18 Nov GOOD TIMES | Tips for a FUN Event
Anyone hosting an event has a key goal in mind: they want their guests to have a good time (we hope)! so in the name of a good time, we have put together a few little tips on how to make this dream a reality.
- Communicate with your guests! The best way to ensure your guests are present, comfortable and having fun at your event is to let them know what to expect. If your getting married on a beach in the heat of summer—tell your guests! If you are having a ceremony at 2pm and then they are on their own until your reception at 6pm—tell your guests! If your event is outside at the at the discretion of the elements without a tent — tell your guests! When given the opportunity to plan ahead, your guests will arrive properly dressed, knowing what to expect (don’t worry you can surprise them in other ways) with all the basics ready for a good time!
- Try to keep the itinerary tight without many breaks in between events. There are few of us out there (event planners excluded … ahem) that like particularly long days and when there’s drinking involved this is especially true. For example, if your event is a wedding, try and have your reception no more than 2 hours after your ceremony, even less if possible. This way there is little time in between for guests to get bored or distracted. If you are asking your guests to stay awake and in party mode for 12 hours you may need to get creative on how your going to make that happen.
- Keep the bar open! Its ok to close the bar for a little bit at dinner or during speeches but the less the better. Once people start drinking, its best to give them the opportunity to continue (unless of course you feel they can’t hand le their liquor)…Getting people all jazzed up for a fun event with cocktails or champagne toast to start and then stopping booze service for 2 hours will kill their energy and the vibe of your party. This isn’t to say that its all about the liquor but… it kind of is.
- Now that we are on the topic of booze, it is very important that the bar be well equipped to handle rushes, such as when the bar opens! This doesn’t mean that a second or third bartender or bar needs to stay open the entire night, but having them ready during rush times will keep your guests happy and focused on friends and family, not long lineups.
- Keep the bar near the dance floor! This keeps the bar people and the dancing people mingling and means that people don’t need top go too far away from the dace floor to get a drink. A bumpin’ dance floor is always a sign of a good party.
- Book a venue that is right for the size for your party. Believe it or not, when it comes to a good time, more people in a smaller space is MUCH better than a smaller group in a big space. You want the party to look full (just keep that AC pumpin’ to manage the bodyheat and you’ll be all good)!
- Keep the speech schedule short and sweet! The main complaint I hear about weddings, from other weddings my clients have attended is the speeches! People love you, but the long speech from Great Uncle Albert about your life up until this moment are a buzz kill (sorry!) If you want a lot of people to speak, ask them to keep it short and try and keep number of speeches down or break them up a bit.
The rest is easy, good music, enough food and booze for all and good people and your laughing! Hiring a wedding and event planner doesn’t hurt either 🙂