

Cocktail Party/Cocktails & hors d’Oeuvres only

• A highly social reception style
• Lets guests mix while enjoying a variety of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres
• Can use waiters or waitresses carrying silver trays garnished with flowers
• Should include passed trays of food as well as small stations with finger foods
• Make sure you have plenty of napkins, plates, cutlery and seating on hand
• If used for a wedding reception, it should last 2-3 hours

Cocktail Reception

• This elegant type of reception usually runs from around 4-7 pm
  Usually features substantial hors d’oeuvres or a light buffet

Sweets Reception

• A spread of spectacular desserts, paired with cappuccino, espresso and champagne
• Offers a change of pace

On-Site Location
Sites that offer nearly everything you need from catering and bar service to tables and linens

 

Off-Site Locations
Sites that have few or none of the services and supplied you need.  You will need to contract for everything from food to silverware

 

Entrée
The main course of your meal

 

Service to your Home or Office

 

Classic Service

• Includes servers for your meeting, luncheon or dinner that set up the meal with everything needed—decorative service plates, chafing dishes, linens, china, glassware, flatware and more
• The servers either stay to refresh the buffet, or return later to pick up the equipment

Box Lunches

• Food is packaged in attractive, durable boxes for delivery to your office or off-site location

Drop Off

• The caterer delivers hot and/or cold food in creative baskets & bowls, and chafing dishes for hot items and sets up a buffet display at your office or location
• Disposable plates & cutlery are usually used
• Caterers will return after the luncheon or meeting to pick up the equipment and serving ware

 

Outsourcing Has Major Benefits

Helpingoutbarbados.com acts as your virtual assistant in its role as outsourcing facilitator.  Without having to be in your office space the job will definitely get done, progress updates will be made and the final outcome will be to your specifications.

Bear in mind that research over the years has proven that there are major benefits to outsourcing once you are clear on your objectives.  Some of these benefits include but are not limited to cost control, ability to set precise timelines for projects and stick to them, increased efficiencies, reduced labour costs and focus on core business.

Outsourcing does not always have to be specific to such areas as accounting including payroll processing but also includes areas of market research, marketing plans, press releases, secretarial functions and of course events planning.  Many companies look at the benefits of outsourcing in terms of not having to hire and train personnel for special projects only to realize those hired do not quite fit the bill and time is of essence.  Also, many small businesses or start up companies with limited resources need projects done on a one off situation so do not have to be concerned with hiring of temporary staff.  They lean towards increased efficiencies by using an already established structure, that is by outsourcing, to get the work done thereby investing its resources in items and activities more integral to its core business.

 

Helpingoutbarbados assures you that with the help of a good outsourcing company a long term relationship can be built whereby a business, large or small, knows it has reliable resources on call for projects but not a constant part of operational costs.

DON'T RISK DISASTER -THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN PLANNING YOUR EVENT

Helpingoutbarbados advises that at all times when planning an event, large, or small, formal or informal, you have to start thinking about the various items that will make it work and come together smoothly. Not everything will necessarily be available in one place so the earlier your event needs are identified the better for good timing and a smooth, successful event.

Here are some things to consider.

Party/Event Supplies - how many do you need? Depending on your theme you can narrow your selection in order to be tasteful and still have fun.  Decide on decorations and party favours.  Do you need balloons, centre pieces for the tables, confetti, flower petals, glitter, face masks, candles, place cards, wrist bands, favours. Will you use disposable or everyday or formal tableware and drinkware and cutlery?

Invitations - Be selective, it is your event so make it stand out with your invitations.  Is it a birthday, bridal shower, baby shower, retreat, graduation, anniversary, or just because there is life celebration? Choose one that showcases your theme or your personality. Choose something you like.

Bridal Accessories - There are certain must haves and then some just for the heck of it because it is your day! What about selecting guest books, unity candles, ring pillows, flower girl baskets, glasses, attendant's gifts, caketops, cake servers, aisle runners, church bulletins, garters, tiaras, jewelry, pew bows amongst other things.

Linens/Chair Covers - Your selection here tells a lot about you and what you  want your event to signify. Be particular, be choosy, be you! Look at colours to fit with overall scheme and theme. How do you want guests to be seated? Decide on table rounds, banquet or square.  Decide on tableskirts which add a touch of elegance and gives that smooth finish. Don't forget the napkins, overlays & sashes. Chair covers add dash and lends pizazz when you enter a room.

Rental Services - How many rentals do you need to adequately prepare for your guests? Plan for the tables, chairs, dinnerware, chafing dishes, gas grills, candelabras, arches, lighting, AV media equipment depending on the event.

Tents & Accessories - Consider the weather if outdoors or just for good coverage look at tents, marquees, liners, lighting, chandeliers, dance floors. 

Make a list, and yes, to get it right you do have to check it twice, three times and sometimes even more to ensure you get the event you really want. Leave nothing to chance. Happy planning from Helpingoutbarbados!