Even though I’ve grown quite old now, I’m still no pro at hosting parties. Unfortunately, it is impossible for me to throw a Gatsby type party without losing my mind by the end of it. Thankfully, I’ve asked Vanessa from Rocks and Frocks to share some of her party throwing tips and secrets. So, with that said, here are some of them.
Rocks and Frocks Party Throwing Tips and Secrets
1. Make sure to have a budget in place and be realistic about it
No matter what your budget may be, it is possible to plan a party. However, you need to be honest and realistic with yourself and everything should work out. Basically, if you’re hosting a party for 100 people, but your budget indicates that you can only buy enough hotdogs to feed 20 people, then you have a huge problem. So, you need to make sure that you carefully work out the numbers and budget. After you’ve done that, you can get to the more fun party planning aspects. Once you know how to prioritise and have a good imagination, the sky is the limit. When there is a tight budget, you should think about the most important things first which includes the food, venue and your VIP guest list. Basically, when it comes to parties, people will remember if they got bored, didn’t have enough food to eat or were thirsty the entire time.
2. Create and send out invitations as early as possible
It is best to send out invitations as early as you can, while ensuring that the invites look great. Basically, your invitation is the first thing that people will see, which means you need to hook them and create that wow factor that makes them want to attend your party. Basically, once your party looks amazing, they’ll make sure to be there, even if they have other things going on at that time. Your invite could also include directions or links on how to get to the venue. For example, if you were hosting a party at Petticoat Lane Market, then you could include a section titled ‘how to get to Petticoat Lane Market’.
3. Pay attention to the details
Good planning will keep your sanity in tact and ensure that your party is a success. You should spend as much time as needed to ensure there is enough food, cutlery, drinks, snacks etc that will last the duration of the party. This will ensure you don’t have to go out in the middle of the night to Sainsbury’s to get more stocks.
Also, you should think about a theme for your party. The best parties are themed and you can theme according to a particular movie, type of music, place etc. You can be as tame as you want and theme your party after a particular colour or you can even go crazy and theme it after graffiti. Make sure that the theme you choose is obvious, starting with your invites as well as in the decorations, food and other items at the party. Once you have the budget, you should hire themed entertainers, props, lighting etc.
4. DJs and Lighting
A good party takes you on a journey where there is a start, middle and end. Basically, it should start when the guests get their invites and then it should be continued on the night of the party when they arrive. One way to enhance the journey is to hire a DJ. However, you should always talk to your DJ before the party and don’t assume that he’ll know what to play. It is best that you give the DJ a playlist so that they know exactly what you want.
Additionally, the lighting at your party is extremely important and it will set the mood and atmosphere. You should have both outdoor and indoor lighting and experiment with different styles to create a unique mood. You can experiment with different things such as hanging chandeliers from trees, using lighting props throughout the venue etc. Remember, you don’t need to be serious but try to have fun, be creative and experiment to see what creates the most interesting effect.
5. Be ready to set up the party as well as clean up and tear down after
So, organising a party takes a lot of time, both before and after the party. If you have a lot of holidays from work, then you will definitely need them. You should take a few days before the party as well as after it. You will spend a lot of time setting up the party, especially when you have to wait for various deliveries, work on decorating the venue etc. After the party, there will also be lots of work and you should have staff or at least friends that will help you to pack up the mess. Also, you’ll mostly be doing so with a sore head, so enlisting help with a couple of drinks can help to extend the party and pack up as quickly as possible.