South Africa Event Planning

The cocktail party presents its hosts and guests with the ultimate excuse to dress up, eat, drink and mingle, without too much pressure. These parties are designed to allow a diverse group of people to meander amongst one another while enjoying fun cocktails, wine and beer, as well as finger foods.

Advantages
There are several advantages to opting for a cocktail party above other styles:

• They are casual, while still being sophisticated, making them suitable for any sort of occasion.
• Because a cocktail party usually only lasts about two hours, it assures the host of a relatively short time during which guests need to be cared for.
• This is a great option for a host with a diverse group of friends or colleagues, as guests are able to mingle as they please, rather than being placed next to or across the table from one particular person.
• The menu can be relatively cheap, while still offering fun, interesting snacks.
• Cocktail menus consist of a number of little treats, giving guests a choice of several eats, rather than being confined to one or two dishes.

Food and Beverages
By its very nature, the cocktail party demands fun drinks and finger foods. Some ideas are:

Drinks:

• Martinis
• Cosmopolitans
• Plenty of champagne and champagne-based cocktails
• Bloody Marys
• Long Island Iced Teas
• Strawberry Daiquiris
• Pina Coladas

Snacks:

• Veg sticks with hummus or another good quality dip
• Springrolls
• Pâté on seed loaf
• Smoked salmon on potato rostis
• Chicken nuggets
• Beef strips with a sweet honey and mustard dip
• Mussels in the shell with a spicy salsa

Entertainment
Because a cocktail party is not very long, it is not generally necessary to have a huge array of entertainment. Some tasteful background music is appropriate. If the cocktail party is in aid of a particular product or person, a guest speaker or presenter may need to say a few words. In terms of music, a playlist of easy-listening music will do perfectly.

Venue
Before choosing your venue, decide on the theme of the cocktail party. This will help to determine what kind of setting would suit it best. Then, estimate how many guests you can expect and ensure that there is room for mingling and moving around, even with scattered cocktail tables and chairs. There should be ample facilities (such as parking, bathrooms, and a kitchen, if necessary). Cost and availability will, ultimately, determine your venue of choice.

Tips

• Have plenty of glasses of different kinds (wine, beer, cocktail, tumbler, etc…). People are likely to change drinks, or simply require new glasses during the course of the event.
• You will need ice for almost every drink, so ensure that there is loads of it.
• Stock the bar with other spirits, wines and beers too. Good basics include whiskey, brandy, gin, tequila, rum, sherry, bourbon, red wine, white wine, semi-sweet, rosé, sparkling wine and a few different ales.
• Hire a barman so that guests are not forced to wait for unnecessarily long periods of time for a drink.
• Provide plenty of cold water, and offer guests coffee towards the end of the function in case they have had a little too much alcohol.
• Ensure that invitees know not to bring their children.
• Provide a wide array of food and offer a total of about six ‘pieces’ per person per two hours.
• Make a feature of something; whether it is a certain dish, a signature cocktail or a surprise performance.