It requires some planning and organization to get all the components together for a banquet. From planning and executing the menu to arranging the front-of-house service, there are some steps that you can take to prepare for a banquet.
■Planning
You should arrange the type of party that you would like to have. Do you want a dinner party or a cocktail party? Do you want the dinner to be formal or casual? Will the food be supplied at the table or will you offer a buffet? The answers to these questions will help you decide upon the number of people to invite, and who those people should be. For instance, if the party will be more intimate and there will not be many other people there for them to interact with, you wouldn’t want to invite acquaintances that do not get along well. The answers to these types of questions will also help you determine the menu later. Moreover, because invitations should be mailed approximately three weeks prior to the date of the party, you should write down the names of all invitees in your party journal, leaving a space for their RSVP.
■Date and Location
Break out your calendar to settle a date for your event. Look for possible conflicts. If it’s a three-day holiday, it might be tough to get people out to a Saturday night banquet. If your local school, where most of your congregation had children attending, were having an open house or play that night, it would be unwise to put on a church social.
Determine the geographical area where the banquet is to take place. You may already know of various hotels, country clubs, restaurants or catering halls that can accommodate your group if you live in the area where the event will take place. Be sure to go look at the potential location before you book it if you don’t live in the area. It is suggested that you hire a professional meeting planner if the event is in a distant city and it’s not possible for you to travel there, and the event is a significant one.
■Sending out Invitations
Never underestimate the importance of sending out the invitations early. Whether you are planning to host a gourmet dinner party or an informal drinks gathering. Give your guests enough time to RSVP and arrange baby-sitters for their children if necessary. It is common courtesy to give at least a week or two of notice, and allow approximately a month if you are planning an event on a grander scale.
The following information on an invitation is included: the name or names of the host, the nature of the occasion, the time and date of the event, the location of the event, RSVP notation which indicates how you wish to be notified, any special information such as dress instructions, a map with directions, or requests to bring a dish. Send email invitations only if your invitees are frequent email users. Email can easily be overlooked. Moreover, involve all invitees’ names on written and printed invitations. Send separate invitations to each person when inviting extended family members in the same household. Address the invitation to “Mr.and Mrs.Michael Smith and Family” when inviting a married couple and their children. An invitation sent to a non-married couple who live together must embrace each person’s name on a separate line.
■Preparation of Menu
Choose dishes that harmonize with the theme of your party. Whether you are making the meal yourself or arranging a caterer to provide the cooking, make a list of all the dishes you would like to see on the banquet table. You will need to make sure how many dishes you are offering, both hot and cold, in order to begin organizing the display table. Once you’ve come up with an initial idea narrow your focus. It is better if you know about any dietary requirements. But, it’s wise to play it safe and always have a full back option for any guests whose palette may be fussier than yours. Have a choice of red and white wine for instance and perhaps a lighter main course option that may be more vegetarian based. Everyone will feel like they have been both welcomed and accommodated by this way.
■The Setup of the Banquet
You should know how many people you have invited and how many seats you have available as the event planner. Always make sure that these numbers exactly. It does not reflect well on you to force any of your guests to stand or perch uncomfortably. Also ensure that there is enough space at the table if a meal is planned. Not everyone will enjoy eating with their plate on their lap.
You should start with the plate centered and facing the diner, and place the salad plate on top of the entree plate, in terms of table setting. Make sure that any design on the plate is for the diner. To the left of the plate, place the dinner fork immediately, then to its left, the salad fork. If the napkin is simply folded flat, place it next to the salad fork. Place it on top of the salad plate, ensuring that it faces towards the diner if you make a more elaborate folded design with your napkin. However, place the napkin to the side if soup is being served, because the soup bowl will be placed on top of the salad plate.
You should also put the cake fork with prongs facing to the right, directly above the plates. Next is the dessert spoon, facing to the left, above the cake fork. At the upper left corner of the setting, between the dinner and salad forks and the cake and dessert utensils, place the bread plate, facing the diner, with the butter knife placed diagonally on top of the plate pointing out to the left. Directly to the right of the plates, first place the dinner knife, then the teaspoon, ending with the soup spoon on the outside.
Now that the plates and utensils are carefully placed, move on to the cups. The glasses will be set on the right hand corner of the setting. Place the water glass next to the dessert spoon. Next, place the wineglass used for red wine slightly below and to the right of the water glass. Once again, place the wineglass used for white wine slightly below and to the right of the red wine wineglass. This should form a diagonal line of glasses; the water glass at the upper left finishing with the white wine wineglass on the bottom right. The cup and saucer is used only when serving dessert. The saucer, with cup placed on top facing up, is set beside the soup spoon. The final touch, if hosting a party, is the place card. The place card is put directly above the dessert spoon, slightly offset to the left.
■Seating Arrangement
At a formal dinner, the host enters the dining room first with the woman guest of honor on his right arm. They are followed by the other guests in couples; the hostess enters last with the most important man. The host takes seat at one end of the table and the hostess at the other. If doing so women would sit together, as is true when there are eight, twelve, or sixteen in the dinner party. Then, the hostess moves one seat to the left, and the most important man sits in her place. The woman guest of honor sits at the right of the host. The most important man or the man guest of honor take seat at the right of the hostess.
At an informal dinner, the hostess guides the women guests into the dining-room who are followed by the host and the men guests. The hostess then tells her guests where to sit. She must always have the seating arranged in advance in order to avoid confusion and delay. The host and hostess sit at opposite ends of the table. While traditionally the oldest woman sits on the right side of the host and the oldest man on the right side of the hostess, guests may be seated wherever they will be happiest. Each person stands casually behind his/her chair until the hostess starts to take her seat. The man helps his dinner partner to take seat and also helps move her chair as she stands up. Each person moves to the left of the chair to sit down and also stands up from the left side. Do not recline on the chair; yet do not sit too close to the table. Keep your feet on the floor. You can cross your feet if you wish, but not your knees.
At a public dinner, the speaker’s table is placed in a prominent part of the room. The toastmaster sits in the middle seat on the side facing the room. The honored guest, the principal speaker of the evening, sits on the toastmaster’s right. The second most important guest sits on the toastmaster’s left. All those at the speaker’s table, of course, sit on the side of the table facing the room. Guests other than the speakers may be honored by being seated at the speaker’s table.
■Other Useful Tips
Try and make sure that you are the one to greet your guests at the door. They did attend the dinner after all because of you and by greeting them at the start of the event they will immediately feel comfortable. It is also a good opportunity for you to ensure that each guest is integrated into the setting so try and introduce them to at least one other person present. This should enhance the conversation and liven up the atmosphere.
Pace is important as well. Keep the party moving. Conversation should be enhanced and the art of ensuring it does so is an important skill. Encourage lively and varied conversation but avoid sensitive issues if you think that some guests may be offended. If you feel that the conversation is going down the wrong avenue, take control. Start a new stream of conversation or if that fails, introduce a special drink or the next course and ensure that all eyes and ears are on you.
In the end, as they leave don’t forget to thank your guests for coming. They made the effort and so should you.