Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Bergen County
Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Ep # 124 Beyond Hosting: The Art of Actually Experiencing Your Celebration
Tired of missing your own parties while stuck behind the grill or frantically refilling ice buckets? Christine Lanza, founder of Party Professionals, shares the solution to the number one party-hosting problem: the host never gets to enjoy the celebration.
Christine's journey into professional event support began as a side gig while working full-time as a single mom. What started as weekend serving quickly evolved into a comprehensive business addressing a universal need. "It's overwhelming when you're doing it yourself," Christine explains, pinpointing the struggle many hosts face. Her company now boasts a team of 30 staff members ready to transform any gathering from stressful to enjoyable.
Unlike traditional caterers, Party Professionals offers flexible service options that complement your existing plans. They'll work alongside your preferred vendors – or recommend trusted partners from Christine's extensive network – handling everything from setup and breakdown to serving and bartending. They even provide skilled grillers who'll man your backyard barbecue while you mingle with guests. For summer's busy entertaining season of graduations, communions, and Memorial Day gatherings, this support proves invaluable.
The emotional reward of Christine's work resonates throughout her business philosophy: "Nine times out of 10, it's a happy outcome. You're making people happy, and that is priceless." With services available throughout Northern New Jersey, parts of New York, and nearby Pennsylvania, Party Professionals creates space for hosts to create meaningful memories instead of frantically managing logistics. Visit partyprofessionalsllc.com or call 201-424-7828 to transform your next event into an experience you'll actually get to enjoy.
Party Professionals LLC
Christine Lanza
(201) 424-7828
Partyprofessionalsnj1@outlook.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Doug Drohan.
Speaker 2:Hey, good morning everyone. Well, it could be the afternoon or evening depending on when you're listening to this, but welcome to another episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast brought to you by the Bergen Neighbors Media Group. Today we are joined by Christine Lanza. Christine is the owner of Party Professionals. She is a party professional extraordinaire, for want of a better word. Welcome to the show, christine.
Speaker 3:Thank you, I appreciate you having me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know it's getting to be that time of year. You know we're into May and it's graduation time coming up, it's Holy Communions and Memorial Day and all these other reasons why or excuses if we need one to have a party. Wedding season usually kicks in around now. So I think this is a great time to talk to you about what party professionals is all about. So why don't you just give us a little rundown of what you guys do and we can talk a little bit about you and what your passion is?
Speaker 3:Great. So we basically do everything party and to further dive into that, it's basically when you have a party and you're the host or you know you're in charge, you're coordinating it all. It's very, you know, cumbersome. At times it becomes a little bit challenging. We come in and we take it over from you so that you can go and enjoy your party with your guests and just be able to relax and not worry if the catering is coming on time or if things are set up.
Speaker 3:If the catering is coming on time or if things are set up, you're running out of a certain dish of food or the ice is melted in the cooler and it needs to be replenished. Guests are coming in, you need to take their coats I mean, usually in the summertime, that's not an issue but in general, just things that you need to tend to as someone hosting a party or event. So that's kind of where we come in and, um, we just do it all. We come in and make sure that everything stays, you know, up to par and you know deal with the guest and kind of just make sure that you're enjoying your party. That's really the bottom line right.
Speaker 2:So you, you guys are doing, you're helping uh, set up, break down and then you're serving.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:And then cleaning as you go.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:You're not bringing the food right, You're not catering the food.
Speaker 3:We don't cater the food, but I work with caterers and chefs. I have relationships with other vendors that are phenomenal, so we work with them as well. So it depending on the client, customer need um we could recommend that. Or again, if they do their own, which is fine too, we just come in and take over from there yeah.
Speaker 2:So if I came here and said, hey, I'm gonna have an oktoberfest party, uh, september, because anybody who knows about Oktoberfest it's not in October and I said to you, hey, I want to have an Oktoberfest party, who would you recommend as my caterer to bring the food? But then you guys would help me with everything else.
Speaker 3:Correct, yes Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and listen for anybody who's ever hosted a party, especially outdoors. And I've done this, and the reason why I bring up Oktoberfest is because I've had Oktoberfest parties and I go out and I buy all the Wurst and all these different things from the German butcher and you know the beer, and then I'm playing music, you know, and we're doing game, but I'm at the grill the whole time. So you know it's, it's a um, and you kind of miss the whole party unless your friends are hanging out with you at the grill. So I totally get it. You know, makes sense to have somebody handle that stuff for you. And then, certainly, breaking down, you know, when the party's over, that's everybody leaves and you're like, oh my god, look at this mess I gotta deal with. So, yes, how did you get into this business? Like how? You know what prompted you to say I want to find, you know, found. I want to be the founder of, of a party, you know event company.
Speaker 3:Well it's. It's funny, my whole life, um, you know, with family friends, always been. You know everybody has parties and events in their life. It's a constant for everybody. And you know I was actually looking to supplement my income. You know, I got divorced and I'm a single mom and a friend had recommended to me to do serving on the weekends because I work a full-time job.
Speaker 3:I started doing that and between doing that and meeting different people and then my own experiences with my family, I realized that there is a need for this service, that people do need help.
Speaker 3:It's overwhelming when you're doing it yourself. And you know it's definitely something I'm passionate about, because it's usually nine times out of 10, a happy outcome. So you're making people happy and that is something that is priceless to me and that's kind of really why I do it, because I want to see people happy at the end and say you know, you guys really helped a lot and I was able to sit with my family and you know I have an elderly parent and you know I have to tend to them and I also have to have this party for a graduation and for my daughter and I'm not able to do all these things and because of you and your team, you know, I was able to actually sit there and enjoy it, and it just makes people happy. It's bringing people together. So it's really the passion that I have for that and that's why I do it.
Speaker 2:I'm a fan of Mad Men. You know, obviously, my profession advertising and I was watching this clip. Actually, you could Google. Mad Men, what every ad sales professional should learn from don draper and he is this one pitch where he's talking to a tobacco company and it's the 60s and the surgeon general has just said you know the, the fda, the ftc said you can't make health claims with cigarettes anymore. You know they used to claim that cigarettes were good for your health. Um, so he, he finds a way to. You know the.
Speaker 2:The owner says that you know how do you make cigarettes and he's like you know we toast it. He's like that's it, it's toasted. But he said, at the end of the day, advertising is about one thing happiness, and I think a lot of things that, um, you know we want. As a business owner, whether it's your business or it's a car salesman or a realtor or somebody who's in home improvement you want that reaction from your client to be happy. You know this party that you're planning, whether it's, you know, an outdoor just thing with your neighbors, or it's more of an event like your kids communion, or you know it's a big birthday party. Whatever it is, I mean it's it. You want it to go off. Um, you know I don't want to say flawlessly, but you want everybody to have a good time and you want to walk away with say man, that was a great night, so you know, exactly, yeah you guys provide.
Speaker 2:You could even provide. Uh. So when I, when I talked about being at the grill, so say I don't get a caterer but I do buy all the verst and or burgers or you know, frankfurters or whatever, uh, you could actually have somebody who could grill for me yes, we do that as well, that's a a big demand in the summertime especially, and I actually did one.
Speaker 3:I've become a very good griller myself. My dad has been grilling forever.
Speaker 3:And you know, I kind of had a good teacher. I prefer more to do the planning of events and the coordination of things like that. But if the need comes and I don't have one of my staff, I'll jump in and do the grilling. And I can tell you people really, really appreciate that, because I don't think anybody wants to stand there for a couple hours and miss all the fun of their event and party because they're grilling even though they have to feed their guests and they want to do that. It's just not, you know, they're just stuck there and they can't do that. It's just not, you know, they're just stuck there and they can't do anything else. So that's really a big, big one for us is grilling.
Speaker 2:There's a new Netflix, I'll call it. It's not a series, it's like a documentary. It's called Chef's Table Legends. So maybe Chef's Table is a series and this one's called Legends and it's a new series. I guess it's a series. So, and it's a new series, I guess it's a series. So they have different types of themes. This one's four parts and they do like an hour's worth of feature on Jamie Oliver.
Speaker 2:Alice Waters who is you? One of his restaurants, which is called Bizarre out in Beverly Hills years ago, and it's this molecular gastronomy. You know these things that it's called the Caesar salad, but it's things you wouldn't think. It's sort of like Willy Wonka. You pop it in your mouth You're like, oh my God, I didn't know it could taste like that. But he's originally from Spain, hence the name andres and my accent when I try to try to speak spanish.
Speaker 2:But the reason I bring it up is there's a lot of scenes where he's got a huge grill and a huge paella pan.
Speaker 2:But even when it's not even paella and there's so many people out in this scene of you know, helping with the grill and whatever all these things that they're grilling, I was saying to my wife was like you know, I'd like to get a big, like we have a gas grill and we have a little weber charcoal grill.
Speaker 2:Excuse me, but I'm watching this uh documentary and I'm like man, wouldn't it be cool if I had, like a really big grill that you could either put a, you know, big paella pan not that I've ever made paella, but it's the communal part of it of everybody gathering around it but also tending the fire and the different ways of cooking and how the taste change when it's exposed to heat and the kind of heat. And I want to get a huge grill. And I was thinking, yeah, but if I have a party, do I want to be at the grill? But it would be cool if I had someone like you or people from your company that could help me with that, because there is something around that, you know, that innate uh, you know, going back to our Neanderthals, I was being around a fire, but when you're grilling, um, it just brings out some other kind of emotion that you don't get from a gas grill. You know, when you're over an open flame, uh, I think that's really cool yeah, no, it is, and I highly recommend.
Speaker 3:I mean, a grill stone isn't an open flame, but I have grilled on that and I absolutely love it because it reminds me it's different than the traditional, like what you're talking about the flame, which is also amazing, but the grill stone is like you're at a restaurant, like it reminds me of a kitchen in a restaurant because it's a flat, big grill and you could just do so much with it if you're having a big party it's like a griddle.
Speaker 3:You mean kind of like a griddle yeah, exactly, yes, um, and it's just so like, it's so easy to use. So I mean, for a person that's grilling for a party and you have a large volume of people, I think that that's really a good way to go. We did one for a graduation of 100 people and we were able to just crank out the burgers, the hot dogs, the chicken. It was just so seamless.
Speaker 2:So just a recommendation. I think when I walked into Lowe's last season I noticed that there were, you know, new kinds of grills, that that were more griddles, I guess you could say. And I said I guess this must be a new trend because you know, people are. You know why would there be so many options? And it's funny, in my Wyckoff magazine in June we have an article from Ace Oakland Hardware about the new grills that are on the market. And I'm actually going to pull up the magazine while we talk. And it's more traditional, you know, is the egg. Have you cooked with the egg?
Speaker 3:no, that I have not, I'm okay, do you know about that? Yeah, tell me what you know, because I don't know much about it I don't know much about the egg.
Speaker 2:I mean, I know it's popular, you know it's got a big lid on it, so I guess it. You know it acts like a convection oven or something I don't know. You know, and then of course, the pizza ovens, which are popular but, if got a pizza oven. I wouldn't want a gas pizza oven, I'd want to get one where I can actually put wood in it. Have you ever cooked with one of those at a party?
Speaker 3:Yes, yes we have a client that has a beautiful pizza oven, nice, and I wish I had that, because I would never get pizza out again, because you could do so much I wouldn't mind getting that yeah yeah um, yeah, so and that's interesting.
Speaker 2:So, but if I came to you and said, look, this is the kind of party I'm having, you would even recommend kind of the menu like so, if you want to buy food and grilling, this is. You know what's your theme, what's what do you guys like exactly recommend you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we go a step above, even a bartender, so we have bartenders as well. So you know, a lot of my clients need to know how much we don't bring the alcohol. Of course they have it there for us, but they want to know how much to purchase. We also do drink. Which is my favorite thing is recommending drinks like drink signs and specials for parties, and then you know it'll be like Mary's Margarita, you know, for her 50th.
Speaker 3:You know, it's just it's fun and that's what I love about it. It's just a lot of fun and people are genuinely so happy, you know, so it's the greatest thing.
Speaker 2:And what about set up, like in terms of tablecloths and things like that? Or you know if you've made signs of, you know, mary's Margarita or something like that? Do you guys do any of that? Or do you bring the?
Speaker 3:I guess the supplies or no? Yeah, no, we make the signs, because I have software that I do it with and I usually will give it to my staff or myself if I'm working, because I still work a lot of these things and we bring that. In terms of linens and things like that. We don't bring that, but I work with a company called the party squad. They're great. I have other companies I work with and I recommend them, depending, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I try to do all. You're kind of like a one-stop shop. I have an idea. I come to you and then you're, you know you could recommend all these different vendors, and then obviously you guys come out and handle the day of serving, bartending and all that. That's great.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, it's great, I love it and I love the planning. I also do that as well and event planning and coordinating for weddings, which is a bigger scale. But that's why I say we do it all Cause, like you said, one-stop shop.
Speaker 2:We know for weddings, weddings, you know you plan that like a year in advance. But how far in advance should somebody call you, thinking about god forbid memorial day? Is it too late?
Speaker 3:it. I say it's never too late. I've had people call me two or three days prior to an event which is kind of late. I've been able to accommodate because I have a staff of 30. So we can try, but I would recommend a two-week, at least a two-week lead time. So I'm going to share.
Speaker 2:So I like to do kind of theme parties in the backyard. I've done a lot of Oktoberfest and unfortunately it seems like every time I do a party it rains. We went to the South of France two years ago and so when we came home I was like I want to have the South of France two years ago and so when we came home it was like I want to have a South of France party. So I was grilling Bronzino, like whole Bronzino, on the charcoal grill, and then I was in the house making New York strips and then, you know had made these cocktails, like these tequila. I actually made fresh margaritas with, you know, lime and everything.
Speaker 2:When people walked in they were handed little shot glasses and it started to rain. It was like a tornado came through. Everything blew over the, the, the canopies that I had they were one got broken, the umbrella flew over. You know it was crazy, but I had the Bronzino going outside. I was inside doing the steak. It was crazy. So, um, you know, if I try to do something like that again, I know who to call.
Speaker 3:I would love to, absolutely. It sounds like a great time. Actually, I'm curious about your margaritas now.
Speaker 2:It sounds like you, take a lot of time. It's really just fresh lime, which takes a long time to squeeze. All those limes, cointreau and tequila and ice. I don't use margarita mix, I don't want any of that sweet stuff. I want it. I want uh, you know we're going to mainline that tequila, but it's going to be refreshing. You know chilled glass, because the glasses are sitting on ice in a bucket and oh my goodness it was cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know how french it is drinking margaritas, but I didn't, you know, I didn't bring home any pastis, so listen.
Speaker 3:As long as it tastes good, it's all good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So, christine, what's your radius? Like you're in New Jersey, like where do you typically work?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I'm in northern New Jersey. I used to live in South Jersey for a little bit. I lived all over the state. We do the whole state. I have staff all over and we do New York as well. I say New York, I say mostly you know upstate, not too far up, but like you know Warwick, we have something in Sydney Center, new York. I'm learning about new areas. It's actually pretty interesting. And some Pennsylvania like Easton.
Speaker 2:You know Pennsylvania, that's not far Correct yes, and some.
Speaker 3:Pennsylvania like Eastern, you know. Pennsylvania, right like Poconos, that's not far Correct. Yes, from New Jersey. So yeah, so that's what we do.
Speaker 2:That's great. So how would people get a hold of you? So your website, we can go over that.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:It's partyprofessionalsllccom. Correct Right, and then is that how they should best reach you? Or email, phone? What do you recommend and what would those contacts be?
Speaker 3:Yes, so the website's great because you can see the staff, you can see the work, the reviews, so that would be a great first way to reach me. Another way would be my phone number 201-424-7828. I always have my phone with me at all times. As a business owner, you know it's 24-7. Never a break. And on Facebook you can find us, party Professionals LLC, and also on Instagram. So, yeah, you can definitely find us on socials, on the website or directly to me.
Speaker 2:All right, christine, thank you so much for being on the show. Again, it's party professionals. If you are planning a party this summer, I'm going to give you a little tag. I'll do a commercial. You know, if you're planning a party this summer, don't do it yourself. Give Christine a call. It's a great staff, great Rolodex of vendors to use and, and you know you could sit back and enjoy the, enjoy the party yourself and let them take care of everything else.
Speaker 2:So I look forward to working with you and and you know, have a great weekend and, luckily, I hope you don't have any parties today, cause it's been no. I think it's going to be a rain out, but this weekend should hopefully be nice.
Speaker 3:Fingers crossed and thank nice fingers crossed and thank you for having me. I really appreciate it. It's been a pleasure yeah, this is great.
Speaker 2:All right, bear with us while chuck just says goodbye no problem.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the good neighbor podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpbergen. com. That's gnpbergen. com, or call 201-298-8325.