STRAIGHT ANSWERS
FROM THE KITCHEN.

Food, delivery in Richmond, setup, chafing dishes and cleanup are in it. Rentals, venue fees and the alcohol are not, and they are itemized before you agree.

Count the replies, not the invitations. Then subtract five percent, because somebody always does not come.

Plan on one drink per guest per hour, less in the heat of a July afternoon than on a December night. Buy by the case and return what you do not open.

Warehouses, barns and backyards can all be catered. What they need is power, water, a flat place for the kitchen and an honest look at the access.

Buffets are cheapest and fastest, plated dinners cost the most in staff, and family style sits in between but needs the most table space.

Five things in the last seven days, in the order they matter. Most of the stress on the day comes from the first two.