SBA

Finishing Touches

Event Planning Services & Helpful Party Tips

When you've cleared all of the significant event planning hurdles, it all boils down to the little things. A successful Chicago Party wouldn't be complete without the proper wine and food pairings, punch recipe, and appropriate sized tent rental. Read on for advice from our reputable Chicago Event Planning team so your party is a hit from the ground up.

Finishing Touches: Chicago Event Planning Tips

Estimating Tent Size

Use the following guidelines to estimate what size tent you will need for your event. Note that these allowances are approximate. Call one of our planning professionals to determine actual specifications and for assistance in laying out your event in accordance with local fire codes.

All-Purpose Canopy Tent: Size to People Chart

Tent Size Standup Cocktail / Cathedral Seating Buffet Dinner Formal Sit-Down Dinner
16 X 16 42 32 26
20 X 20 60 50 40
20 X 30 94 75 60
20 X 40 130 100 80
20 X 50 164 125 100
20 X 60 198 150 120
30 X 30 150 112 90
30 X 45 225 170 135
30 X 60 300 225 180
30 X 75 375 290 225
30 X 90 450 337 270
30 X 105 525 402 315
30 X 120 600 449 360

Theater Seating - (chairs in rows) Six square feet per person, not including aisles.

Classroom Seating - (tables and chairs in rows) 6 square feet per person, not including aisles.

Banquet Seating
Oblong/Rectangular- 8-10 square feet per person
Round tables of 6-12 people- 10-15 square feet per person (served meals require more space than buffets)

Cocktail Parties & Receptions
All standing- 6-10 square feet per person
Some seated- 8-15 square feet per person

Additional Allowances

  • Dance Area: 4-5 square feet per person
  • Beverage Area: 100 square feet
  • Buffet Area: 100 square feet per 8 foot table
  • Piano-Spinet: 50 square feet
  • Piano-Grand: 100 square feet
  • Entertainment: 100 square feet (minimum)

Rule of Thumb For Seating (table sizing):

Round Tables:

  • 36" round: 2 - 4 people
  • 48" round: 4 - 6 people
  • 60" round: 6 - 8 people
  • 72" round: 8 - 10 people

Banquet Tables:

  • 6': 6 - 8 people
  • 8': 8 - 10 people

Beverage Guide

Champagne: 1 case (12 fifths) serves 50 people (82 drinks)

Liquor: Plan on about 2 drinks per hour per person. There are 21 to 28 drinks per quart of liquor.

Punch: One gallon of punch serves about 24 persons (32- 3 oz. drinks with ice)

Coffee Equivalents

# of Cups Amount of Grounds
30 2 cups
55 to 60 3 1/2 cups
90 6 cups

1 pound of coffee = approx. 4¾ cups of ground coffee

Wine Chart

Before Dinner Cocktail Sherry
With Soup Madeira, Chablis
 
During Dinner
With Pasta, Cheese, Egg and Meat
(except Lamb & Veal)		 Red wines such as Claret, Burgundy, Rose, Chianti
With Fowl, Seafood,
Lamb and Veal		 White wines such as Sauterne, Moselle, Chardonnay
With Dessert Sweet wines: Port, Tokay, Sherry, Madeira
Any time Champagne

New "Rule of Thumb"

Today individual taste is most important in presenting wine with food. Wine is served to enhance the flavor of the food being served, and the food served will enhance the flavor of the wine. Provide your guests with a choice of white, rose and red wines through the course of dinner; they will thank you for your thoughtfulness.

Punch Recipes

Party Punch Non-Alcoholic Punch
  • 1 fifth Bourbon
  • 8 oz. unsweetened Pineapple Juice
  • 8 oz. unsweetened Grapefruit Juice
  • 4 oz. fresh Lemon Juice
  • 2 - 1 qt. bottles 7-Up
  • 2 cans frozen Orange Juice
  • 2 cans frozen Lemonade
  • 8 cans plain water
  • 2 cups Grenadine
  • Juice of 3 fresh lemons
  • 3 qts. (pre-chilled) Ginger Ale
Pre-chill ingredients. Mix in bowl, adding 7-Up last, and decorate with fruit. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until concentrate is dissolved, add in Ginger Ale last. Garnish with cherries and fresh fruit slices.

We service the following communities in Illinois:

Addison, Algonquin, Alsip, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Barrington, Bartlett, Batavia, Bellwood, Bensenville, Berkley, Berwyn, Bloomingdale, Bolingbrook, Bridgeview, Broadview, Brookfield, Buffalo Grove, Burbank, Burr Ridge, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Cary, Chicago, Chicago Heights, Chicago Ridge, Cicero, Clarendon Hills, Crystal Lake, Darien, Deerfield, Deer Park, DeKalb, Des Plaines, Downers Grove, Elgin, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Elmwood Park, Evanston, Evergreen Park, Forest Park, Franklin Park, Geneva, Glen Ellyn, Glencoe, Glendale Heights, Glenview, Hanover Park, Hazel Crest, Hickory Hills, Highland Park, Hillside, Hinsdale, Hodgkins, Hoffman Estates, Homer Glen, Inverness, Itasca, Joliet, Kenosha, Kenilworth, Kildeer, LaGrange, LaGrange Highlands, Indian Head Park, Lake Forest, Lemont, Libertyville, Lincolnwood, Lincolnshire, Lisle, Lockport. Lombard, Long Grove, Lyons, Maywood, Medinah, Melrose Park, Milwaukee, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Mundelein, Naperville, Niles, Norridge, Northbrook, Northlake, Oak Brook, Oak Brook Terrace, , Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Palatine, Palos Hills, Palos Heights, Palos Park, Park Ridge, Plainfield, River Forest, River Grove, Riverside, Riverwoods, Rockford, Rolling Meadows, River Forest, Romeoville, Roselle, St. Charles, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, Skokie, South Barrington, Villa Park, Warrenville, Waukegan, Wayne, Westchester, Western Springs, West Chicago, Westmont, Wheaton, Wheeling, Willowbrook, Willow Springs, Wilmette, Winnetka, Winfield, Wood Dale, Woodridge Illinois.  We do service additional areas on a case by case basis.

Services we provide: Party Tent, Illinois Tents, Tent Rentals, Canopy tent Rentals. Rent a tent, large tents, festival tents, Chicago Tent Rental, Chicago Party Rental, Table Rental, Chair rental.

Equipment we provide:  Festival Tents, Backyard tents, Canopies, Frame Tents, Pole Tents.