Major help needed-planning Xavier's Christening

I used to be such a party planner... Since I had Xavier I've become this unorganized mass of confusion. Lazy has become my middle name. :( Any free time I have that DS is awake I spend with him. By the time he goes to bed I'm spent. Reason why I'm up now thinking of the Christening. His Christening is four weeks away and I am sending out the invites on MONDAY!!! Luckily, the party will be at my parents so a guarantee number is not that important. Sorry if I'm asking a ton of questions. This is the biggest house party my family has ever had (at least 90 people) and I want it to be perfect.

1. Where did you get your tableware?

2. Where did you get your tables, chairs and tent? I'm in Nassau.

3. For those that have had a big party at home in the Summer-what did you do about the food? Did you serve outside or inside? Our guests will be outside. My concern is spoilage.

4. For Summer Christenings what favors did you do?

5. Where did you get your cake and approx. cost?

6. For the kiddies-did you do a kiddie table or have them sit with their parents? Did you give the kids a favor bag to entertain them? If you did one, what did you give and where did you get it from? I'm having kids ages 8 months to 11 years old.

7. Appetizers- what did you serve? Did you have something at each table or just had a table with everything on it?

8. Tables did you number them or have people sit wherever?

9. Did you have a photographer/videographer or a family member do it?

10. How much food did you have and how many trays of each item did you have?

11. Who was at the house doing the last minute touches during the Christening? We will have servers and a bar tender to help. Of course everyone that I would trust to be at my parents house I would want to be at the Christening.

Thanks so much if you made it this far and answered my questions.

Message edited 7/11/2010 12:58:14 AM.

Re: Major help needed-planning Xavier's Christening

We had my son's 1st birthday at home so I'll answer somewhat based on that as well....


1. Where did you get your tableware?
Party City


2. Where did you get your tables, chairs and tent? I'm in Nassau.
Rented through American Tent (Massapequa)


3. For those that have had a big party at home in the Summer-what did you do about the food? Did you serve outside or inside? Our guests will be outside.
We had the party in May but after some rain that brought humidity. We just served it as soon as it arrived.


4. For Summer Christenings what favors did you do?
We had DS's christening in June...gave pfaltzgraff watering can.


5. Where did you get your cake and approx. cost?
Dortoni's - $125


6. For the kiddies-did you do a kiddie table or have them sit with their parents? Did you give the kids a favor bag to entertain them? If you did one, what did you give and where did you get it from? I'm having kids ages 8 months to 11 years old.
At the house we had entertainment and a coloing table (huge coloring books and crayons) for the kids. There was no assigned seating so everyone sat where they wanted....or could.
At my son's christening at the restaurant I gave each child a goody bag filled with items to keep them busy. I got everything from the dollar bins at Target, Michael's and the dollar store. Age ranges went from 1 - 14.


7. Appetizers- what did you serve? Did you have something at each table or just had a table with everything on it?
Table with everything on it including plates & utensils.


8. Tables did you number them or have people sit wherever?
Wherever

9. Did you have a photographer/videographer or a family member do it?
Friends and family took pictures

10. How much food did you have and how many trays of each item did you have?
We had a lot of food and a lot of leftovers but I prefer it that way. Not sure how much we had but just grabbed what we liked when we ordered.


11. Who was at the house doing the last minute touches during the Christening? We will have servers and a bar tender to help. Of course everyone that I would trust to be at my parents house I would want to be at the Christening.
We set up before the party. You might want to consider staggering the time for your guests to arrive so you can get home to finish up last minute things although I am sure the people that go to the church will come straight to the house.

Re: Major help needed-planning Xavier's Christening

1. Where did you get your tableware?

Costco - they were nice plastic ones that looked like China - like these



2. Where did you get your tables, chairs and tent? I'm in Nassau.

AAA party rental in Garden City. Prices on their website.

3. For those that have had a big party at home in the Summer-what did you do about the food? Did you serve outside or inside? Our guests will be outside. My concern is spoilage.

Served food inside. Some people ate in my dining room, but most ate outside.

4. For Summer Christenings what favors did you do?

I didn't do any

5. Where did you get your cake and approx. cost?

Dortoni's - i think it was $275

6. For the kiddies-did you do a kiddie table or have them sit with their parents? Did you give the kids a favor bag to entertain them? If you did one, what did you give and where did you get it from? I'm having kids ages 8 months to 11 years old.

No, I didn't do a separate table for them or favors. It was just family and none of my family does that so I didn't feel like it was necessary. The only thing I had for them is coloring books and crayons.

7. Appetizers- what did you serve? Did you have something at each table or just had a table with everything on it?

The party was catered and we had servers. We had a cheese platter and crudite platter to start with and then about 6-8 passed hors 'oeuvres.

8. Tables did you number them or have people sit wherever?

People could sit wherever - I think people would have thought i was crazy if I had table numbers for a backyard party! LOL

9. Did you have a photographer/videographer or a family member do it?

No - but I am getting a photographer this time (everything else will be the same).

10. How much food did you have and how many trays of each item did you have?

Cheese platter and crudite platter to start with and then about 6-8 passed hors 'oeuvres. We had 2 entrees, a salad and 2 veggies. Not sure how many trays - the caterer based it on the # of ppl I told her.

11. Who was at the house doing the last minute touches during the Christening? We will have servers and a bar tender to help. Of course everyone that I would trust to be at my parents house I would want to be at the Christening.

The caterer came to the house while we were at the church. I left a key. She's a friend of a friend, so we trusted her. I did everything before we left so there was nothing really to do. The florist also came while we were at the church and put the centerpieces on the tables in the backyard.

Re: Major help needed-planning Xavier's Christening

Thanks so much for the responses!!! This definitely helps.

Re: Major help needed-planning Xavier's Christening

1. Where did you get your tableware?
We did white and aqua theme- so the tablecloths were all white plastic and we got white chinet plates. Then we got aqua accent napkins, balloons, etc.

2. Where did you get your tables, chairs and tent? I'm in Nassau.
We used AAA Party Rentals in Garden City- they deliver (duh)- we had a white tent 20 x 40 and it held about 70 people and the food tables.

3. For those that have had a big party at home in the Summer-what did you do about the food? Did you serve outside or inside? Our guests will be outside. My concern is spoilage.
We had a warm/hot menu with 2 servers- they took care of everything and we did serve outside. We used guy anthony's in merrick along w/ their servers and we got raves about the food. You don't have to do a per-person package- we did trays.

4. For Summer Christenings what favors did you do?
I made chocolate lollipops and cookies. We served them inside.

5. Where did you get your cake and approx. cost?
We did cupcakes- we made them.

6. For the kiddies-did you do a kiddie table or have them sit with their parents? Did you give the kids a favor bag to entertain them? If you did one, what did you give and where did you get it from? I'm having kids ages 8 months to 11 years old.

We had a clown- it was from adrenaline entertainment and was $150 for an hour.

7. Appetizers- what did you serve? Did you have something at each table or just had a table with everything on it?
We did a small platter of cheese and crackers on each table that we put out once guests came and a platter of olives.

8. Tables did you number them or have people sit wherever?
people sat wherever

9. Did you have a photographer/videographer or a family member do it?
family member

10. How much food did you have and how many trays of each item did you have?

For 70 people we had:
6 ft grilled steak hero pre-cut on trays
2 full trays of different pasta dishes (one was a pasta w/ chicken, one was a tortillini w/ pesto)
chicken and snow peas (full tray)
sliced steak (full tray)
big green salad
potato salad- 1/2 tray
stringbean salad 1/2 tray
full tray home made chicken fingers for the kids
full tray of sausage and broccoli rabe
tray of foccachia bread


11. Who was at the house doing the last minute touches during the Christening? We will have servers and a bar tender to help. Of course everyone that I would trust to be at my parents house I would want to be at the Christening.

my step dad

Re: Major help needed-planning Xavier's Christening