Graduation season can be busy – with only a small window to coordinate your party, it's best to begin planning well in advance. With so much to consider (invites, location, decorations, food), it can be a relief having somebody with experience to rely on when it comes to planning the food preparation and serving for your event. Hiring a caterer can become an excellent option for anyone who is limited by time or consumed with other commitments. Hiring a caterer will allow you to forget the food and focus on other important party details.
Food
Hiring a caterer will provide you with a more diverse menu than buying your own food in bulk. Popular graduation party foods typically include buffet style BBQ, appetizers, or deli sandwiches due to their grab-and-go nature. These also work well because they don't need to be kept too hot or too cold, and they appeal to both the hungry and not-so-hungry. Mixing small bite-size foods – such as veggies, fruit, chips, and dip - in with heartier foods like sandwiches is also popular among guests.
Open house style graduation parties tend to be relatively long, and it can be difficult for a host to keep track of food while simultaneously tending to guests. Maintaining food at the proper temperature is another challenge at graduation parties because of their extended hours. Having catering staff available, for this reason and others, is ideal to ensure food stays fresh and safe for guests to eat.
Cost vs Time
The common assumption about price is that purchasing bulk food for your son or daughter's graduation party is your cheapest option.
However, comparing the price of your store bought food to the price of a caterer is not an apples-to-apples comparison. This doesn't take into account the time it takes to prepare, packed up, transport, unpack, and cleaned up. Hot food needs to be kept hot, and cold food needs to be kept cold. During the event, food and drinks will need to be replenished. After the event you need to pack up leftovers, clean dishes, and return expensive rental equipment.
All this time and effort spent worrying about the food logistics should be spent enjoying the company of family and friends. You can easily avoid these headaches with help from an experienced catering professional.
Looking at the cost of a party in dollars and cents, it may appear cheaper to cater your own graduation party. However, when stress, hours, and potential frustrations are accounted for – the value of hiring a professional catering company for your son or daughter's graduation party becomes much more apparent.
