Since we have a small circle of relatives and friends, we always prefer our home to be the venue of small parties - as much as 50 persons or a bit more. For the food, we usually prepare it by ourselves but we noticed that we were so tired when the party begins. So for our next party, we hired a caterer who would prepare the food. And since a neighbor offered her expertise so we agreed. However, it is a sad experience for us because that neighbor seemed to have abused us by taking the liberty of taking home the leftover food without our permission. For the succeding parties, we now hire a professional caterer that comes with a truck, tables and chairs with complete trimmings like decorations and food servers as well. We pay a lot but we are happy with that.
Cooking can be a real big chore when you're cooking for a get-together. We usually went with pot luck. Too bad that your neighbor took home the left overs when it wasn't her party. I like the idea of having a caterer do the party. On Oahu we have supermarkets that makes platters of food you can pay for in advance and pick up for the party. Some Hotels have Thanksgiving meals you purchase and pick up for Thanksgiving day with dessert. There are many supermarkets that have a deli or specialty food section where you can buy by the pound of food for parties too and yes caterers.