...or any Adult Party as you wish :)
Planning a Celebration?
Do you know that when we have gatherings like parties it produces in us oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, endorphins? Yes, the happy hormones! And everybody loves parties and festivities, except for Mr. Scrooge and The Grinch (but were enlightened in the end).
And for us who lift a spirit every time we are invited for a celebration, and for those who are planning a party, I'm telling you creating one is an exciting and fantastic adventure. Let me share 8 basic ways and some tips for you to have a blast!
1. Date & Time
This is the most basic and the first of the three most important on any event that will always be asked by party vendors to you (whether venues, caterers, entertainers, etc.) Why? Because you are not the only clients in the world. Vendors may have prior bookings and commitments to other customers, so they need to know your exact day. The date of your party may mean a double cost to some party providers, especially during holidays and weekends. If you don't give a specific date may mean you are not serious yet in planning your event. Decide the exact date for your party.
Time is also important, as there are vendors who accept more than 2 events in a day, some accept only 1 event in a day, they only focus on you. It's always better to specify your time so that all vendors can schedule yours accordingly. This will help you also in organizing other stuff along the way, like it will help you gauge what will suit your guests' foods and program.
Tip: Morning events/parties may be expensive as the vendors need to prepare as early as 1 am or a day before, and they may ask you a Night Differential Fee.
2. Venue
The second most important to consider is the venue, this is where your guests rely on how they will reach your party, how many hours they need to travel, do they need to get accommodation. While on the vendor's side, do they need to charge you or not with the out-of-town fee, and how many hours do they need to do the set-up.
Apart from how many people can fill the place (considering social distancing) make sure to check how the venue manages health protocols, refund policies, and what are their options in case of uncertainties e.g. electrical failures, calamities, etc. Create a checklist of the specific needs for your occasion before you talk to the venue provider.
Tip: Ask venues if they can refer to you vendors they engaged before or their tie-up suppliers, you may be able to get better quotes/prices from the referred vendors.
3. Number of Guests
The 3rd important factor in planning your Birthday Party or any party is how many guests you are expecting. You may consider first your family and friends if this is a birthday. Remember whenever you invite 1 name you have to consider his/her partner and their kids (if they have). That means in 1 invited name expect that there will be 1++ accompany. You may invite as many as you want - the more the merrier, however, you may want to consider only those people that matter most to you, because these people usually stays longer during the party, accompany you and enjoy the moment with you. Those people who are so-so to you and your family are those hit-and-run guests (after eating they go or after they got their personal agenda they leave) sad to say.
Tip: In general, the more the guests the more budget you will need. Lessen your guests if you are on a tight budget.
4. Budget
The budget is not part of the 3 most important, but the budget may dictate your decision in planning the 3 basics - date, venue, number of guests.
For those who are budget conscious, start with how much is your budget, then do the 3 basics. Meaning whatever is the allocated budget you set, from there your event date will adjust. If the budget is not sufficient to hold the party during holidays or weekends, it has to be scheduled during weekdays or non-holidays (as vendors service cost higher during weekends and holidays in some locations). If your budget cannot accommodate 100 people you should adjust accordingly. As well as for the venue, if your budget is not sufficient for 5-star hotels, you may opt for 4 or 3-star hotels instead.
Tip: Allocate a 10-15% Contingency Budget. There will always be petty expenses that you cannot see during the planning, such as corkage, deliveries, etc. and this may surprise you how big these "petty" expenses are!
5. Food and Beverage
This depends on your budget, occasions, and personal preferences. There are many choices actually but Buffet, Sit-down, Cocktail services are most common for parties.
The menu depends on the time of your event will it be Lunch, Dinner, Cena, or High Noon Tea, etc. If you want your guests to enjoy the meal you may want to assess your guests' age, status, and preference. Those who are culinary experts and/or exposed to gastronomic dining, search for a caterer that can serve the same, or if you just simply want your loved ones to have this kind of experience then splurge up! Otherwise, there are a lot of options to choose from Surf & Turf, Italian, Asian menus to name a few.
Beverage serving can range from mocktails, cocktails, a variety of wines, and heavy alcohols drinks. Or just a simple coffee or tea party but with plenty of choices. Serve specially brewed Americano, Espresso, Macchiato, Cappuccino, all those coffee with "o". Serve assorted exotic teas from Earl Gray, Moroccan, Oolong, and the list goes on. For a beverage adventurer, the sky's the limit!
Tip: If an at-home party, hire a local chef with specialization according to your chosen dish. This chef can prepare for you the best according to his masterpiece and can create an interactive food service pampering.
6. Program & Entertainments
Prepare programs that suit you and your guests' taste, don't hire program emcees or entertainers that you know will not fit the crowd. This is a no-brainer, for example, hire a Musicians that specializes in Oldies but Goodies genre if you are having a party for seniors. However, if you have a mixed crowd (e.g. Gen X to millennial generations) Search for a DJ or band with a wide range of playlists, then set a time to play songs accordingly. Create a program and games, prepare gifts and prizes if possible according to age as well, so your guests will appreciate it. Games & Prizes are fun! Be more creative here, but of course adhere to standard health regulations. Set time, remember seniors needs to rest early, while adults and young adults can stay longer.
Tip: Raw and spontaneous flow are advisable for a party. Basically, guests would just like to enjoy the day, they don't want to be tied up in a program. Let them mingle, lounge, relax with the music and ambiance and the mere presence of those people around. If a program is needed place it before, the rest of the event should be connections and recollections.
7. Event Styling
Think of the capacity and rules of your venue in styling and placing designs. Some are strict enough not to touch the antique decor (of course) the floor layout needs to follow because of emergency protocols, their limitations governed by local authorities, and many more. Talk to the venue representative and read their agreement before booking. Once done, there are plenty of designs and pegs to choose from through Google, Pinterest, and other design platforms on the web. However, some venues need minimal decorations since its architecture itself is already a peg for your party. So you may opt-in putting the design budget instead to other important party needs.
Tip: For those budgetarian, you may ask assistance from your creative friends to design your party, give some token of appreciation and tell them you will refer them to others - if you think this is possible.
8. Memoire
Celebrations create beautiful memories for most, it is essential to document them through photographs and videos. Since the hybrid party is in, you may want to allocate a budget for hiring a tech provider, to record a live party that you can share in real-time with those guests that cannot reach your party due to many restrictions on their side.
Most importantly, hire a professional photographer and videographer to capture these moments. If you cannot afford it, assigned one person to record this precious day so you have something to remember and smile about in the future ;)
Tip: Record your party or regret.
If you are given a chance to hold gatherings and are able to create one, we encourage you to do it. And for us who have handled a lot of events, celebrations are too way precious. Why? Because we've seen a hundred reasons for an occasion not to happen, the intervention of natural calamity, ongoing relationship issues, financially unable, are just a few reasons. And once the event materialized, for us, it is one of the miracles of life.
What we give you are basic considerations in planning a Birthday Party or any party for adult in general. Connect with us if you need specific assistance in planning your party.
XOXO,
ALTUZ events
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