"Cocktail Party? No Problem!"

Whether you are a young professional or an experienced executive eager to continue in his or her career growth, sooner or later you will participate in the cocktail party circuit. Since these affairs range from small and simple to large and formal soirees, finessing the cocktail party with grace and ease should be the goal to make a positive impression.

Here are some differences between an invitation to "cocktails", "cocktail party", "cocktail buffet" and a "cocktail reception":

Cocktails and Cocktail Party -
Guests are mostly standing and dress attire can range from business to casual.

Cocktail Buffet -
Small tables and chairs are set up for guests after they fill up their plates at the buffet station. The attire is usually formal or business. This event can last 2 to 3 hours.

Cocktail Reception -
The most formal event. Attire is very dressy for women and usually black tie for men. The reception can be held for a distinguished guest of honor or event. There is so much food that the reception can count as dinner and Champagne is always served.

Tips to navigate as a guest at a cocktail party:

• Do some research on the guests attending the cocktail party, this will help your 'Small talk'.
• Determine what your goals are. Whether you are social or business networking.
• Do introduce yourself to unfamiliar guests. Maintain eye contact during introductions and conversations.
• Circulate a little before you head to the bar or buffet table. Food and drink should not be the main goals.
• Don't get drunk.
• Do keep conversations away from sex, politics and religion.
• Keep drinks and food in your left hand. Your right hand should be free for meeting, greeting and departure handshakes.
• If attending a cocktail party in a private home, treat household staff with dignity and respect, and no personal or special requests from you to the staff.

Finessing cocktail food:
Anything passed on a tray is to be picked up with a napkin and popped in your mouth or put on your cocktail plate.

Caviar - If caviar is passed to you in a bowl with a serving spoon, serve a teaspoon onto your plate. When the accompaniments are served, use the serving spoon given, a few lemon slices and a couple of toast points. Assemble a canape to your taste with a knife, then use your fingers to put in your mouth.

Crudite or raw vegetables - Picked up with your fingers, it's dipped into the accompanying sauce only once. Dipping into the sauce again once you have already take a bite (double dipping) is forbidden.

Olives - Held in your fingers and eaten in several bites. Pits are discarded in your napkin or the side of your plate.

Pate de Foie Gras - Also know as liver pate, slice off a square and lift it with your knife onto the accompanying toast triangle. Then pick up the toast and eat it with your hands. It is sometimes served already cut into triangles.

Sandwiches - Small sandwiches are picked up and eaten with your fingers.

Alcohol:
Beer - Drink from a glass, not from the bottle or can.
Wines - Reds are held by the bowl of the glass and whites by the stem.

Toasting:
You can participate in a toast without having wine.Young adults and others who don't drink alcohol can raise a glass of water or soft drinks.
It's traditional that the person proposing the toast stand. The person to whom the toast is proposed remains seated. He may hold the glass but does not raise it. Then the person who was toasted rises and responds with a toast to which they may drink.

Thank-you notes:
Within couple of days, after attending a cocktail reception or any other function, a thank-you note should be sent to the host.