Last week we hosted a large lunch for family in friends in celebration of our son’s first birthday. With only two days to recover from Thanksgiving, the key to hosting 40 some people was really planning ahead.

These are my tips to a successful day!

Menu Planning

If you are not planning on a full sit down meal, think through how people will eat what you are serving! Finger food is great, and anything with a flaky crust works well (i.e. Spinach Quiche, Berry Crisp, etc.). What you don’t want is people awkwardly juggling their fork, drink, and plate just to try and get a single bite of all the food you worked so hard on.

Our menu: Strong Man Meatballs, Mixed Herb Popcorn and nuts, Big Top Sausages with roasted red peppers. (Try bringing the theme of your party into your menu, it makes a great conversation piece and helps bring the whole event together)

Food Prep

Do everything you can ahead of time! Shop 4 days ahead, prep 2 days ahead, cook 1 day ahead, and reheat on the day…4-3-2-1. Ok so that isn’t practical for every dish but it does make a huge difference.

For me I chopped veggies, made my herb mix, and rolled out meatballs all ahead of time.

To keep things organized with all this prep I use this fridge organizers. It really helps when you are storing things for a few days.

Food Storage

Keeping everything warm is a challenge, especially if you don’t want to be rushing around as guests arrive. You solve this problem with warming trays, disposable or otherwise. At this point I’ve used so many disposable warming trays that I finally committed to a real metal chafing dish, and it looks SO much better!

 Food Presentation

Plates, cups, utensils are basically the accessories for your buffet. They can make your spread look so much better. I think its worth it to take the time to find nice accessories, it is a simple way to make your guests feel like you care. Compostable/Biodegradable utensils and plates are a great way to be eco-conscious and look good.

Here is my ideal table:
1.  Wooden Biodegradable Spoons (Pack of 200)
2. Thynk Art and Design 9.5 inch Leafplates (Pack of 20)

3. Kate Spade, Think Lemons Table Cloth

4. JAM Paper® Small Beverage Napkins – 5″ x 5″ – Sea Blue (Pack of 50) —The blue on these napkins would be a great pop on the Think Lemons Tablecloth! So cute.

5. Over & Back 4-Piece ‘What a Dish’ Porcelain Bowl Set, White — ONLY $32 on Amazon!!

6. Creative Home Genuine White Marble & Mango Wood Footed Cake Stand, 12″, White

7. Danya B Candle Holder, Black — This is an awesome decorative statement piece that can be moved around the house!