Party Planning Tips & Tricks

How much ice do I need for my party?

Better to have too much ice than too little!

A 3.5 gallon open, self serve ice bucket (pictured) can hold about a 12-pack of cans or 4 bottles of wine and needs 15 pounds of ice for a 4 hour party. I have 2 clear acrylic and 2 white metal ice buckets available for your party at no extra charge!
A 3 quart "clean ice" bucket with tongs to serve cocktails needs 5 pounds of ice to serve approximately 6 drinks. Keep additional "clean ice" in bags in the freezer or ice chest to refill this bucket. Each dozen cocktails needs 10 pounds of ice. I have a clear acrylic open ice bucket or a lidded silver ice bucket available for your party at no extra charge!
A 48 quart ice chest measuring around 25"W x 14"D x 14"H can hold approximately six 12-packs of cans and needs 20 pounds of ice. I have 1 available for your party at no extra charge!
A 120 quart ice chest measuring about 38"W x 17"D x 17"H can hold about 168 cans (about a 14 12-packs) and needs 30 pounds of ice.
If freezer space allows, always buy 1-2 extra 10 pound bags of ice over your estimate. No one wants to leave the party to buy more ice!
DO NOT buy dry ice for cooling drinks!
Reminder: chilled and canned or bottled drinks don't need additional ice.

Pro Tip!

When filling a large ice chest, stack the same flavors together so it's easy for your guests to grab their drink of choice. This avoids them having to swim around in the ice to find their favorite!

Another Pro Tip!

Provide a towel near the self serve ice buckets and ice chest so guests can wipe the condensation off of their drinks.

What little things might I forget to supply for my party?

Plates: small for apps and desserts, medium or large for meals.
Napkins: small for drinks, appetizers and desserts, large for meals.
Utensils: plastic forks, knives and spoons, plus extra for apps and desserts.
Glasses: wine (10-12oz), cocktail (12-14oz), shot glasses, and large size (16oz) for water and non-alcoholic beverages.
Platters, small and large serving bowls, chafing dishes with burners.
Serving utensils for a buffet, always use metal, wood or ceramic utensils to serve hot food, not plastic.
Toothpicks, mini tongs, app forks, etc. for each dish.
Tablecloths and weights for the corners.
Foil, plastic wrap, storage bags and containers for leftovers.
Paper towels, toilet paper.
Bins for trash and recycling plus extra plastic bags.
To go containers for guests, larger boxes for cake.

Pro Tip!

If ordering catering, ask them if they provide paper plates, napkins, eating utensils, serving tools, chafing dishes, burners, etc. Find out what their utensils look like to decide if you prefer supplying your own.

Another Pro Tip!

Ask your caterer for specifics on what they supply and set up for the party. Do they just drop off the food or completely set up the buffet? Do they provide chafing dishes, frames and burners and are they disposable or need to be returned?

More Tips & Tricks Will Be Added Soon!

Watch my FaceBook page for ideas on stocking the bar, ordering catering and more