• Always add flowers to your catered party.rose image by vanillla from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
  
  With families scattered all over the country, sometimes it's necessary to host a catered party that you can only oversee from afar. When you can't physically roll up your sleeves to decorate on your own, you must rely on things that the caterer can do, or things you can accomplish with well-placed phone calls or emails. While it might be more nerve-wracking than just decorating yourself, if you are explicit in your directions and willing to be flexible, you just might be surprised when you walk into your catered party to find it a decorated delight.
  
  

Formal Dinner Party or Reception

• Decorate for an elegant, formal dinner party or reception with the help of your caterer's rental company. Many have websites that allow you to see exactly what they have in inventory. Be sure to reserve early to ensure availability for your date.
  
  Accomplish "elegant" with simplicity and the right accessories. Keep the table settings simple; bone china with a simple silver band on the rim makes it easy to coordinate with the rest of your decorations. Choose silver-plate for the eating and serving utensils and for both the guest and serving tables. Opt for silver chafing dishes if you're having a buffet. Skirt the buffet tables in fabrics that match your guest tables.
  
  Have the catering staff set the tables with beautiful linens. For truly elegant affairs, you may choose dupioni silk tablecloths woven in black and silver to set off the china, and use coordinating linen napkins. Do not be afraid to introduce a color for the napkins; deep red works well when you're decorating the tables with red roses.
  
  Keep the floral arrangements simple to allow for natural conversation. Add a sparkle of light with silver candlesticks and beautiful taper candles as a finishing touch to each guest table. Add more elaborate floral arrangements and silver candlesticks to a head table. Tall, stately arrangements set at either end of the table make for a touch of drama.
  
  

Bridal Shower

• Set the guest tables with linens in the colors selected for the upcoming wedding. Use the color of the bridesmaid's dresses for the tablecloths. Use the wedding accent color, if there is one, for the linen napkins; otherwise, select a napkin that is lighter or darker than the tablecloth for a monochromatic theme. Opt for small tealights on the table, setting them on small glass mirrors for safety. Keep the table settings simple, with neutral china and silverware.
  
  Make sure to include flowers in the middle of each table. You can either coordinate with the wedding colors or play it safe and use all white to honor the bride, using varying greens to set them off. Have the florist incorporate the wedding color with a bit of ribbon in or around the vase. Be explicit with the florist, right down to the type of simple vase you prefer. Ask to see pictures, or email some to him, to ensure you are both on the same wavelength. Remember to add a vase of flowers to the gift table, which should be layered in matching linens. Adding a small bouquet in the powder room is a touch that's often forgotten but that guests love.
  
  

Baby Shower

• Celebrate the upcoming birth of a baby with a catered shower that, while decorated simply, will be long remembered by the expectant mother.
  
  Cover your guest tables with pastel colors. These can be all the same shade, or you can opt for a rainbow of yellow, pastel pink and blue, along with mint green. Check with the caterer's rental company or ask the manager of the facility what they may have available. If you are willing to mix up the colors, you might find they have what you need on-hand. Do the same for the linen napkins, or, if you know the sex of the coming baby, you may make them all pink or blue. Add floral arrangements to the tables. Hydrangeas, when in season, are available in both pink and blue and make a good choice, as they hold up well. Otherwise, choose a delicate arrangement in a simple vase for each tabletop. Add a bowl of multicolored pastel mints to each table.
  
  Cover the gift and dessert tables with linens to match your guest tables. Set the dessert table with a cake, ordered in coordinating party colors, on one end and a beautiful punch bowl on the opposite end. Add a floral arrangement in the center, and if you prefer, add a fun pop-up stork or equally amusing decoration with the flowers. This can be packed in a suitcase for travel, or picked up at a nearby party supply store by your caterer before your arrival. If you prefer a festive touch, have your florist add a few small, pastel helium balloons to this floral arrangement.