Search
Today's Instagram pick is from our friends at 
This feature was SO fun because they showcased 5 different alternative cakes by 5 different culinary artisans, but it didn't just end there! They used each spectacular cake to inspire a theme for it's own vignette - all photographed beautifully by 
Our Cheese Wheel cake was pretty AMAZING (if we do say so ourselves) and the 'Modern Italian' theme was certainly right up our alley! With a fantastic vendor team to put the visions together, well, we were just blown away!
Between the coordination skills of 
Not only did the vignette include a gorgeous tablescape, but there was a perfectly matched paper suite too! This modern and elegant design by 
We LOVED being a part of this shoot! It was so much fun and we are all for dreaming up creative new trends for our brides! If you haven't already, pick up your copy of 
Today's Instagram of the Week is a special one! Usually, we don't post from our own Instagram, but I couldn't help sharing this AWESOME pic of our very own Mary Crafts-Homer speaking at the Check out this AWESOME post from All Seated with tips from our very own Kaleb Crafts!
Kaleb Craft, Chief Sales Officer at Culinary Crafts is here today as a contributor to the AllSeated blog to share the top 5 ways to simplify planning your event. Thanks Kaleb!
Planning a large event can be one of the more stressful experiences of your life! But, it can also be quite enjoyable if you do it the right way. Planning doesn’t depend on your personality as much as it depends on your approach to event planning. Event industry professionals aren’t always passionate about events to begin with.
Often times they begin with a passion for organization and organizational systems, which in turns leads them into the event industry where they get a chance to use those skills to pull off incredible things they get to experience and share with others on a daily basis.
Here are 5 quick tips the sales team here at Culinary Crafts use to make the process a bit smoother.
Nail down your vision before you jump in.
Contractors won’t start digging a hole, setting footings and pouring foundations the first day a client comes in a says “I want to build a home.” They have blue prints complete, engineered plans finished, building permits in place, and a plan in place to execute from start to finish before they turn the first shovel full of dirt. Stress free event planning starts the same way, you should have a general vision, budget, and concept in place before jumping in. This will prevent doubling back tasks multiple times.
Ask yourself questions like, “What is my overall goal?” or “What feelings do I want my guests to have while at the event?” and “What is the single most important thing to me about the event?”
Make a chronological checklist and itemizing the tasks to be done and prioritize by what makes the most sense to you.
This usually helps paint a road map of what to do. We like to do things in this order, 1) pick a date 2) pick a venue and 3) pick a caterer. Complete your list with as many details as you can think of. Work through your list step-by-step.
Research vendors that fit your style and budget.
Often, people suppose that all event companies are created equal. That is not so. Each company has a niche type of event and demographic they work best with. Most can do many things, but that still doesn’t mean one company is going to be the perfect fit for every situation. I wouldn’t walk into a Ferrari dealership looking for the most fuel-efficient car on the planet.
Similarly, if luxury is the single most important thing to me when it comes to buying a new car, I wouldn’t go to the Hyundai dealership. Consider styles, budgets, and overall healthy working relationships. Do some online research and narrow your vendors choices down to 2 or 3 for each category. Have a short 5-10 minute conversation with each one and see who you feel most comfortable with.
Use your contracted vendors to your advantage.
By now you have picked your first couple of vendors and you feel really good about them. They know their stuff, they are clear experts in their field, and they have oodles of experience creating exactly what you are looking for. Well, use that knowledge and expertise.
Ask your caterer for recommendations on good florists, bands, and entertainment companies. Ask your AV company what additional services they offer. Often times, these vendors can help ease the stress of all those additional details. In fact, many times, they may be able to be your one stop shop for all things event. They can coordinate your ice sculpture, transportation, linens and everything else.
Bring in additional help.
Some events really are just more than one person can handle. If your event has the high level of detail that is just too overwhelming no matter how you organize, checklist and structure, then find a good event planner or coordinator. Let them know up front how much help you need. Determine if you need someone you can trust with everything and hand over the reins, or if you just need help with a few key tasks.
Our bonus tip is to remember Rome wasn’t built in a day… don’t try to plan the event of the century in a day. Give yourself plenty of time. Enjoy the process and the smaller details. The best events are about creating memorable experiences and using all 5 senses to do that. Happy Planning!
Learn more about Culinary Crafts by visiting their website and following along on social media:
Instagram: @culinarycrafts
Twitter: @culinarycrafts
Pinterest: @culinarycrafts
Of Possible Interest: Vendor Spotlight: Culinary Crafts
Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!
Here are 5 quick tips the sales team here at Culinary Crafts use to make the process a bit smoother.
Nail down your vision before you jump in.
Contractors won’t start digging a hole, setting footings and pouring foundations the first day a client comes in a says “I want to build a home.” They have blue prints complete, engineered plans finished, building permits in place, and a plan in place to execute from start to finish before they turn the first shovel full of dirt. Stress free event planning starts the same way, you should have a general vision, budget, and concept in place before jumping in. This will prevent doubling back tasks multiple times.
Ask yourself questions like, “What is my overall goal?” or “What feelings do I want my guests to have while at the event?” and “What is the single most important thing to me about the event?”
Make a chronological checklist and itemizing the tasks to be done and prioritize by what makes the most sense to you.
This usually helps paint a road map of what to do. We like to do things in this order, 1) pick a date 2) pick a venue and 3) pick a caterer. Complete your list with as many details as you can think of. Work through your list step-by-step.
Research vendors that fit your style and budget.
Often, people suppose that all event companies are created equal. That is not so. Each company has a niche type of event and demographic they work best with. Most can do many things, but that still doesn’t mean one company is going to be the perfect fit for every situation. I wouldn’t walk into a Ferrari dealership looking for the most fuel-efficient car on the planet.
Similarly, if luxury is the single most important thing to me when it comes to buying a new car, I wouldn’t go to the Hyundai dealership. Consider styles, budgets, and overall healthy working relationships. Do some online research and narrow your vendors choices down to 2 or 3 for each category. Have a short 5-10 minute conversation with each one and see who you feel most comfortable with.
Use your contracted vendors to your advantage.
By now you have picked your first couple of vendors and you feel really good about them. They know their stuff, they are clear experts in their field, and they have oodles of experience creating exactly what you are looking for. Well, use that knowledge and expertise.
Ask your caterer for recommendations on good florists, bands, and entertainment companies. Ask your AV company what additional services they offer. Often times, these vendors can help ease the stress of all those additional details. In fact, many times, they may be able to be your one stop shop for all things event. They can coordinate your ice sculpture, transportation, linens and everything else.
Bring in additional help.
Some events really are just more than one person can handle. If your event has the high level of detail that is just too overwhelming no matter how you organize, checklist and structure, then find a good event planner or coordinator. Let them know up front how much help you need. Determine if you need someone you can trust with everything and hand over the reins, or if you just need help with a few key tasks.
Our bonus tip is to remember Rome wasn’t built in a day… don’t try to plan the event of the century in a day. Give yourself plenty of time. Enjoy the process and the smaller details. The best events are about creating memorable experiences and using all 5 senses to do that. Happy Planning!
Learn more about Culinary Crafts by visiting their website and following along on social media:
Instagram: @culinarycrafts
Twitter: @culinarycrafts
Pinterest: @culinarycrafts
Of Possible Interest: Vendor Spotlight: Culinary Crafts
Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!
Today's Instagram of the Week comes from our friends at 
What a turn out! We loved being able to host for such a great group of people. Plus, we had so much fun with the sports themed event!
Of course, we served stadium favorites like popcorn! But we put a Culinary Crafts gourmet twist on it. We served gourmet flavors like White Chocolate Peppermint, Bacon Bourbon, and White Chocolate Blueberry!
Aren't the floral centerpieces fun? Plus, we created some sports favorites at the "Lollipop Station" that were easy to eat on the go so guests could easily mix and mingle through the event. First up? These BBQ Wing Bites with Blue Cheese dressing that were delicious!
We also served Mini Corndogs with Ketchup and Mustard and Pretzel Bites with Cheese Sauce. YUM!
Of course, we didn't stop there! We also had Crab Cakes with Creme Fraiche and Utah Beef Chuck Sliders with Beehive Cheddar, Angry Onions, and Fry Sauce. Seriously, so yummy!
And no Culinary Crafts event would be complete without some action stations! First, the 'Dodger' Dogs Hot Dog Bar!
Next, the 'Yankee Stadium' Nacho Bar. Over the top yummy, I'd say! Mmm...
This is one of our guests's awesome Nacho Bar creations. We love action stations that let people create their own dream eats with the best quality ingredients!
Another fun creation we served were these 'Milwaukee Brewers' Pulled Pork Parfaits - and just like the sign says, parfaits aren't just for breakfast anymore! These were a crowd favorite, for sure!
Our house made gelato was another "fan-favorite"! Perfect for the warm summer night and a great way to round out this awesome meal! Mmmm...
Culinary Crafts loves being able to give back to our local community as well as national organizations like the 