Birthdays occur on every single day of the year- even leap days! This allows for many different styled birthday parties to be planned. With so many possibilities, party locations need to be ready to handle the planner’s ideas and needs. Since there are hundreds of styles out there, we have decided to focus on the top 4 (Retro, Glam, Classic, and Themed birthdays) to give you some pointers on being flexible for those events in the areas of decoration rentals and catering:
Decoration Rentals:
With a rising popularity focused on hosting retro-styled birthdays, glam-parties, classic-birthdays, or themed-parties, venues need to be prepared to be flexible on party options provided. From different party decor to fit a certain era of time, to classic birthday balloons for a standard party, party styles can go from one spectrum to the other! While most venues have decor rental options available, some may have to refer the planner to an outside rental company. If you are one of those venues that need to refer to an outside source, make sure you connect with local vendors in the area that could help provide decoration rentals. Depending on the vendor, they may offer a special discounted rate for your clients if they choose to rent through their company.
Here are some popular rentals for each styled party:
Retro-Birthday Parties:
- Old fashioned bottles and cups
- Old fashioned lamps
- Bold-colored decorations.
Glam-Birthday Parties:
- Colored feathers for centerpieces
- Glittery tablecloths and table runners
- Large metallic colored balloons
Classic-Birthday Parties:
- Classic balloons
- Party streamers
- Tablecloths and tables/chairs
Themed-Birthday Parties:
- Colored napkins and plates
- Character-themed balloons and decor, banners
- Colored lights and ceiling drapery
Catering Options:
Every party, no matter what the theme, is going to have food available for the guests to eat. From finger foods to gourmet meals, party planners will want to have a choice to please their guests’ palates. As a venue, it is good to offer a wide range of catering options to serve to your guests. We would suggest sending out 3 menu options to the planner to get a feel for what they may want. You can always suggest that you are flexible with the menu and that you will consider changing it to fit their party style needs.
Here are some popular catering choices for each party style:
Retro-Birthday Parties:
- Old Fashioned ice cream
- Deviled-eggs, mini hamburgers or hot dogs
- Mixed salad, fruit skewers
- Flavored punch, alcoholic beverages
Glam-Birthday Parties:
- Chocolate covered pretzels or strawberries
- Steak or chicken entree options
- Frisee salad with vinaigrette dressing
- Wine, champagne
Classic-Birthday Parties:
- Birthday cake or cupcakes
- Grilled chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs, or pizza
- Salad, or fruit mix
- Soda, or alcoholic beverages
Themed-Birthday Parties:
- Themed sugar cookies or themed cake,
- Cold-cuts sandwiches
- Trail-mix and veggie sticks
- Soda, punch
Learning to be flexible with different styled parties will make it easier for both you and the party planner to get ready for the event. Being able to offer the right rental and catering options is a big part to planning any party. In conclusion, we recommend the following to give you the flexibility you’ll need for different party styles:
- Have Rental Options available
- Partner with a rental company
- Offer 3 Catering menu options to fit the client’s needs
