Throwing a party is different from a full-on banquet. This one is more formal and more elaborate. Guests have high expectations about the food and service they will be getting. Banquets are commonly held in hotel ballrooms or function halls, but the luxurious atmosphere can be recreated anywhere, as long as you prepare early on.
You can hire a catering company to handle food preparation and service during the event. Also, get a crew to do the cleaning before and after the banquet. If you live in or near Brisbane, hire one with walk-behind sweepers to make sure that floors and carpets are immaculately clean. Guests will be expecting nothing but the best during the banquet, so here are a few more tips to help you.
Arrange the Menu
Start by making a list of all the dishes you want to see in the event or banquet table. Regardless of whether you are cooking the meals by yourself, or you are going to call on a caterer, you need to plan out the menu. Decide on how many dishes you plan on offering, so you can start setting up your display table.
At this point, determine what type of cuisine you would like to offer. You can plan on coming up with some hot food, about two to three dishes; four salads or side dishes; and about two to three dessert choices. This is a good menu for your guests to choose from. Do not overwhelm them with too many options.
Organise and Delegate
The next step is organising and enlisting help. You will require the help of caterers for the food, or a dedicated team to help you in cooking and preparing dishes. If you have friends who are willing to help, ask them how much experience they have in the food service so that you can focus on the most important aspects.
Rent or Purchase Important Equipment
Important equipment is required for a successful banquet. You can rent a venue for your banquet; in this case, the kitchen may be available for use as well. They can also rent out important kitchen equipment and implements like beverage dispensers, large-sized cooking pots, chafing pans and food servers. Make sure they have enough cups, plates, bowls, cutlery and other utensils.
Set the Table and Seating Arrangement
Ensure that you have adequate chairs and tables for your guests. Once you have completed the menu, you must also plan how you would like the dishes to be arranged at the banquet hall. This will give you an idea of exactly how much space you will need. If the banquet you are planning is self-service, you must spread out the dishes and provide two sets so guests can line up on both sides of the table for better service and traffic.
Add a Separate Area for Drinks and Beverages
Drinks and other beverages should not be placed on the same table as the food. The table at the banquet must have a good stock of water, juice and self-service coffee, which should be placed near the table where the dishes are. If you will have alcoholic beverages, you can opt this to be self-service as well, or you can have a bartender to help you with it.
Once the venue and food have been planned, you can focus on flowers, music, invitations and other smaller details. It may take a village to pull this off, but it will be worth it in the end.