the catering meeting
recently had the catering meeting for my wedding plans - the meeting went smoothly, an informal gathering of the chef, myself and my planning buddy at a local honolulu eatery. The casual dining atmosphere meant we were relaxed and ready for some getting to know you and "everything you want for your wedding" conversation. So what do you have to expect to be asked from/by a caterer and what should you ask?

What they may ask?
1. name of bride & groom
2. date of function, location of function, time for meal service
3. theme/ colors
4. Menu ideas
5. allergies/ special needs
6. beverage service
7. Style of food service - plated, portions, buffet, self-serve food stations
8. will there be outside food? donations from family/friends?
9. what style of decor? florals? ice sculpture?
10. Is there an on-site kitchen at your location - what are the amenities?
11. Is water Potable/non-potable?
12. Is the setting outdoor, indoor, tented?


What you should ask?
1. Be clear on what kind of caterer this is - are they full-service, do they offer a la carte service, specialty, etc.
2. How strict are they on outside food? other kitchens, other food prep/chefs, etc.
3. Who do they take direction from? in our case - He's only gonna jump for me or my planner. No one else.
4. How many staff will they have on-site for your function?
5. How do they deal with leftovers? length of time for food service?
6. do they have a portfolio? references?
7. Given the time of your function when will they be on-site? When will they breakdown, cleanup equipment, etc.?
8. Are they familiar with your location?
9. What types of precautions do they take to ensure freshness?
10. what sort of equipment might they be bringing on site?
11. What are their equipment rental needs - tables.tents.
12. When will they get you a proposal?
13. do they do tastings?
14. How much of the food will be prepared fresh on-site? off-site?

with a bang
just got my AWAD (that's a word of the day) i usually glance at them - expand my vocabulary for the day then delete - but this one really caught my interest. In western realms - there are bells to be rung after the wedded couple leaves the church; in eastern cultures clanging on the glassware is quite common to "force" the couple to kiss or in Chinese Tradition the Lion Dance and fireworks are quite noisy too; more modern phenomena include fireworks & pyrotechnics for evening affairs. Enjoy the AWAD!

shivaree (shiv-uh-REE) noun, also chivaree, chivari, charivari

A noisy, mock serenade to a newly married couple, involving the
banging
of kettles, pots and pans.

[From French charivari (din, hullabaloo).]

Today's word in Visual Thesaurus:
http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=shivaree

"We refrained from celebrating their marriage with primitive
gestures,
such as a shivaree, even though pots and pans were readily available
for nocturnal banging."
Julie Salamon; Ten for the Honeymoon; The Wall Street Journal (New
York);
Aug 27, 1986.

"Friends tried to subject them to a shivaree, but the joke was on
them.
The bride and groom were nowhere to be found."
Friends For Life; Capital-Journal (Topeka, Kansas); Mar 21, 2004.

a New milestone
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simple soiree
i attended a very simple gathering of friends and "new" friends at a Portlock home last evening...the essentials that made it a great party were - "hostess", "guest of honor", some guests, drinks, food, and an activity. Well nothing really rocket science about that? Decorations were minimal - the birthday girl was decorated - sparkling head to toe in a shimmery body spray and crowned with a "Birthday Girl" tiara; the other party embellishment was a Tiki like pinata hung in the center of the space. Drinks and food were self-service and the entire evening was quite organic - allowing guests to roam and drink and feed freely. The most memorable portion that made this truly a great party - was the ACTIVITY. In one corner of the space, a table was set with a wide selection of glazes, stencils, painting pallettes, paintbrushes and a "blank" coffee mug favor which each guest would get to put their own creative signature upon. It was quite fun and quite meticulous at that as well. The guest of honor chose a "honu" design - her family 'aumakua. My design was more fauna-licious - somewhat a hodgepodge of ferns over the blank template. there was also a great pasta platter piece which the entire group would get to add their touches to for the birthday celebrant to have at the end of the evening. I'm looking forward to seeing the birthday girl again in about a week when she delivers the "fired" treasures...

cause for celebration
most anything can be a cause for celebration. There are the normal expected celebrations: birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, promotions, out of town guests, reunions, holidays. But now - in the vocabulary of party - anything is game - heck people have divorce "parties" these days...

Need to bring some cheer and levity to your life? celebrate - even without "reason". Here are some ideas to get the party started:

Start of Summer/ End of Summer Bash

Wine/Martini/ Beer tasting

Progressive Dinner

Potlucks

Pub Crawl

A car Cruise

Beach Cleanup and BBQ

It's Wednesday (pick your favorite day of the week) party

Worst Singer Karaoke Party

heavy Pupu Potluck

Movie Marathon

Group Crafting/ Scrapbooking

Make a Lei Day

Impromptu visits with Relatives "Christmas in July"

First/ Second/ Third - Pick a day of the week party

Full Moon Party

New Moon Party

friday the 13ths

Scavenger Hunt

Fine Dining Nite

I love the 80's
I got casual for a cause today for the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawaii fundraiser "Casual Day". Our company is a sponsor of this annual event with a "Theme Challenge" either you can dress down or you can play "dress up"...we chose the theme of "I Love the 80's" for this year's casual day. The array of creative 80s attire was phenomenal...we had a three piece DEVO complete with guitars, whips, and the infamous red hats...we had a tina turner/pat benatar inspired participant complete with 80s spiked wig, the pink and black were the most popular colors for costumes, a few 80s rock glam chicks, and the quintessential groupie decked out in a "I'm with the band" rock tee.

We encouraged participants to bring in their favorite 80s memorabiiia and a few handheld forefathers of today's gameboy came out of retirement! We also had a red members only jacket and a complete (i repeat - COMPLETE) collection of 80s rock concert T's from concerts that came through to play in Honolulu.

Key elements for a TOTALLY TUBULAR 80s retro event:
1. trivia - leading up to the event we wet everyone's appetite for the 80s with juicy trivia questions
2. costumes - playing dress up - the 80s had some really classic elements for making a statement
3. the celebs - the 80s were full of American icons from tv stars to stars of the silverscreen to musicians and bands - these people helped shape the 80s and are fondest memories of those years - we brought them to the party by creating an 80s wall of fame and challenged people to name that celeb.
4. the music - an 80s retro party just isn't a party without the music - pop, rock, alternative, progressive, and metal!
5. the speak - like gag me with a spoon!
6. Pink - you've just got to have pink and neon colors for that matter.

country time
i came from a country styled picnic today - that was down home fun. out in beautiful kailua - we enjoyed a company picnic full of surprises. complete with a pie eating contest - watermelon spitting, sack races, and homestyle country fare. we ate to our hearts content and enjoyed one another's company. I learned that it is HUMANLY possible to spit a watermelon seed in excess of 20 feet. that was something to see - done in just one try...and she was a smoker. must be in the spitting technique.

how do you make a country styled affair? remember these key elements:
1. country food - we had chili, cornbread, country style desserts like peach cobbler and pecan pie + lots of novelties like black eyed peas, collard greens and more; don't forget the lemonade.
2. games - special games like cookoffs, pie eating contests and watermelon spitting -ooze country
3. decor - for a hawaiian country touch - use palaka - or standard red & white check will do too. patriotic bunting will add more flair - for centerpieces use ball canning jars filled with spring daisies...
4. music - a fiddler or something along the lines of Oh Brother Where Art Thou - would have been perfect - but we had a dj with a collection of country mp3s. - patsy kline, achy breaky heart, and willie nelson were all part of the songlist.
5. conversation - the best part of the day was conversation and memories created and remembered as we were in fellowship with one another. the activities of the day created new memories and stirred up old ones.

Contract Review
when making a contract for a special event venue or vendor - be sure of the following:
- read the fine print
- understand what upcharges or hidden charges might apply
- be sure to understand the payment schedule and forms of acceptable payment
- ensure you're aware of your responsibilities as well as what they are promising as the rental condition
- be sure to keep copies of anything and everything you sign.

Wedding Consultant
I've had the first few phone consultations with my "wedding planner" - (yes - even a party girl like me needs some help for the big day.) We're gonna have our first Interview for me and my fiance in a few weeks and she's assigned us some homework.

1. Collect as many visuals as possible of what we like/ don't like.
2. Prepare a preliminary guest list.
3. Research and get as much information from preferred vendors as possible.
4. Be prepared to share a wishlist as well as our "reality" check (i.e. budget)

Good news is - we've made major headway on a lot of these assignments. I've even already chosen colors and collected paint chip swatches to disperse sample colors to members of Team Tie the Knot - like Mom!

Before our meeting - I'd also like to glean through my library of wedding/party resources and pull out the ones that are "top priority" or have inspiring brochures. I'll plan to make a visit to Manoa Marketplace for a lunch at The Wedding Cafe.

We've picked out the members of our Bridal party/court and just a few more need to be notified. I'll probably see about taking one to lunch to "pop the question" for her to join my court. The last one needs to be called on the phone as she lives in California.

We've got a preliminary hold already on a pig that's growing up special for us - we just need to let our friend know the exact date and particulars. I am worried though that one pig just won't be enough for our humongous guest list.

There are some other concerns too - which I hope that our "planner" will be able to help us with.

Here's my hotlist for choosing a wedding coordinator:
1. How comfortable are you (and/or the Groom) with the planner? They'll be your spokesperson with vendors, family members, and oftentimes referee between the two of you to help find a compromise. I'm glad that mine is one of my best friends whom I've known for nearly 20 years.
2. What is their resume of credentials? Have they ever done this before - what role did they play in planning other people's parties and weddings - make sure that the planner you pick has the experience you desire - i.e. fullservice start to day of coordination; budgeting; experience with local vendors/the vendors you chose, etc.
3. What kind of meeting schedule/workflow does the coordinator operate on? How many planning meetings? How in your face will they be prior to and up through the wedding day?
4. Will they go with you to meet and negotiate with vendors? do they have template contracts or other worksheets and tools?
5. Ask to see their portfolio. there's proof in the pudding.
6. do you TRUST them?

Easter is on the way and I've got visions of creating an Easter brunch event....complete with easter basket favors for the guests under 10. Spring florals adorn the buffet - Eggs scrambled, eggs benedict, fresh browned hash browns, Steamed white rice, hot cinnamon buns, french toast, fresh fruit compote, bacon, sausage, spam, and steak w/ peppers. An optional over the top touch would be an omelet station with all the fixins. For washing it all down fresh island fruit juices, fruit smoothies, and coffee & tea. At each place setting an easter egg place cards with each guest's name scripted on it.

Key elements:
1. Spring decorations - spring florals, easter eggs, easter grass, etc.
2. Buffet meal - plan your menu ahead of time.
3. Easter baskets & bonnets - easter baskets for the kids, and easter bonnets or posies for the female guests.
4. Family & Friends - good company always makes your special gatherings worthwhile.
5. Your Easter Best - getting dressed in a flowy spring dress and your best duds sets the formality of the occasion.

The Quintessential High Tea
I joined a dear friend and her grandmother at their Kane'ohe home recently for High Tea. A gathering of grandma’s close friends and a few relatives bedecked in feminine tea dresses and fun hats made for good company on an overcast Hawaiian afternoon at four o’clock sharp.

Grandma’s carefully manicured tropical garden was the perfect backdrop for a wonderfully decadent afternoon of tea, crumpets and lively conversation where the prevailing age was 70.

Our hosts had ever so carefully planned the menu and presentation. Set out at the buffet were a potpourri of tea cups - a different cup and saucer pattern for each guest to choose their favorite. Plated in true style were a smorgasborg of tea sandwiches each with a miniature demitasse cup full of posies and a menu card to identify each creation. First on the selection was a Ginger Blueberry Sandwich -- a clever combination of toasted pound cake, chocolate, and a blueberry/ginger creamcheese spread. Next was a memorable Plowman’s Pate a blend of cheeses rolled in chives and served with sliced grape tomatos and toasted wheat crackers. Rounding out the sandwich selection were Watercress & Bacon, Egg & Olive, and a Cucumber Dill that easily pulled forward as the crowd favorite. Finally, a heaping bowl of fresh Devonshire cream was served along side a cranberry, carrot scone and another zesty choice a pesto scone.

I filled the dainty pink and gold tea cup I chose with a lovely Darjeeling, two lumps of sugar and a thin slice of lemon. Other beverage choices included a classic Earl Grey and later that tea hour I also tried the iced Jasmine/Pineapple tea elixir they had concocted. “Don’t fill up on tea,” warned our hostess.

The generous buffet didn’t end there. Halfway through tea our hostess brought out a trio of sweets -Chocolate dipped strawberries, a buttery Shortbread, and a tempting Lemon-Lime Curd Tartlett with strawberry blueberry and mint sprig garnish. Each dessert offering was plated in unique ways in martini glasses, cake plates and china.

Fresh linen napkins, the “special occasion” silverware, china plates and little “tea” books featuring some of the recipes used for creating the spread made the experience all the more memorable.

So what do you need to remember when planning your tea-riffic soiree? Key elements:
1.The Guest List & Dress Code: Good company dressed in theme - tea dresses and tea hats.
2. The Party Setting: Comfortable seating in a comfortable setting.
3. The Menu: A variety of crustless culinary delights and sweets to boot - tiny and fingerfood sized.
4. Variety: Tea cups, saucers and teapots steeped with a variety of teas.
5. Accessories: tea cup and teapots overflowing with fresh garden posies and miniature coffee (or should I say TEA) table books
6. A Touch of Class: pull out all stops and think class and tradition when putting together your menu and place settings.

okay so I've several ideas I'm throwing around for a theme party for a college graduate-to-be...the major is criminal justice and here are the ideas:
1. Spinoff of a tvdrama/series - law&order, or CSI- crime scene investigation - invites can mirror the branding of the tv shows and table favors or centerpieces can be spyware ala CSI or law stuffs...
2. Murder Mystery Dinner - have an improv group provide the entertainment and the guest of honor and guests try to solve the crime.
3. Superhero - every guy's got his favorite superhero - so dig a little and find out who - then theme the party around that Superguy, Xman, or webslinger....

So how is it possible that through the peak party season - I post not even one celebration? craziness! what is a party girl like me to do?

here's some surefire ways to destress during the holidays to keep up with the pace:
1. Make lists of what to do. - they help to fuel a sense of accomplishment as you complete tasks and help to keep things in check and organized to minimize forgetting stuff which equals STRESS.
2. Gift yourself - whilst shopping for items for your holiday entertaining or holiday gifts - be sure to reward yourself as well. sometimes your best holiday present will be the one you got for yourself. now isn't that swell?
3. get Help! if you need it get it - ask a girlfriend or mom or aunt to help you with some preparations for that holiday gathering - the companionship on the shopping trip or in the kitchen preparing will be a great time of bonding and support.
4. Stay connected. - sometimes during the stress of all the things that need to be done - we have a tendency of going into auto-pilot. Don't! Keep connected to reality and the things that really matter - spending quality time with friends and family during the holiday. Take that 5-10 minutes and talk to a close friend or your long-distance relatives - they will be uplifted and so will you.
5. Take a Break - when push comes to shove - sometimes something has just got to give - maybe it's removing one thing from your regular routine or taking a little break from a hobby. For me it was this blog. sad to say - but a reality - next season - we'll see what we can do to stay on top of it.

So you ask - what was so crazy with your holidays? Well - I worked right up to Christmas Eve - had a celebration to attend that night - then Christmas Day to relax sort of - then take off to Vegas till just before new year's eve when we returned and it was back to being the hostess for our annual New Year's Eve bash. A few days later an annual gathering of some of my closest high school friends and then well back to the grind.

But things are at a fever-pace. Why?

Well on December 25th, 2003 - I became a "bride to be". And yes - the plans are in the works for the party of a lifetime...watch for more on this as the planning starts to take shape.