Party Perfect

Running your own event can be a daunting challenge.

Will my guests enjoy it? Will the band sound decent? Will the food be hot? Will the caterers even turn up at all? Whilst it is true that organising your own event can certainly result in ‘stress-overload’, if it’s properly planned, that need not be the inevitable outcome.

Following just a few simple ground rules will ensure unforgettable memories for family and friends as they celebrate a wedding, an anniversary, a birthday, a religious occasion or a personal success... leaving you, the organiser, with a well-deserved sense of accomplishment, and your event the envy of many!

Having spent several years running Clownfish Events – a specialist Events Management Company – I’ve seen the importance of getting it right the first time… and every time. So, here’s a step-by-step guide to planning your next big party and making it a stress-free, roaring success.

1. Whose party is it?

Sounds simple enough, but understanding the person or occasion you’re celebrating will be key to your plan. You may well have been ‘wowed’ by a spectacular event you attended - complete with firejugglers, iconic ice sculptures and spinning tables - but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the right approach for your 70-year-old mother who’d far rather a smaller, more intimate family gathering.

Every event must be bespoke to the individual. Simply ‘copying and pasting’ something seen elsewhere is very unlikely to succeed. So, make it your aim to get personal.

2. Location, location, location!

Your choice of venue will very much depend upon your budget, the number of guests and, most importantly, the preferences of your main guests. There will be pros and cons with all venues from the home, marquee or hired venue.

For example, the home may feel more intimate but will it feel special enough and what about the loos? On the other hand, will the hired venue feel personal enough and create the right ambience?

3. Invitations

Who’s invited? Well that’s for you to decide! But work out the maximum capacity of your chosen venue - and then stick to it! If you’re planning to hire a catering company, remember many will quote a price per head. So, do your numbers carefully to avoid nasty surprises. Note that inviting hundreds of people may appear impressive, but you are likely to lose much of the personal touch and focus of the day.

At the other extreme, there is such a thing as ‘critical mass’, so too few guests will leave you with a somewhat dulled atmosphere. Oh, and don’t forget to get your invitations out a couple of months in advance (especially if you’re doing December invites!) If the detail isn’t confirmed, ‘Save the Dates’ are a wonderful way of making sure your ‘A’ list keep the date free.

4. Personalise your party

Now for the fun part! Party themes can be great way of getting your friends to mix, to liven up the atmosphere and give your guests a chance to dress up and leave inhibitions behind!

I recently organised a large-scale James Bond ball, complete with Aston Martins, professional lookalikes, roulette tables, dinner jackets and Bond girl outfits! Very popular too with all ages is the classic Wild West theme. Relatively simple to achieve, you need only a mechanical Rodeo Bull, some Mexican music and food, and plenty of blue jeans and chequered shirts!

But, even if you decide against a set theme, tasteful decoration and colour schemes can turn even the blandest room into a stunning party venue: by the time you have considered flower arrangements, up-lighters, serviette décor, candles, coloured drapes, matching furniture and balloons you’ll not be short of possibilities.

5. Atmosphere. Ambience. Aura

People frequently overlook these ‘a’ words – all of which can transform a dry canvas in to a vivid masterpiece. You want your guests to walk into the venue and feel instantly warmed, welcomed, excited, and transported to a place where they are ready to celebrate. You are aiming, in short, for the‘WOW factor’.

How, then, to achieve it? I have found that when cleverly managed, just two critical ingredients are able beyond all others to deliver an amazing ‘wow’ factor: lighting and music. Both of course will depend on the occasion, but a beautifully lit marquee (think warm pinks, subtle blues and rich yellows) with a live 4-piece jazz band playing in the corner spells magnificence for any number of adult events.

For something aimed a little younger, strobing coloured light beams that slice through atmospheric smoke make a stunning backdrop against which an expert DJ can mix his magic for Johnny’s 21st.

But, for all of that, remember that even very subtle lighting and background music will lift your party’s tone significantly – that could just be Michael Bublé or Jamie Cullum on your CD player, and some IKEA up-lighters in your living room! Get creative, and have fun!

6. And finally… plan!

So obvious, but again so often overlooked. Make yourself a noted time-line for the evening – e.g. 7.30 guests arrive (band playing), 8.30 first course (band stop, turn background CD music on), 9.30 speeches (check sound man is ready with microphone) 10.00 magician arrives (ask waiters to not walk through during his set) etc.

Allow plenty of slack in your timeline, as things are sure to over run: guests will be late, and the meal will take longer to serve than you thought. Always, always get the sound guy to do a sound check - especially if you intend to use his microphone.

How many events have you witnessed where you can’t hear the announcements or speeches?

Finally, resist the urge to pack too much into the night. Your guests don’t need entertainment after entertainment. If the plan is solid, you will be able to sit back and enjoy the night!

7. There is another option!

Yes – you’ve guessed it. Get someone else to take the strain, such as Clownfish who will organise the whole thing for you! Skilled in the art of party planning we’ll discuss your requirements and offer you a range of options and work alongside you and do as much or as little of the planning as you’d like and know exactly which band, caterer, circus acrobat, photographer and venue will suit you best.

Matt Turner is the Managing Director, Clownfish Events Ltd
020 8605 0209 www.clownfishevents.co.uk