Using Glass Pedestals for Parties This Season

Lately we've become fond of using glass pedestals, or cake stands, as serving "trays" at our events (which we'll often mix with trays, too), and these type of serving pieces offer many advantages to party givers.  

Among their advantages:

• They add height to an hors d'oeuvres display with little effort (no risers or draping of risers)
• They add a touch of lightness to the presentation of your food because they're made of glass; even opaque cake stands lend a lightness to the display just by virtue of being made of glass
• Your hors d'oeuvres, especially on clear glass pedestals, look more "artistic," again, with little work on your part.  For the best presentation, don't overcrowd the food on the glass pedestal.  We took a wonderful idea from an LA caterer and use large flat blooms on a cake stand with hors d'oeuvres or tapas arranged around the bloom (see photo of our Spanish Honey-Lemon Chicken Brochettes Tapa, above), either in a circle or square, depending on whether we use a square or round glass cake stand (and BTW you can use this idea of the bloom with flat trays too!)
• Glass cake stands don't obscure the table that they're put on, which is important to some folks, who want guests to be able to see their table.  Nor do glass stands scratch delicate table surfaces like silver or metal trays do.

And glass pedestals or cake stands lend themselves to many types of decor, from modern to traditional, depending on the type of stand chosen. 

Clear glass stands are very adaptable to any decor while vintage glass stands go better with traditional or eclectic decor.  Using doilies with glass stands is optional; if your party space has a modern decor you can skip doilies for a more modern look and put the hors d'oeuvres directly on the cake stands (again, don't overcrowd them or you'll spoil the look).

Here are some more ideas for using glass stands at your parties this season:

• On a long rectangular dining table, you can put glass pedestals with hors d'oeuvres on the table and then if you're having a seated dinner party, leave the pedestals there on the table for guests to continue enjoying them.  This looks great because the height of the pedestals makes them decorative and almost as if they were centerpieces.  If you also have centerpieces, say candles, you can put the glass pedestals with the hors d'oeuvres on either side of the centerpieces and it will look dazzling.
• You can also stack, or buy sets of stacking, cake stands, making "tier stands" as we call them in the industry.  This would be best for less casual events.  In any event, be careful if small children or pets will be running around as they might knock over the stacked stands.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
www.fandango-catering.com