The bartenders keep a running tab and you pay the final bill at the end of the evening, based on how much your guests drank. A good idea if your guests are light drinkers
Open Bar
You pay a flat fee for your guests to drink all night
Cash Bar
Your guests pay for their own drinks
Premium Brands
Top-of-the-line liquors. You’ll pay more if you stock the bar with these “name” brands instead of cheaper, generic house brands
Poured Drinks
East-to-make drinks—the ones that require only one ingredient and aren’t shaken or stirred
Mixed Drinks
Drinks that require more than one ingredient or special mixing equipment. Providing them at your reception could raise the bar tab
Catering Service Options - Food
Buffet Style
Less Formal
Guests have more menu choices—greater variety of dishes, allowing guests to pick and choose
Tend to create a more casual, sociable atmosphere
Guests help themselves from large displays of food
Buffets lend themselves to fashionable styling—add tiers, floral displays, mirrors, candles, themed props, colorful linens and table skirts
Traditional Buffet
Hot food is put into chafing dishes on a buffet table and may be either served or guests serve themselves
Large plates are used and after guests pick up their food they sit at the table to eat
An event with a traditional buffet generally starts with a cocktail and hors d’Oeuvres hour
The tables can be set with a formal place setting or the guests may pick up their silverware from the buffet
Salads & bread baskets can be preset at the guest tables or can be on the buffet table
It is best to select 2 or 3 entrees with a beef item, a pourltry item and a fish or pasta dish
Food Stations
Food stations offer guests culinary splendor and a wide variety of choices
“grazing” style (hot buffets/cold buffets)
May feature regional cuisine with themes and props
Similar to buffet service in that guests serve themselves
Instead of one long table, food is divided into several themed locations
Several small stations are set up with plates at each for guests to wander to and from at will
This style of service has the option of giving your guests ultimate freedom to pick and choose from the menu items that you have chosen for them
Can use many round free-standing tables around which guests can mingle and chat
Allow for you to have a fancy, yet informal event with a variety of dishes
Also allows for casual seating, allowing guests to get up and mingle
Generally use 7” plates and small forks
Alternative—use larger plates and full flatware and treat as a full buffet
Guests can feast at their own pace
Food stations can be traditional, such as carved meats, side dishes (rice, potatoes, pasta) and vegetables, salad stations, dessert stations, etc
Can also have dessert stations with anything from make your own sundaes to imported chocolates, to an assortment of cheesecakes
Action or Chef Attended Food Stations
You may elect to have a chef at some of the stations to carve meat, cook crepes or stir-fry or serve sushi
With 1 or more grills, the chef can actually make parts of the menu before your guest’s eyes. The flavors of the menu are in the air and menu items are enhanced by guests watching the chef in action at the grill
Tray/Butlered Service
Great for a cocktail party
Waiters walk among your guests with trays of hors d’oeuvres or drinks
All menu items are passed except for simple nuts, olives, etc placed on tables
Combination
A combination of buffet and sit-down service
This style offers table service for the first course and dessert The main course is served buffet style
A great choice if you wish to have some formal components mingled with informal
Plated Service/Sit-Down Dinners
The plates are already full of food when they’re brought from the kitchen and placed in front of your seated guests
Best for a more formal wedding reception or banquet
A set menu selected by you and each course is served by a waiter or waitress
You may choose to offer your guests a choice of entrée
You may wish to choose a plated appetizer, soup or dessert
Russian Service
Trays of food attractively presented to each guest and the guest serves him or herself.
This type of service presents a formal, “at home” and “uncatered” feeling
Waiters hold the trays of food in one hand and serve the guests with the other.
French Service
Waiters serve each guest individually from a tray held by another waiter
Great for formal banquets
Home Style or Family Style
The food is put in the center of the table in bowls or on platters and guests pass the food and serve themselves while seated at the table
This style of service encourages chat amongst your gests and offers a mini-buffet of choices at each table.
Small Plate “Tapas” Tastings
Food is served “home style”, but many small plates and small bowls and many platters of foods and courses to taste, pass, and nibble
Cocktail Party/Cocktails & hors d’Oeuvres only
A highly social reception style
Lets guests mix while enjoying a variety of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres
Can use waiters or waitresses carrying silver trays garnished with flowers
Should include passed trays of food as well as small stations with finger foods
Make sure you have plenty of napkins, plates, cutlery and seating on hand
If used for a wedding reception, it should last 2-3 hours
Cocktail Reception
This elegant type of reception usually runs from around 4-7 pm Usually features substantial hors d’oeuvres or a light buffet
Sweets Reception
A spread of spectacular desserts, paired with cappuccino, espresso and champagne
Offers a change of pace
On-Site Location Sites that offer nearly everything you need from catering and bar service to tables and linens
Off-Site Locations Sites that have few or none of the services and supplied you need. You will need to contract for everything from food to silverware
Entrée The main course of your meal
Service to your Home or Office
Classic Service
Includes servers for your meeting, luncheon or dinner that set up the meal with everything needed—decorative service plates, chafing dishes, linens, china, glassware, flatware and more
The servers either stay to refresh the buffet, or return later to pick up the equipment
Box Lunches
Food is packaged in attractive, durable boxes for delivery to your office or off-site location
Drop Off
The caterer delivers hot and/or cold food in creative baskets & bowls, and chafing dishes for hot items and sets up a buffet display at your office or location
Disposable plates & cutlery are usually used
Caterers will return after the luncheon or meeting to pick up the equipment and serving ware
Finger Lakes Serviced: Seneca Lake, Keuka Lake, Cayuga Lake, Canandaigua Lake, Honeoye Lake Some of our vendors service the following:New York State Towns: Chemung County, NY - Big Flats, Elmira, Elmira Heights, Erin, Horseheads, Millport, North Chemung, Pine City, Southport, Van Etten, Wellsburg; Schuyler County, NY - Burdett, Catherine, Cayuta, Dix, Hector, Montour, Montour Falls, Odessa, Orange, Reading Center, Tyrone, Watking Glen; Steuben County, NY - Addison, Almond, Arkport, Bath, Bradford, Cameron, Campbell, Canisteo, Caton, Cohocton, Corning, Dansville, Erin, Freemont, Gang Mills, Greenwood, Hammondsport, Hartsville, Hornby, Hornell, Thurston, Troupsburg, Tuscarora, Urbana, Wayland, Wayne, West Union, Wheeler, Woodhull; Tompkins County, NY - Caroline, Cayuga Heights, Dryden, East Ithaca, Enfield, Forest Home, Freeville, Groton, Ithaca, Lansing, Newfield, South Danby, South Hill, Trumansburg; Tioga County, NY - Apalachin, Berkshire, Candor, Newark Valley, Nichols, North Barton, Owega, Richford, Spencer, Tioga Center, Waverly; Yates County, NY - Barrington, Benton Center, Dresden, Dundee, Italy Hill, Jerusalem, Middlesex, Milo Center, Penn Yan, Potter, Rushville, Starkey, Torrey. Also Binghamton, NY; Endicott, NY; Waverly, NY.
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