What to Consider When Selecting the Best Waitstaff for your Wedding or Special Event

Are you searching for event servers and waitstaff for your wedding or party? Is your event approaching soon and you need a quick fix? We can help.

The best waiters and servers share certain common traits that help them be the best they can at their jobs. These are the same traits that we at SoHo look for when screening our servers and waitstaff to provide you with our signature five-star service.

Whether working in restaurants, for catering companies or simply hiring out for events such as weddings and other parties, these character traits tend to be universally appreciated by hosts and guests alike. And since many of these qualities are more about the person’s personality than any learned abilities, they exist equally in both new and seasoned professionals who are considered the best at their jobs.

PATIENCE

All great waiters and servers have this quality in common – they start by being a patient person. Your special event is all about you and your guests. This means you and your guests should be able to enjoy the party while we handle the work. It also means that the best servers and waitstaff recognize that they may have to wait to ask a question or offer services if you or your guests are in the middle of a conversation or otherwise occupied.

ACCOMMODATING

At SoHo, we understand that not everyone comes from the same background or has the same views and opinions as everyone else. We welcome the diversity and are happy to provide services to guests who have a variety of different cultural backgrounds and traditions. We look for servers and waitstaff who will diligently and professionally provide the same high quality of service to everyone.

SPEED

Weddings can get hectic. Even the most meticulously planned schedule can have unexpected things come up. When this happens, your servers and waitstaff will need to adjust at a moment’s notice and make sure everything continues to run smoothly. The best servers have the speed and flexibility to make this look effortless.

MEMORY

Anyone who has ever been in the service industry for any length of time can tell you that the ability to multi-task is essential to providing excellent service. This is especially true for servers during your wedding or special event. At any given time, servers will need to be able to remember multiple requests while also maintaining a smooth flow of service according to any planned itinerary for the event. Having a good memory for all that needs to be done and in what order is an essential trait and one that we look for in all of our servers.

ATTENTION TOWARDS DETAILS

In addition to speed and a good memory, a strong server needs to have a knack for paying attention to details. At SoHo, we provide a personal event specialist to work with you and help finalize all of the details of your event ahead of time. In turn, these details are shared with the waitstaff who will be providing service on your special day. It’s crucial that the servers and waitstaff not only pay attention to those details but that they also pick up on any last-minute things that come up as they go so that your wedding or special event runs smoothly from start to finish.

ABILITY TO ACCEPT CRITICISM AND TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION

At SoHo, we treat every wedding and special event as if it’s the only one that matters. We strive to make sure everything goes smoothly from start to finish and welcome feedback from our clients and their guests. That being said, we’re all human and therefore not perfect. In the event that everything does not go perfectly as planned or desired, we expect our servers to accept constructive criticism calmly and openly. They should then try to fix whatever is wrong to the best of their ability.

ABILITY AND STAMINA TO WORK FOR LONG HOURS

Understandably, a server’s job does not involve spending a lot of time sitting down. Servers and waitstaff are, by nature of the job, on their feet and moving almost continuously throughout their shift.
At SoHo, we have a four-hour minimum for our services, and we’ll often book events for however long they need to be to meet the needs of our clients. When considering servers for any particular event, we look for those who have both mental and physical stamina and can provide excellent service from the beginning to the end of the event.

ABILITY TO HIDE YOUR MOODS

We understand that everyone will have good days and bad days. However, when choosing servers and waitstaff for your special events, we value those who can remain pleasant and professional regardless of what kind of day they were having before arriving for work. Once they arrive, they’re expected to put aside any personal issues and consider your event as the top priority for the duration of their shift. You deserve nothing less.

BE A TEAM PLAYER

This is perhaps the most important trait on this list. At SoHo, everyone understands that we operate as a team. Whether we provide one server or ten or a mix of servers and bartenders, we expect members of our waitstaff to work as a team to provide the best possible service for every wedding and event we do. This includes jumping in and helping our hosts, their guests, and even other vendors whenever possible. We understand that we all have the same goal of making your event fabulous!

BE YOUR BEST AT ALL TIMES

At the end of the day, we look for people who truly love the work they do and are completely dedicated to serving and helping people. We know that everyone has other obligations and bills to pay, but when someone truly loves their job, it shows. And those are our kind of people!

If you’re planning a wedding or special event and looking to hire waitstaff and/or bartenders, give us a call. At SoHo, our personal event specialist will work with you to put together a package that will meet your exact needs and your budget.