Tips for Planning an Off-Site Catered Event

To plan a successful off-site catered event, it is important to start early on and give yourself plenty of time to hammer out all the details. Although this will take some patience and a bit of finesse on your part, proper party planning is the key to a smooth and successful outcome.

Continue reading to learn where to start, what to do, and how to get the best results for your catered event.

Georgia Catering Services 678-340-0510
Georgia Catering Services 678-340-0510

Setting a Date

Setting a date is the first thing that should be on your to-do list. Once you have a date set, you can move forward with the remaining party-planning tasks. Be sure to set your date within a reasonable time; not too soon but not too far out. Give yourself a realistic amount of time to pull off a great event, while also making sure to not set it so far in advance that people become forgetful or unenthusiastic about it.

It is also important to consider seasonal factors like weather and climate. If you have your heart set on an outdoor event in Indiana, you don’t want to set the date in late November. Likewise, avoid rainy or humid seasons for outdoor events. Not only does rain and humidity affect food and beverages, it affects a long list of other things, like clothing, hair, windows, and more.

Planning a Budget

Discuss what your total budget will be before planning anything else so that you and your team are on the same page in terms of finances. Knowing your budget up front helps you stick by it, and makes the selection process much easier. Let your services know what your budget is, and they can provide the options that fit best.

Choosing a Venue

As soon as the date is set, the very first thing you need to do is find and reserve a venue. Be sure to due ample research, and see what all the local indoor and outdoor venues have to offer in terms of location, aesthetics, packages and amenities. Choose a place that makes sense for the size and type of the group attending.

A space too small will create a cramped and hot event, and a space too large will feel empty, which can cause a disconnection among guests and make your event appear like it had a poor turn out. For a group that is elderly or handicapped, you don’t want to book your event at a place with lots of stairs, or without safety ramps, elevators, and other necessary conveniences.

Deciding on Entertainment

If you were to ask the guests, the catered food and beverages are the best part of any event. In fact, it is often the focal point of a party! For this reason, an exceptionally catered event doesn’t need much more entertaining. But if you do want to spice things up a bit, noting makes a party more memorable than music.

Hire a live band, or provide a platform for guest karaoke. You can also choose to hire a professional DJ, violinist, cellist, harp player, piano player, dueling pianos, and more, depending on the theme of your event. For events with children, bouncing houses, clowns, face painters, magicians, and exotic animals are a fun way to go.

Professional Event Catering in Georgia

Food for Thought Catering 678-340-0510
Food for Thought Catering 678-340-0510

Call Food for Thought Catering at 678-340-0510 for professional event catering in Newnan, Georgia and its surrounding areas, including Peach Tree City, Raymond, Sharpsburg, Woodsmoke, Wood Valley Estates, Arnco Mills, Fayetteville, Whitesburg, Chattahoochee Hills, Palmetto, and more. We offer a wide range of catering services for all industries, occasions, and events. Choose from our popular catering menu, or work with our catering coordinators to customize a menu according to your particular needs and interests. We can also provide assistance with décor, themes, vendors, and more! Request a free estimate, today!

Recommended Venues for Catering Events

Newnan Catering Services 678-340-0510

Newnan Catering Services 678-340-0510

No matter which kind of event you are planning to cater, the location and venue will be one of the most important aspects to consider. Choosing the right venue is not a difficult decision, but it is one that requires some ample forethought and research. The main factors to consider when researching venues for a catered event include the number of guests expected, the location, budget, and weather.

Although there are several other factors to consider depending on the type of event you’re planning, for example wedding ceremonies versus graduation parties, in terms of choosing a venue, numbers and convenience are the factors to start with. Talk to your local Catering Company for tips on choosing the proper location for your event. In the meantime, continue reading for great venue ideas and suggestions!

Churches

Churches are unique, beautiful, and peaceful venues to consider because they are apposite settings for several types of events. Baby showers, baptisms, wedding ceremonies, birthday parties, and almost any other small to medium-sized events can be held in churches. Many churches have additional recreation areas and rooms, aside from worshiping areas, which serve as the perfect alternative to renting rooms at other locations. One great advantage of using a church to host your catered event is budget. Most often, churches are very inexpensive to rent, and in some cases, even free depending on the time and day. It is in your best interest to start with local churches for your next party or event.

Stadiums

It may sound far-fetched, but it can actually be reasonable renting out areas of a stadium for your special event. This may not include the most professional stadium in your city, but there are several soccer, baseball, and football stadiums to choose from that are within budget. They are great locations for large-scale events that are not black tie, or for activity-based outdoor events. Many even have rooms, suites, and conference centers that can be rented hourly. If you need to house a large number of guests, stadiums provide the perfect amount of space, not to mentioned fun ambience too! Look to your local schools and campuses, and even the city’s baseball stadium for affordable stadium rentals for catered events.

Hotels

Although it sounds like it’s been done too many times before, hotels are the perfect venue to rent for your special event. And there are plenty of reasons why! Not only are hotels affordable and flexible, many of them provide additional amenities that are convenient for guests, such as powder rooms, restrooms, drinking fountains, parking, and more. Also, they are generally decorated modestly, leaving a perfect canvas to decorate according to your party’s theme. Generally, hotels have several conference rooms or recreational centers with ample space that they rent to the public on an hourly, daily, and weekly basis. And there is always room to negotiate price at hotels!

Parks

Public parks are a serene and enjoyable location for a catered event, but unfortunately, they are not always the best fit year-round. Once the cold season arrives, parks are not ideal since they hardly offer enclosed or heated spaces. Outdoor events in spring and summer are perfect for parks. They offer all the space you need, as well as, beautifully-landscaped scenery. And most often, it is free of charge to cater an event in a public park, however, keep in mind that when it’s free, it’s also first-come-first-serve. There are parks that offer rentable spaces that can be reserved for an affordable fee, making park events budget-friendly no matter what.

Newnan Event Catering

Food for Thought Catering 678-340-0510

Food for Thought Catering 678-340-0510

Call Food for Thought Catering at 678-340-0510 for quality event catering in Newnan, Georgia. We offer a wide range of catering services for all industries, occasions, events, and more. Choose from our popular catering menu, or work with our catering coordinators to customize a menu according to your particular needs and interests. We can also provide assistance with décor, themes, vendors, and more! Call 678-340-0510 to learn more about our Newnan catering services, or to request a free estimate, today!