Tips and Hints

• Make lists. Lists of things to do, things to buy, people to call, things to bring to the synagogue, things to bring to the party, people to honor, etc.
  
  
• One of the best lists you can make is of people to photograph. Prepare a list of all the shots you want and of the tables you want photographed. Give it to the photographer before the event. Bring 2 extra copies to the event. Assign someone to check off the completed photographs and someone to round up the participants of the next shot.
  
  
• At the meal, make sure the caterer is prepared for any vegetarians or special diets that you may know of.
  
  
• Many guests are sensitive to sugar and caffeine. Make sure that the caterer can provide diet cola as well as a caffeine-free, low calorie drink such as diet Sprite or diet 7-UP.
  
  
• Arrange your seating plan so that your older guests are as far from the music and loudspeakers as possible.
  
  
• If your affair is less formal, consider doing without assigned seating. Since a significant number of no-shows is universal, you can tell the caterer to prepare for 90% to 95% of the people who responded that they were coming.
  
  
• You can arrange with either the florist or the caterer to reuse the flowers by moving them from wherever you have a ceremony to where the party is or even onto the tables.