Photo: Chris Emeott
Elevate your holiday parties with guidance from an expert.
From the first invite to the last goodbye, a great holiday party is all about intention—and a little extra planning goes a long way in pulling off the perfect gathering. Tana Cain, seasoned planner and owner of boutique soirée assistant company A Table Set Before You, knows how to pull off the perfect gathering.
No matter the event—from a Thanksgiving feast to a New Year’s bash—Cain recommends beginning the planning process at least two months in advance to nail down all the little details from food prep to décor. Her No. 1 piece of advice? “Keep it simple,” she says. “We can go overboard in all the different areas. Yes, the details are very important, but remember that your guests are coming to be with you.”
When planning your event, whether weeks or months away, consider Cain’s go-to tips for hosting a celebration that’s polished and perfectly on point.
- Don’t overthink the amount of food you’ll need for your guests. For catered food, order according to what the caterer advises. For desserts, order half of the amount you think you need. (Not everyone has a sweet tooth!)
- If you’re the one purchasing the food, beverages, etc., create a spreadsheet of everything needed, and check the list off as you shop.
- Avoid a traffic jam by ensuring things flow easily at the food stations. Utensils and serveware should be at the front of the line—followed by small bites, entrées and desserts. Beverages should be kept at their own station. “Believe it or not, having the food set up in a way that flows right, like a buffet, matters,” Cain says.
- Chances are, you’ll have to refill the food items at least once or twice. Prepare extra serving bowls, dishes or serving platters that can be taken from the refrigerator (or oven) and set right out for your guests. No more dumping or scraping required.
- Keep extra bowls, hot pads and serving utensils on hand—you never know when you’ll need them.
- For larger events without plated meals, eat before your guests arrive to avoid feeling over-exerted.
- Fresh-cut flowers and greenery elevate any gathering—and don’t forget to give out the florals at the end of the party. “Who doesn’t love to get sent home with a bouquet of flowers?” Cain wonders.
- Make taking out the garbage easy as 1-2-3 by putting extra garbage bags at the bottom of the trash can.
Tana Cain. Photo: Sigrid Dabelstein Photo
In planning the perfect soirée without the stress, Cain says, “It’s about having a wingwoman like myself. It’s somebody who can foresee what needs to be taken care of, so you’re not refilling food, taking out the garbage or having to set up.
“Then, you can be fully present to have those conversations, those special moments with each person that you selected to have at your event,” she says. “So many people walk through this world, and they each have their own story. Even family members or close friends don’t have those stories told to them because we don’t always have the moments of sitting down and having that intentional time together … Having someone take care of the details [opens time] up to stop and have those conversations.”
From the Beginning
When Tana Cain moved from small town Baldwin, Wisconsin, to Woodbury in 2014, she knew she had to be intentional about building up her community. “It took me a couple of years before I found people who lived life like me,” she says. “We naturally started showing up for each other in graduation and other life events. If one had a graduation, the rest of us would show up and help set up, take care of the food and make sure everything was done. It was a natural way of life for us.”
Then, Cain’s eldest daughter, Alli, was married in 2021 in a picnic-style wedding. “My thought was, ‘I’ll set this up, do this and then walk down the aisle.’ I was going to do it all,” Cain recalls. “My girlfriends stopped me and said, ‘You have to be present to be the mother of the bride.’ So they took three days off work and came to take care of all of the details.
“I realized it’s such a gift, and not everybody has that,” Cain says. “It started to form a dream in my heart.” That dream amounted to A Table Set Before You, Cain’s day-of soirée assistant business. She assists with the details of any celebration, including anniversaries, birthdays, baby and bridal showers, graduations, retirement parties, weddings and more. “What really fills me with joy is showing up for people, taking care of the details that are unseen and being able to see people celebrate together,” she says.
A Table Set Before You
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