Planning a major event, such as a wedding, retirement party, or large baby shower can be a very stressful time for you, the host. There are so many things to organize, from the gifts to the venue to the invitations to the food, that it becomes too much for one person to handle. When this happens you can have a friend or relative come over to help out, or you can make sure things are done right by hiring a professional. If you want the food at your event to be properly handled, you'll want to hire a caterer. Here are some of the things a caterer can do for you.

Plan the Menu

Some people know exactly what kind of food they want to have for their guests when they're planning a party, and that's great. You can hand your caterer a menu and he or she will pull it off for you. However, many people don't know what sort of food to set out when they're trying to convince people to buy time share condos or celebrating a birthday. If that's the case with you, your caterer can provide you with menu options that are appropriate for your type of event. He or she can even arrange for special options for those on restricted diets.

Procure, Transport and Cook

You, as party host, have enough to worry about with getting your home ready for the event. You don't need to worry about buying, bringing home, and cooking the food as well. Let the caterer handle it. Some caterer's cool on-site at the venue but many will cook the food off-site and deliver it fully cooked and ready to your party at the specified time. This is very convenient, especially if you're serving something involved or hard to find, like lobster or creme brulee.

Handle Food Safety

Meeting the department of health's guidelines for food preparation isn't so much of a concern for people who are just having a few couples over to their Windsor homes for a dinner party. However, people who are hosting elaborate soirees such as fundraisers or work parties are responsible for making sure the food is prepared and served safely. Your carter will take on that responsibility for you. As professional food handlers, they have a license that states they know how to prevent food poisoning.

Serve Food

As the host, you'll want to circulate among your guests and get their opinion on whether they're looking to buy or sell. You can't do that if you're going back and forth between the bar and kitchen serving food and drinks. Your caterer can provide wait staff to serve at your event, solving this problem.