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

Creating Unforgettable Memories For Over 35 Years

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7 Mistakes To Avoid For Your Brooklyn Corporate Events

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So you’re looking for Brooklyn Corporate Events space for your next big event. Where do you begin? There are host of things to consider especially if you’ve never done this before. We understand your frustration and want to help. Here are 7 mistakes to avoid creating your Brooklyn corporate event or event anywhere.

  1. Poor Event Date
    It’s important to plan carefully for your date. You don’t want to plan your NYC or Brooklyn corporate events too close to major holidays or vacationing times. These might include Christmas Holidays and summer holidays and vacation times. This could affect attendance.
  2. Long Speeches
    Most people like corporate events, especially if there is good food. No one likes a long speech. Plan the timing of your speeches and presentations in detail to the minute. It’s best to set an end time for those speeches rather than beginning time. That way if someone does run over you continue to stay on time with the next speech ending as it should. You can even use a trick from the Academy Awards. To keep things on schedule they use music, an orchestra to wrap up their award acceptance speech. Use a DJ instead.
  3. Neglecting To Have A Venue Walk Thru
    You really need to know if the space is right for the event. It allows you to meet the venue staff you’ll be working with, discover technical elements and determine if there is enough room for your guests.
  4. Lack of Checklists
    Our brains can only retain so much information. Inevitably something will be overlooked. Use checklists to help you organize, break down the details and get things done. Share these lists with those delegated to help you execute the event.
  5. Poor Food
    Food is critical to a great event. We’ve all be to event where the food was a bit lackluster to say the least. If the food is poor, the event becomes very long and the attention of your attendees wanes. Make sure your guests and attendees are taken care of. Avoid poor menu and food. It will be worth it in the end.
  6. Lack of Entertainment
    You want to wow your guests and attendees and engage them at your corporate event, whether for a company or invitees. Don’t forget to consider entertainment. You can use entertainment to greet guest, open the event, give them a break during the event or end it with a big bang of entertainment. You want the event to memorable. Don’t forget the entertainment.
  7. Lack of Theme
    You’re creating your event with a purpose in mind. Add a theme to engage your attendees. Be careful not to go overboard to distract from your message. Use a theme as a way to convey your message and make it memorable.

There are host of things to consider when creating your Brooklyn corporate events. Taking into mind these seven mistakes in your corporate events planning and execution is a great place to begin.

When looking for your Brooklyn corporate events venues, consider the El Caribe. Consistently rated as the best catering hall food in NYC,, large rooms and a spectacular ambiance for your event, the El Caribe has decades of experience hosting Brooklyn’s corporate events. Our event planning team can help you with theme suggestions and ideas. You can also provide you with a network of best Brooklyn and NYC entertainment and services with our preferred vendors.

Give us a call today to schedule a walk thru and see that the El Caribe is the perfect place for your next Brooklyn corporate event.

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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.

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Tips For An Open Bar

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Planning on an open bar, with premium liquor, at your next event? Then you might want to consider this. Is the bar placed inside or outside your event? If it’s outside, beware! This could turn into a real problem! Experience shows that as the evening progresses it’s natural for the guests to gravitate toward the open bar. If the bar is outside the event room, you’ll find more and more guests disappearing throughout the evening congregating near the premium beverages. It’s a definite party stealer and one you should absolutely avoid. If you have an open bar with premium liquor, make sure the venue has their bars inside the venue space allowing your guests to stay where the party is.

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Irish Weddings

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We’re sharing a little about Irish weddings this month as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in March. This lovely couple enjoyed creating an Irish themed wedding at the El Caribe that was truly magical. From bagpipers to some fun Irish dance steps for their first dance, this couple created some unforgettable memories. See what the El Caribe can do for your wedding. Take a moment to learn more about weddings at the El Caribe now.

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Behind the Scenes Room Turnover

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Timing and flawless execution is everything in creating unforgettable memories for celebrations of a lifetime. It’s all behind the scenes. While guests are enjoying the celebration in one room, they are unaware of the feverish preparations in another. We like it that way! That’s the magic of it all! Magicians don’t reveal their secrets and neither do we. While we won’t share our secret to faster and better food service and more dance/entertainment time than any other catering hall in New York City, below we’re revealing a quick glimpse behind the scenes of a room turnover at the El Caribe. It happens quick so don’t blink!

Timelapse – Wedding Reception Venues Room Turnaround. Brooklyn, NY El Caribe Caterers from El Caribe Caterers on Vimeo.

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4 Things To Do The Day You’re Engaged

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(Photo Credit JORDY B PHOTOGRAPHY)

It may be the most exciting day of your life! While you’re feeling all those emotions of finally being engaged to the love of your life you may also start to feel overwhelmed with all that comes next. Before you are overcome with analysis paralysis it’s important to remember to celebrate the moment with each other, and then consider the following list for things to do the day you get engaged.

  1. Keep it secret and celebrate! Take some time for just the two of you. Soak it in! Celebrate! Everything else will come later but for now it’s just the two of you! Spend the day, the evening, whatever you need but spend it with your new fiancé and enjoy it. The strength and joy that comes from taking in the moment will help you in the planning months ahead.
  2. What are your must-haves. Take a moment together and make a quick list of all the must-haves for your wedding, the things you really want no matter what. This will make you feel better and stay focus before starting any other wedding plans.
  3. Share with the closest. After you’ve soaked in the moment and processed all the excitement for your future, share it with those very closest to you so they can share in the happy news. In case it spread by social media, those in your inner circle will know before the rest of the world does. Sharing with them will be a special moment!
  4. Wait to make any wedding decisions. Don’t jump right in planning in the first 24 hours. In fact, it’s best if you wait a few weeks to let things settle in, letting your feet land on the ground again, with a clear head to begin making plans. There will be plenty of time for planning. Again, take in the moment and joy since it only comes once in a lifetime and then after some time, begin your plans.
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Adding Live Entertainment To Your Event

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live entertainment at El Caribe Brookly, NY

Adding your own unique touch to an event is important to making it special. It can show offer your personality and give your guests an element of surprise, wonder and excitement. There are many ways to do this from decor and food to themes and special favors. Another way, often overlooked, to add your own unique flare is live entertainment. With decades of experience creating unforgettable memories for our guests, here are some things we’ve seen and some you might want to consider that may spark some ideas, helping you make your event extra special.

Bring In The Big Band. Bring in a big band with a Frank Sonatra, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington or Benny Goodman feel. Mr. Sinatra is always a great romantic and entertainment touch to any event. Make sure there’s plenty of room for dancing.

First Communion. One of our clients celebrated her first communion with a host of guests including the wicked, ugly step sisters, a magician and the arrival of Cinderella with glass slippers for the special honoree.
cinderella live entertainment at El Caribe, Brooklyn, NY










Corporate Holiday Winter Wonderland. One of our corporate clients went with a winter theme for their annual corporate event which included an indoor ice skating rink with an entire ice show for guests.











Irish Wedding Surprise. For your Irish weddings surprise your guests with a single or full band of bagpipers to help you celebrate your first dance on the dance floor. A photo op after, with the pipers, is a great keepsake. Who of your guests wouldn’t love the beautiful, resonating sound of bagpipes?
Bagpiper live entertainment at El Caribe, Brooklyn, NY












Sweet 16 Entertainment. One girl celebrated her Sweet 16 by greeting guests outside with trumpeters, a live string quartet inside, a DJ with a team of dancers, acrobatic performers, roving human cocktail and dessert tables, and an electrically lit up, robo dance man on the dance floor. Talk about not stop live entertainment. The constant surprises kept guests excited and thrilled.
Sweet 16 live entertainment at El Caribe, Brooklyn, NY












Other ideas for live entertainment might include a percussion setup with your DJ for that real time, live beat and rhythm, a live comedian or jugglers. It’s all in an effort to give your event a unique, special touch and wow your guests giving them a memorable experience they’ll always remember and won’t soon forget.

With more than 35 years of experience in the catering and event industry, having created some pretty spectacular events, our team is here to assist you to create a one of kind event. Our list of preferred vendors is a great place for top professionals. Looking for something unique, I’m sure we can help you find it, create it and plan it at the El Caribe.

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8 Things No One Tells You About Getting Engaged

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So, you’re engaged. Congratulations! It’s an exciting time and comes with new discoveries and truths you never knew about being engaged. We’re sure you’ve already discovered a few. Here’s our list.

1. Everything Will Feel Different
Even if you’ve been together for years, everything will now feel different. You’ve just committed to spend the rest of your lives together. That’s serious business. So, take a deep breath. Then, begin working on long term plans, things you may not have discussed while dating for your new lives together. Where will you spend holidays? Do you want children? If so, how many? It’s likely things may change as life is filled with surprises. It’s best you’re on the same page as you get started. You may consider premarital/pre-wedding counseling. Working thru hard things at the beginning makes the rest of your time together far more enjoyable.

2. You Won’t Stop Staring (but you’re allowed)
Your hand will feel different because there’s a sparkle on it that keeps grabbing your attention. If you’ve not worn rings before it may feel strange, or, should we call it “new”. This stunning piece of jewelry on your finger is a symbol of something you’ve dreamed of your whole life. Now it’s here. It’s okay to be a “little obsessed” over the sparkle on your finger. Since everyone will be asking to see it, get yourself a manicure to nicely frame that ring. CAUTION, don’t stare at the ring while driving.

3. You’ll Feel Like A Broken Record
With the excitement of being engaged, everyone will want to ask about the proposal. This may get wearing over time but, hey, that’s the fun of being engaged, telling and retelling your story. To save time, and remember the details of the proposal story, write it down in a journal and then post it your favorite social media site so you can easily share it with friends and family.

4. They’ll Ask Before You Know the Question
They’ll be a lot of buzz and excitement around your recent engagement. You won’t have time to set a date or location for the big day before people will be asking for the date and venue details. To save yourself some stress, you may want to come up with something simple to say when asked like, “We’re just so thrilled to be engaged right now. We’ll be working on the details soon.”

5. You Can’t Make Everyone Happy…
While you’re hoping your family and friends will be thrilled, there will be those that may not be so supportive or excited about your recent news. This is a time for you to celebrate! Stay positive and focus on the excitement of getting married. Remember the attitude of less supportive people is a reflection on them and not you.

6. You’ll Discover Your True Friends
Your true friends will be those who immediately cheer your engagement news on social media, help you celebrate on the town the next day and ask what they can do to help you make plans for the big day. Keep those friends in your inner circle and get them involved in your wedding plans. They asked because they want to help. This is where some of the strongest friendships are built.

7. Those Wedding Movies Won’t Mean the Same
All those wedding films you’ve watched in the past will mean something entirely different now that you’re engaged. You may find yourself watching them all over again and a certain interest in wedding movies or tv shows. It’s okay to binge a bit. You may discover some ideas to better celebrate your special day.

8. You’ll Get Plenty of Advice (some unsolicited).
Your friends and family, who have great intentions and “maybe” some good ideas, will have plenty of ideas and advice for you. Take it in stride. They care about you and are just trying to help. As they give you their “should & shouldn’t” advice graciously listen and thank them for the thought or idea. You can decide privately what to do with your wedding plans.