extra help

renting plates, glassware and flatware makes sense when entertaining a crowd. When guest spread out among several rooms they tend to abandon glasses and break things. Billl Veazey's Party Store can determine the quantities you need based on guest list. We also offer delivery, setup, and takedown for additional charges.  Refer to our services to get exact cost and view services we support. We also offer an assortment of other products which can be found on our product page.

Hired Help

A small hired staff will also ease your load considerably. A bartender keeps drinks flowing during the cocktail hour and can move to serving and clearing plates during the dinner. We can offer support on the number of assistants you may need and where you can find them.

seating

The overall idea when seating people is to ensure fun, spirited conversation throughout the meal.

Evenly distribute your liveliest, most outgoing people can be mixed with old and new friends. Alternating genders and dividing couples can lend an innocently flirty energy to a party but this is not mandatory.

Once you decide where everyone is to be seated, put out place cards so you don't have to act like an air-traffic controller at mealtime.

the table

At a luncheon or dinner party, the dining table is the center of the action, the place where guest and hosts meet and chat for the main event. In other words this is your opportunity to make a great impression. Express your self and set the mood of the occasion.

Aim to have 8 to 10 place settings which will accommodate most dinner parties.

dishes

Plates: We offer dinner, luncheon, salad, bread and butter or dessert, and saucer for coffee or tea.

Bowls: We offer variety of shallow and deep bowls.

flatware

Place Settings: We offer a selection of dinner, salad forks and knifes. Also we offer tea, serving and dessert spoons.

Other key pieces: bread and butter knifes, steak knife if necessary.

serving pieces

Dishes: You'll need one large oval platter to serve a roast, one small oval platters to serve chops. Also you'll  need two deep bowls to serve soft foods, such as mash potatoes or creamed spinach; two shallow bowls to hold firm vegetables, fruit or rolls; and one large salad bowl.

Utensils: You need spoons with both shallow and deep "bowls," spoons with holes in them to serve foods with juices, flat pieces to pick up solid items, and a large fork for dense foods.

Other serving items: Round out your tableware with pitchers for water, decanters for wine, salt and pepper shakers, gravy boats, and tea sets.

glassware

What you may need: Each place setting requires at least two glasses: one water goblet, and one red or white wineglass.

Glass shapes: White wineglasses are slightly narrower and straighter the red wineglasses in order to concentrate the flavor and slowly release its delicate bouquet. Red wineglasses are bigger and rounder to accommodate the more robust aroma and flavors or reds.

Choosing tablecloths, runners, and napkins it's important to factor in the look of your dishes, glasses and flatware, plus the decor of your dining area.

folding napkins

Keep things clean and modern by folding napkins into one of the following simple shapes.

• Cylinder
• Rectangle
• Triangle
• Square

setting the table

Put down a plate. To the left of the plate place forks in the order in which guests will use them, with the first one farthest one out. To the right, place knives and spoons, with knives closet to the plate and blades facing in. Lay dessert utensils horizontally across the top of the plate, spoon on top with it's handle to the right. Arrange glasses on the upper right side of the place setting at a diagonal angle. Napkins go either on the plate or to the left of the forks.

serving styles

Once you've cooked and laid out our finest china, it's time to get the food from the kitchen to the table. the four most common serving methods are as follows:

• Family-style
• Plated
• Seated buffet
• Standing buffet