Brooklyn Wedding Reception Venues, Sweet 16, First Communion Celebration, Corporate Events, Banquet Halls - The El Caribe

Creating Unforgettable Memories For Over 35 Years

Archives for April 2017

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5 Tips For Booking Your Brooklyn Wedding Venues

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five tips booking your brooklyn wedding venue

So you’re getting married and looking at Brooklyn wedding venues. Congratulations! Nice choice! Brooklyn is a fabulous place for a wedding celebration! And, there are so many reasons why Brooklyn wedding venues are becoming more and more popular. The charming neighborhoods, unique warehouse venues, the quiet of traffic and noise from the city, and, still the best foods and services you could want to create unforgettable memories. While you’re considering so many things, here are 5 tips to consider when looking at Brooklyn wedding venues.

1. Cocktail Hour
More than 50% of people polled said “cocktail hour” is their favorite part of the wedding celebration. Who could disagree? It usually has great food and drinks and you’re visiting with so many of your friends and family you may not have seen for many years. It’s the beginning of the celebration. Friends and family want to sit to visit and catch up while they drink and dine. It’s important all your guests can sit and that means having enough seats for ALL your guests.

While everything may look great on paper when booking your venue, some Brooklyn wedding venues, or banquet halls, will tell you they can seat all your guest while cutting corners. What does that mean for you? They give you less seats with anticipation and hopes that a percentage of your guests will be standing during cocktail hour. Your 200 guests may be placed in a cramped space with seating for half as many people. This makes an embarrassing situation for you, your family and guests as they play musical chairs to find a seat.

Before you book your wedding venue, ask to see the space you’ll be having your cocktail hour. Inquire if every guest will have their own seat. Remember, if the food is great, which it should be, people will be sitting and eating the entire time.

2. Bar Service
Most wedding celebrations plan for an open bar with premium liquor. Great food and drink go hand in hand! Experience shows that as the evening progresses it’s natural for the guests to gravitate toward the open bar. If the bar is outside your room, you’ll find more and more guests disappearing throughout the evening and congregating near the premium beverages. This is a definite party stealer and not what you want. Drinks are a part of your celebration and not the celebration.

As you’re considering various venues keep this in mind. Ask the hard questions. Is the bar inside or outside your event space or ballroom? If it’s outside, beware! This could turn into a real problem!

3. Room Layout
Any wedding reception is filled with a host of activities scheduled thru out the celebration. Your guests, family and friends want to feel included. And, you want them to feel included. This is your special moment! Room layout is really important to helping those celebrating your special day connected on so many levels. Why? Here’s a few things to consider.

While seemingly unimportant, consider what kind of tables you’re seating your guests at for the evening. Are they oval or round? Yes, oval tables do seat more people in a smaller space but interestingly they detract from promoting the closeness and socialization you want. Round tables, conversely, promote the best socialization amongst your guests. It allows them to see and converse with each other much easier and see more people.

Where will your dias and band/entertainment be positioned in the room? Spatial constraints cause many catering halls, or wedding venues, to arrange the band/entertainment and you, the reason for the celebration, on very opposite sides of the room. As the night progresses guests will gravitate toward the entertainment leaving their backs to face the dias where you are seated.

It’s important to remember to find a Brooklyn wedding venue where the dias and entertainment are in the same area. This allows for a more intimate setting, your guests to feel more connected to you, all while enjoying the entertainment.

4. Facility Layout
Most Brooklyn wedding venues make money by hosting multiple events at the same time. It’s a wise use of their space. Some will host events on a second floor and adjoining rooms. If the wedding venue is not built correctly, noise and vibration from the other events can be disruptive to your family, guests, and most important your celebration. Yet, you’re booking a wedding venue to have an exclusive experience.

As you’re looking at various wedding banquet halls take a moment to consider how the facility is laid out. Is there a maximum capacity limit? Are other events removed far enough from your celebration not to disturb you and your guests?

5. On Premises Parking
Your guests will be traveling from a distance to celebrate with you. Yes, you may have a bus for some, but many will arrive in their own car. As a part of your celebration it’s important to consider this detail. Parking your guests takes time. Returning cars to your guests when they leave is just as important and time consuming.

Most wedding venues promote valet or on premise parking services. And, if you didn’t know, there is a big difference between the two. On premise parking, of course, means your car is parked on the event premises. Valet parking can mean a whole lot of things. It could include parking your guests’ cars close or blocks away. And, proper guest parking is critical to the timing of your event. Inefficient parking services can create lag time between your guest arrival and start time making for anxious and frustrated guests, not to mention how you’ll feel with the disruption. When reviewing Brooklyn wedding venues or catering halls inquire about their parking services, parking location and their plans to ensure your guests are taken care of and your celebration begins on time.

There are so many things to consider with wedding reception venues. You’ve waited a long time for this moment and you certainly want to get it right. Using these 5 tips when looking at Brooklyn wedding reception venues will save you anxiety, frustration and help ensure the flawless and exciting celebration you deserve.

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Author: El Caribe Caterers
“Creating Unforgettable Memories For Over 35 Years
www.elcaribecaterers.com

For generations, families, organizations and community groups have come to the El Caribe to celebrate life’s most important moments. With more than 35 years of experience in catering elegant banquets and three generations of family ownership, our team at the El Caribe continues to subscribe to the old-fashioned values that built our company from humble beginnings to our current success as industry leaders.

From an intimate gathering to a lavish gala of more than 1,000, the El Caribe will provide you and your guests a memorable experience. If you are considering a venue to host your once-in-a-lifetime event, we cordially invite you to our table, to eat, drink and enjoy all the comforts of being part of our family for the next 35 years.

 

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9 Tips for Planning Her Sweet 16

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For so many girls, turning 16 is anticipated almost as much as a wedding day. It’s like a teenage girl’s passage to early adulthood and it can be quite a formal affair and celebration.

For the parents, the anticipation and work for planning a Sweet 16 can be both exciting and overwhelming. Whether a big bash or hosting a smaller affair, here are 9 tips to help you plan a successful Sweet 16.

  1. Determine The Budget
    Set a budget, then be willing to share with her how much you plan to spend on her event. This is a great opportunity to involve your Sweet 16 in the planning and decision making process and where the budget is allocated. This will give her freedom to make decisions about her party and teach her about budgeting decisions. Involving her in the planning and budget process will help her understand the yes’s to some requests and the no’s to others.
  2. Compile A Guest List
    Guest lists always affect budgets. In most cases, the more guests the more the party will cost. Some families plan and save for a big Sweet 16 bash, inviting 100 or more friends and family to the celebration. Others plan something more intimate with a few close friends. Talk with your daughter about her ideas and desires. We’re sure she’s got some great ideas, big or intimate, in mind.
  3. Set The Date and Venue
    Choosing the date doesn’t have to fall on her birthday. Picking a time that’s best for those involved in the celebration, so her moment is special, is what’s important. If you choose to celebrate during busier times of the year; Christmas Holidays, peak wedding season, company parties, graduations; be sure to book well in advance. Some venues offer off-season special rates that could save you money on venues and food. Make sure to create and send out “save-the-date” cards, by mail or email, to your guests so they can calendar in your special day.When choosing the venue, consider the number of guests and the type of event. Something less formal, or an outdoor theme, might be best at a private home, estate or public park. More formal settings would be best at a hotel or event catering hall. The later can also help you choose an array of menu items to serve your guests. Choosing your venue wisely is an important part of setting the tone for your event.
  4. Picking A Theme
    This celebration comes once in a lifetime. So, while picking a theme isn’t necessary, it can sure make the event more memorable. Consider using themes that highlight your Sweet 16’s interests including favorite movies, novels, sports, recent trends, hobbies, things she really loves doing, etc. Here are some of our quick ideas.- Fairytale or Princess
    – Cops & Robbers
    – Lights of Paris
    – Hollywood Premier
    – Mardi Gras.
    – Luau or Beach Party
  5. Book the Vendors
    If you’re having more than a just a simple gathering of a few friends for a day at the spa, a special trip or concert, then you’ll want to consider vendors for the celebration. Consider attending a bridal fair to find and compare services and pricing for photographers, videographers, DJs and other service providers.Some of these vendors offer special package pricing. If you book, say, a photographer and videographer from the same company you could save over booking them separately from different companies. Some companies offer entertainment booking services where they’ll take care of all your vendor needs, saving you time.
  6. Send Your Invitations
    While you may have sent out a save-the-date announcements, it’s important to send your guests an invitation three to five weeks before the event. There are a host of ways to deliver this from mail to hand-delivered. Most important, remember to get the invitations out in a timely manner so your guest will firm up their calendars to attend the celebration.
  7. Prepare The Menu
    Great food makes time together with family and friends extra special. This is one of those times that should be extra special. Choose a menu that fits the venue and will make your guests and the Sweet 16 happy. Easy to eat foods are great for less formal occasions while more formal events, like a Sweet 16 catering hall, would call for maybe a cocktail hour and a sit down, formal dinner. Remember, food sets the mood. Be sure to choose a menu that fits the celebration and venue.
  8. Plan Your Events Itinerary
    How long is the party? What events/programs does she want to take place at the party? Gather these ideas together and then create a rough timeline. Then begin shaping the details. When will the event begin? When will the music first play? When will food be served? What time do you cut the cake? Most importantly, what time will the party end?
  9. Talk About Expectations
    This “coming-of-age” is an exciting time for her. Your little girl is growing up. Yet, it’s still important to set boundaries around your expectations of the party. You want her and her guests to be safe and have a wonderful time. You don’t want her coming of age party to be an embarrassment for either of you. So, it’s important to discuss use of alcohol, controlled substances and expected behavior during the event. Have the hard discussions before so you can have a successful event.

Using these tips will help relieve your stress and plan for a successful event. You’ll be able to create memories that the both of you can cherish for a lifetime.

When is comes to planning your Sweet 16, please consider the El Caribe. With over 35 years creating unforgettable memories, like Sweet 16, we can help you plan and prepare for something extraordinary. Our food is rated some of the best in NYC and our ballrooms offer beautiful spaces to make any Sweet16 magical. Click here for more information about our Sweet 16s and visit our Facebook page to see what visitors are saying about the El Caribe.