Here at CBM, we spend a great deal of time talking about food.

However, when planning an event, we know that food is but a part (a great part, but a part nevertheless) of the whole experience.

With this in mind, let’s talk about the non-food elements of an event and how they affect the final look and cost.

Major Event Spending Categories to Keep in Mind

Besides the food itself, there are a few other major spending categories that you should consider when planning your catered event.

Budget

We like to remind our customers to always begin with the budget. Plan within your budget; don’t budget within your plan. Successful low-cost events featuring only the basics are possible.

Vendors

For larger-scale events, you will inevitably deal with many vendors. You may decide to be your own event planner or hire someone else to act as your middleman.

To help understand which route to take, ask yourself:

• Are you confident you can get the best deals?
• Do you have the time?
• Would you rather order your own rentals or let the catering company do it?

Your staff is your army. With full-service catering, Catering by Michaels takes care of many event details for you.

Aesthetics

Decorations can dramatically improve the look of your event. Depending on whether you DIY or hire a decor company, they can also have a big impact on budget. Be realistic about your available time and ability to handle the decor for your event — it may turn out to be more cost-effective to hire out this part of the process.

Entertainment

Entertainment is another important consideration for your event’s budget. Depending on the type of event, you’ll have different options for entertaining your guests — a DJ, full band, or even individuals hired to do things like read tarot cards, draw caricatures, and so on. It’s important to know where to draw the line, especially as it relates back to your budget for the rest of the event.

Identify the Necessities & Nice-to-Haves

You don’t want to give everybody a great memory and leave yourself with a painful one. Know what non-food elements are a must and those that aren’t. This will help you to be realistic about your budget for the event.

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Summer is the perfect time for a picnic! Picnics are a great way for corporate businesses to give back to their employees and show their gratitude for all their steadfast hard work. If you’ve been chosen to plan your company’s annual picnic, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together the below tips to help you save time, money, and unnecessary headaches.

Here’s how to plan a company picnic with as little stress as possible.

Plan ahead as much as possible.

Easier said than done, right? We understand that it’s not always realistic to carve out extra time to plan a company-wide event when you still have your regular job duties to attend to. That’s why we strongly recommend putting together a schedule that realistically addresses the complexity of putting together such a large-scale event. This will ideally go back 5-6 months before your planned picnic date to give you enough time to secure a venue, hire a rock star caterer, and give employees enough notice to clear their schedules.

The trick here is to find a caterer who has the experience needed to take this off your plate. And it’s a bonus if they have partnerships with picnic venues — that way you can scratch two important to-dos off your list right away, and then breathe a sigh of relief!

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Feel like you’re scrambling to plan a Mother’s Day that’s special and memorable for all? Don’t stress, we have just the answer. This Mother’s Day, skip going out for an overpriced meal on this busy day, and instead host a fabulous champagne brunch at home, the park, or another special location. Here’s everything you’ll need to impress mom and your guests.

Mother’s Day: The Food

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We love working with event planners, and recently had the opportunity to chat with Nisar Naimi from Events by Nisar. If you’re about to plan an event, his insights may be especially timely!

How did your career in events begin?

​It started off as a part-time job to make extra cash on the weekends during my undergrad years at Loyola University. I used to work for a non-profit community organization, and my boss at the time introduced me to his friend who was an event planner. I worked with her throughout my college years, then went full-time with event planning once I graduated.​

Why do you love working in the events industry?

​I love that it’s a new experience every day! I get bored very easily, so I love the creative and personal interactions that allow me to have a new and exciting experience every day. More than anything, I love all of the relationships I am able to build and foster.​

What are current trends you love?

​Simple is more.

• I love the mixing of metals (golds, rose golds, silvers).
• Lighter, softer tones in decor have also recently become very popular.
• The rustic theme is very big at the moment.

Couples are now so much more open to being creative with their menu selections, especially in terms of live action stations, exotic ingredients, and presentation. It seems that recently, food has definitely taken precedent over decor and other event items. ​

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Who knows the catering process better than Catering By Michaels’ President, Stewart Glass? We managed to find some time in Stewart’s busy scheduling to get the inside scoop on how to find the perfect caterer for your event.

What are some tips for choosing the right caterer? What questions should people be asking?

Here are two ways to start learning how to find the perfect caterer for your event:

1. Ask your friends/relatives first, and find out if they have recommendations
2. If you or your circle hasn’t hired a caterer before, take to the internet – look at reviews to some extent on review sites like WeddingWire/EventWire, The Knot, Google, and Yelp.

It’s not just what questions you should be asking, but what questions a caterer is asking you.

As a caterer, they need to dig into your brain. It’s very important that they ask a ton of questions. You should never take this as an insult, or as getting too much into your business, because if they don’t ask you a lot of questions, you may not get the solution you’re imagining. Your caterer needs to know where you’re coming from, what you’re looking for, what your goals are. There needs to be a context. For example, if you don’t have a venue yet, that’s going to have an affect on your catering partnership.

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