Imagining yourself as a guest at your party is a really valuable exercise! It’s an opportunity to check that you’ve got everything covered and that the party you’ve planned will be an amazing experience for your guests – so often it’s the little annoyances that prevent an event from being quite as good as it should be. So, let’s get started!
How will they get there?
Think about how your guests will be traveling to the party. Have you given your guests directions? Can they park easily? Have you provided the phone number of a reputable taxi firm?
What happens once they’ve arrived?
How will the find the party? For instance, if you’re using a marquee, will there be lanterns to light the way?
Who will greet them?
Are you going to be at the entrance to meet your guests? Will you have waiting staff to welcome them in with a drink?
Where will they put coats?
It’s always a good idea to set up a cloakroom where coats and bags can be safely left. No one wants to be lumbered with a coat over their arm or draped on a chair where it could be damaged.
Get the temperature just right
Will you need aircon or heating? Make sure you can increase/decrease the room temperature throughout the event so that your guests don’t get too hot or too cold.
Make space
Spread out your party if possible. Don’t position food and drink in the same place, it’ll cause a bottleneck and the rest of the space may look empty and uninviting.
Can they sit down?
You may want everyone on the dance floor but people will also want to relax. If space allows, a chill-out area with sofas is a very useful addition.
Is the music loud enough?
If you’re hiring a DJ or band, they will carry out their own sound checks, but do make sure that any music is played at an appropriate level. Too quiet and there will be no atmosphere, too loud and guests will be looking for the nearest exit.
Don’t forget the loos!
Make sure your guests know where to find them. And if your party is in a marquee, don’t forget to hire luxury portable loos!
Where can smokers go?
If your party is in a venue, you should be advised of where guests can safely smoke. For a marquee party, it’s a good idea to have a designated area away from the marquee, complete with bin so that the ground isn’t littered with cigarette butts.
