Pop’s Guide to Seamless Food & Beverage Flow

One of the biggest elements that can make or break the guest experience is food and beverage. And I’m not just talking about quality here. How your guests are served is just as important as what they’re served. Event food and beverage can be so more than just a meal. It should be a dynamic experience that anticipates your needs and delivers on the overall vision.

The Food

First things first — the food. This is often one of the things people remember most about your event, for better and for worse. Some tips as you decide on your menu — Stick with cuisine that you know the venue or caterer can do well. You’re asking the food and beverage team to make hundreds of dishes, all going out at roughly the same time. If they’re known for their short rib, you can safely assume it will come out near perfect for every guest.

Even if you’re intimately familiar with the cuisine of your venue or caterer, we always recommend doing a tasting. You can take this opportunity to ask the food and beverage team more about their process, what they recommend, and get a sense of what your complete menu is like. This is also your chance to speak up! If the potatoes are too salty now, chances are they’ll be too salty for your event. Work with your vendors to ensure you get the right levels of spicy, salty, and sweet. This goes for cocktails too — don’t be shy; ask them to tinker with the flavor, garnishes and strength of your drink until it really feels like “you!”

The Bar

The bar menu experience is really what you to make of it. Say you’re not super particular about a champagne toast — skip the dedicated pour and let guests toast with what they have in hand. It’ll save you money and ensure none of the bubbly goes to waste.

When choosing a signature cocktail, you may feel tempted to just pick something generic that everyone will like. But if you’re also providing a full bar, why not go for it? Some guests might find they have a surprise new favorite drink, and you’ll have that much more fun when everything feels personalized.

Interested in a bevy of beverages? Definitely try a signature cocktail or two, but don’t feel like you have to stop there! Set the mood for your guests with intentional choices that guide them through the flow of events. Fresh lemonade for the garden ceremony? Check. A spicy margarita for cocktail hour? Check. Tableside red wine pours for dinner? Check. And espresso martinis to keep the afterparty in full swing? Check and check.

The Service

With food and beverage service, service is usually the key word. With 10+ years of Pop weddings and events under our belts, we’ve learned a thing or two, and we make sure no client goes without the best service our vendors can offer.

Sometimes it’s not as obvious as friendly wait staff or an attentive bartender. How many times have you been to a wedding, taken a look at the insanely long bar line, and just thought, “Nope”? When your guests are stuck waiting in line for half of cocktail hour, that’s less time they spend socializing, enjoying the weather, or taking pictures with family and friends. We insist on appropriate staff to guest ratios, meaning that sometimes you’ll need a second or third bar location to avoid this problem. And aside from just bartenders, we ask for dedicated bar backs to keep product and ice moving to avoid any hold-ups. When the bars are spaced out and properly staffed, it ensures an efficient and stress-free process.

A question to ask yourself as you plan with your food and beverage team — do you prefer a speedy dinner (get plates out as fast as possible?) or synchronized service (coordinated plate drops, one table at a time for that “fancy restaurant” feel?) Either way, we ensure table captains accurately coordinate with the wait staff so each plate is delivered to the right guest. Your guests want to focus on the speeches, not whether their meal is gluten-free like they asked. Proper staffing and coordination means they can sit back and enjoy!

Whether you’re hosting in a five-star hotel or in a tent at your own home, the food and beverage experience will play an essential part. Do your due diligence and make sure that more than just the food itself is up to your expectations. Great food, great service, and great planning are a recipe for success!

XO,

Molly