• Your guest demographics (local, mainland, age groups, etc.)
• Type of food (Pacific Rim, Hawaiian, Regional, Continental, French, Japanese, etc.)
• Style of food (buffet, plated or active stations) • Must have dishes
• Budget per person (food only), staffing is charged separately in most cases.
• Plastic or china and glassware
• Beverage service needs (do you need a bartender, what type of beverages you are planning to serve, etc.)
• Event start time
• Event end time
• Be sure that the caterer provides everything that they need to prepare your meal and to service your meal (ie:  cooking equipment, staff, tray jacks, water pitchers, bar kit, chinaware, glassware, serving trays, platters for food, chafing dishes, garbage cans, ice, etc.).   Hawaii Weddings and Events will handle all front of the house needs (ie: guest tent, caterer service tent, tables, linens, chairs, lighting, arch, etc. as we will be preparing your floor plan that encompasses all aspects of your event.
• Set-up of tables, chairs, linens, flatware, glassware, etc.  (rental company may be paid to set-up tables and chairs if caterer doesn’t but they should still set-up china, flatware, etc.)
• Service staff to execute your event from beginning to end
• Offering water service to your guests throughout event.
• Serving food or helping to direct to buffet line or food stations
• Clearing dishes from tables
• Clearing empty beverages and offering to get another beverage for your guest.
• Cutting and serving your wedding cake (if needed)
• Ensuring that beverage station (i.e.: coffee/tea) is replenished as needed and has appropriate condiments (cream, sugar, stirrers, tea bags, cups, adequate amounts of hot water, etc.)
• On average, one server for every 15-20 guests (if plated meal) and one server per every 25-30 guests (buffet meal) is the appropriate ratio to best service your valued guests. These ratios may vary slightly depending on the experience level of the staff.   The number of chefs, food runners and/or stewards is dependent upon your final menu selection,
• One bartender for every 50-75 guests (depending on the drinks being served).   If it is an independent bartending company from caterer, they should have an extra person to help bus the glassware or plastic cups from table as the caterer would only be responsible for their items.
• Assist with packing up your extra beverages at the end of the evening (for those venues that you provide your own alcohol)
• Breakdown tables, chairs, bag linen, etc. (note: if they don’t do strike, then rental company is paid to come back at the end of the event to take care of tables and chairs, but caterer should still assist with clearing tables and bagging linen)
• Garbage removal (*Note: most venues will not return your security deposit if this is not done*)

Many of the above notes may seem obvious, but we have found that often times clients find restaurants that are trying to get into catering, or receive a very inexpensive quote only to find out that it is based on “drop off”" service, or they neglected to include any service, or may not own any of their own equipment which will be added to your bill later.

Food picture courtesy of Elite Catering Hawaii.

Needless, to say, I was ecstatic with the opportunity and took a few days to contemplate what I could do that would utilize items that couples’ may already have in their homes, could be purchased locally and most importantly, could be re-used for other purposes.

This year, Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2010) also happens to be Chinese New Year’s.  With that in mind, I wanted to incorporate Asian elements into the design of the table, while at the same time,  keeping costs down by limiting the use of traditional Valentine’s Day flowers such as red roses.

Using items that I already had on hand, along with a shopping trip to Pier 1 (absolutely one of my FAVORITE places to shop) the design started to evolve.  I found a rich burgundy table runner with beautiful embroidery that would be more versatile than bright red, gold trimmed votive candle holders, heart bookends, bubble vases with candle holder, a rich red picture frame, red and ivory essentials plates and amber crackle stemware.

To keep costs down, I used beautiful red mokara orchids with bear grass at the bottom of the bubble vases with Island Orchard votive candles.   The bubble vases can easily be changed into completely different theme such as a sea theme with beach sand, shells and a blue candle.    The red frame featured a “Valentine’s Day Gift” poem for the evening, and may be re-used for a picture of the couple at one of their favorite places.

A few red roses were used along with the river rocks (which always lends itself to an Asian feel) along with the decorative chopsticks, wooden flatware and a Valentine’s Day menu printed on parchment paper which was custom designed to fit inside the plate and and printed on a basic HP Officejet printer.

Our non-pro picture is posted here, with professional images from Kris Labang are featured on pages 30-33 in the magazine alongside Elite Catering which is now featured on-line at http://www.chromaticmagazine.com/

“Chromatic” magazine which is a quarterly publication providing the people of Hawaii information on the latest fashion, beauty, hot spots, entertainment and lifestyle.