The Setup

• Map out serving areas to make your party more fun. Don't set out all the food at one table, making your guests huddle about one congested, noisy space. Create comfortable conversation areas by scattering food and drinks on tables around the room(s), and provide extra seating. Set up serving tables so they can be approached from all sides. If the crush proves too much, you might circulate through the room(s) with trays of canapes. It's a good opportunity
  for you to visit and to gather compliments on your cooking, too.
• When arranging appetizers on a buffet table, plan a center of interest, such as an elegant appetizer or a centerpiece. Set the hot foods closest to the kitchen for easier replenishing.
• Serving appetizers in courses instead of presenting them all at once on a buffet table offers several advantages to the host. It allows you to pace yourself so you're not frantically trying to keep several different plates of appetizers full at once. When serving hot appetizers single-handedly, it's easier to make sure the food is at the right serving temperature for guests. And, if kitchen space and oven space are at a premium, it may make entertaining less chaotic.
• Make sure there are a lot of places to set drinks and that disposable plates are sturdy enough to hold heaps of food. Otherwise, you may spend the day cleaning up spills.

• Serve foods on any plates or platters you like; serving dishes needn't match.
• To keep hot appetizers hot, heat just one round of appetizers at a time. This way, another batch of hot appetizers will be coming from the oven as the last batch is eaten. An electric skillet, hot tray, griddle, fondue pot, chafing dish, or crockery cooker is handy for keeping appetizers hot. If foods cool as they sit out on the table, pop them into the microwave for a quick reheating.
• Make double dishes. As one plate of appetizers gets picked over, remove it from the buffet table and replace it with a new version of the same food to keep the display looking fresh and inviting.
• Ask a friend to help you watch the food table so you can enjoy your guests.