The Year of the Custom Experience

I’ve got party planning on the brain. Maybe it’s to keep preoccupied during the cold winter months, the many work events I’m coordinating or, to stay ahead of schedule of my BIG summer birthday bash. No matter the reason, I’ve been giving the subject a lot of thought and figured I would share some of my experiences in case you too are thinking of hosting an event.  Selfishly, writing this may help me brainstorm ideas so here goes and would love to hear your suggestions.

Let’s start by keeping it real and admit that planning an event should be fun and almost always sounds like a great idea until…

Something goes awry and you ask yourself, why am I doing this?

Trust me, I’ve been there but for all of the snafus that arise, there are just as many awesome reasons to celebrate primarily, because life is too short not to.

Just like writers block -yes, I get that and all too often- the hardest part is starting.  Over the years and after many events later, I’ve learned that the best place to get planning is with a theme; a vision or, what I think is going to be the theme of 2016, the EXPERIENCE.

Is it a wedding that you’re planning?  First, you want to decide whether you want it to be casual, cocktail or formal. This will help set the tone and course for your planning and trust me, will take some of the stress out of maneuver through the thousands of vendors and decisions ahead.

A summer birthday bash like moi?  Setting a color theme could just as easily help get the creative juices flowing.

It has been years since I last planned a wedding but my last few events have been centered around color themes and not only did that help me focus on the important and fun details like decor and favors but also, gave my guests a view into what they could expect and even wear.

Speaking of guests…

Think back to how you feel when you walk into a fantastic venue and more so, what you’re left with as you leave. Not the Jordan almonds you grab on the way out but the feeling, the emotion that the event evoked in you. Think about that in your planning.  The EXPERIENCE that you want to create for all from start to finish.

Naturally, the experience will be guided by the type of event you’re having.

Think about how you want your guests to feel from the moment they receive your invite to when they enter the space to when they leave. I believe that all of the senses should be at play here so be sure to consider the sights, sounds and smells in your planning. Did your first point of contact, the invitation, accurately convey your event? I’m in love with Paperless Post and use them for all of my invites because they’ve managed to hit that fine chord of modern convenience with traditional beauty and detail. Whether printed of electronic, they always have just the style that I’m looking for and their website is super user friendly.

So, the invite went out. the guests RSVPed, and now they’re entering what you’ve spend months sometimes years planning. Did you arrange for valet or transportation or, are they doing circles to find parking?  For one of my parties, we arranged for guests to arrive via Beach Buggy.  Not only did it ensure that they arrive on time but it made for a fun experience and no worries about anyone drinking and driving!

Does the room smell like freshly cut flowers or sterile and void of personality? Is the space setup so that guests are comfortable while sitting and just as inviting as they mingle? When they leave, are they walking out with a special and thoughtful momentum to remind them of the night’s festivities?

When I was getting married oh so many years ago, we opted for black tie, which usually implies formal, traditional and somewhat stiff. I like formal, I like traditional especially for an affair like a wedding but I hate stiff so…to break the mold, we integrated tables of various sizes and heights to give the room some dimension and add a bit of drama. It also contributed to a better flow to how the guests arrived, mingled and ate because we didn’t want everyone sitting around a ‘traditional’ assigned seated round table but to encourage a fun and interactive flow. The idea sounded great in theory but before guests arrived, we walked the space to ensure that what we were envisioning was practical and achieved the look and feel that we were aiming for.

Granted, a room with guests takes on a completely different vibe than an empty one but if you’re careful in your execution, you’re sure to get the EXPERINCE that you’re going for.

I will never forget the few alone moments I had with our wedding space. Before the ceremony, before the guests, I peeked into the fully dressed up room, scanned it from side to side, closed my eyes and took a mental picture…this was before my phone was attached at my hip! That picture will be with me forever and it is perfect!  Aaah, memories!

OK, to the matter at hand. This summer, I turn the big 45 and a big birthday deserves a lot of attention so thanks for indulging me as I start planning. The last few parties I threw were during the summer and at the shore; a White Party for my birthday and a Black Party for Phil’s and it was awesome so I’m thinking, why mess with a good thing, right!?  Let’s start there only bigger and better and would love to hear your suggestions for a successful and fabulous event!

Happy party planning!