Top 5 Mistakes Hosts Make (and How Lavish Helps You Avoid Them)
Throwing an event—whether it’s a corporate launch, an engagement party, or a school appreciation lunch—can feel exciting at first… until the stress kicks in. From menu missteps to timing troubles, the most common event mistakes are surprisingly easy to avoid—with the right catering partner.
At Lavish, we’ve seen it all—and more importantly, we’ve helped clients fix it all. Here are the top five mistakes hosts make when planning events, and how Lavish ensures yours runs smoothly, stylishly, and without a hitch.
1. Underestimating the Setup Time
It’s easy to assume that food arrives, gets unpacked, and you’re good to go. In reality, a well-designed buffet, mini buffet, or dessert table requires strategic setup to ensure everything is ready before guests arrive.
How Lavish helps:
We always arrive early. Our crew handles layout, styling, and station setup—factoring in your event flow, furniture, and space restrictions. You’ll never be scrambling to hide delivery boxes when your guests walk in.
2. Choosing the Wrong Format for the Space
A seated buffet in a tight office pantry? Bento boxes at a birthday bash where everyone wants to mingle? Choosing the wrong catering format for your space and crowd can make things feel awkward or disconnected.
How Lavish helps:
We advise based on your venue, guest list, and event flow. From bento catering to live stations, we help you match the format to your space so that everything feels smooth and natural.
3. Overcomplicating the Menu
Hosts sometimes go overboard trying to please everyone. The result? A scattered menu with too many dishes, clashing flavours, or no real centre.
How Lavish helps:
Our menus are curated for balance, flow, and presentation. We help you build combinations that complement each other, suit dietary needs, and simplify choices for your guests—without sacrificing creativity or flavour.
4. Forgetting the Styling Details
You’ve ordered great food—but without thoughtful presentation, it can fall flat. Paper trays, clashing platters, or unlabeled items can make the event feel rushed, even if the food tastes fantastic.
How Lavish helps:
Styling is part of our service. We dress every station with coordinated trays, warmers, signage, garnish, and theme-matching elements. Want a colour palette or custom labels? We’ll build it in.
5. Not Planning for Timing and Flow
Food that arrives too early goes cold. Food that’s late ruins momentum. Guests who all crowd one table cause bottlenecks.
How Lavish helps:
We work with your programme to time everything to the minute. For larger events, we stagger delivery, plan replenishment windows, and position tables to manage foot traffic. We also provide service staff for events that need a little extra grace behind the scenes.
Hosting Should Feel Good—Not Frantic
“The best hosts don’t work harder. They choose smarter partners.”
Lavish takes the stress out of the details—so you can focus on what matters: your guests, your celebration, and your message.
Explore our full range of catering services, from buffets and bentos to beautifully styled dessert tables and live stations. Or get in touch to start planning a mistake-free event with our team.
