If you are planning to throw a Cocktail Party in Melbourne, the chances are you are feeling stressed, especially if you are a first timer. Even people who have used the services of cocktail party catering Melbourne know things can go wrong, if proper planning is not done.

Here are a few tips to ditch the stress and plan a great party your guests will enjoy thoroughly:

Let’s come down to the most essential aspect of the cocktail party, the drinks. Wine, beer, whiskey, gin, vodka, rum , vermouth, are obviously the popular choices. Raise the bar with cult wines, sparkling or bolder wines known for mainstream tastes than earthy ones to light up the night. Stock up the bar with cocktail shakers, bottle openers, paper napkins, stirrers, ices, soda, water, ice, cut fruits, etc. A drinks menu, showcasing creativity is a great idea. Don’t forget to include some non-alcoholic drinks in the menu. Setting proper space while stocking extras for everything from drinks to food items with quirky signs and great display will definitely up the notch.

Dishes and munchies are just as important as the drinks. Guests want to eat and drink. The range of options are unbelievable – platters, finger foods, Light BBQ snacks, salads all accompanied by dips and sauces. Instead of trying to do it yourself, hire someone who has an experience in cocktail party catering Melbourne to help you decide the menu. They can suggest amuse bouche or hors d’ouvers or dishes based on the guests and event. Set up fancy food stations with fabulous tasting crepes, truffle-lavender honey or cute candy bars is a great idea for both formal and informal events.

This is actually the first part of the planning, who are you planning to call and why? Is this a 25th anniversary, a official meeting with one department, or a get together of yacht owners at the boat club? As is obvious, the number of guests and the guest list will determine the servings of food and drinks. But, there is one trend in Melbourne and Sydney you should not ignore, use locally-sourced ingredients to serve fresh food while giving the local economy a boost. Set up even with muted or vivacious colour schemes with drinks matching the decor and mood.

Another important aspect of planning the best cocktail party is the location. Outdoors, indoors, at a club, home or office will further impact the choice of food and drinks. A good cocktail party caterer in Melbourne will tell you the difficulties of serving BBQ in closed spaces or creating elaborate menus for an office party. Easy and popular items like lobster, poached chicken, sliders, tartars, shrimp cocktails or crab-meat heavily together can be served without worrying about the temperature.

Cost is another primary factor to be considered. You don’t want to overstretch your budgetary limits, but you want your guests to have a great time. Bills can be kept in check as tiny bites of food items are encouraged rather than full fancy courses. Cost will include the invites, location cost, drinks, food, serving staff, and cleaning.