An event is defined within the Cambridge dictionary as “an activity that is planned for a special purpose and usually involves a lot of people, for example, a meeting, party, trade show, or conference”. As a term it is also used to describe an activity that is taking place to celebrate a noteworthy happening and we have to agree, that enjoying an important moment in your life takes more than just a well decorated table.
It all starts with the purpose behind your invitation. What is that you will celebrate and who will be attending. Knowing who and how many the guests are going to be, is the foundation in deciding what that day will involve, where will the event take place, the guest journey and what will the elements be that will stimulate their senses and make them remember the event as a unique moment.
What is the purpose & budget of the event?
Take a notepad and write down why you’re thinking of hosting this event. Is it a private celebration or are you aiming to fulfil an external need (corporate or business)? Would you like to invite close friends and family, or treat it as a larger scale social event? Most importantly, what is the budget you would like to spend for this event? To successfully complete this phase, you will have to end up with a sentence of the purpose of the event, a rough guest list and the first budget projection.
What is the theme / concept of the event?
In order to throw an unforgettable party and have everyone feel like they’re participating in an exquisite experience, you have to come up with a theme or concept which will become the foundation of every decision relevant to the event (venue, food & drinks, music, décor, activities, communication collateral i.e. invitations, website, welcome sign, table menu etc.). The deliverables of the 2nd phase, are the central theme idea, mood board, colour palette & a list with some basic needs regarding the event.
What is the date and timeframe to pull this off?
Certainly, to know if you can make everything happen when it come to the concept idea, you need to know when will the event take place and what is the timeframe to talk to vendors, source creative elements, produce media, book the venue, catering, entertainment and communicate the event. The 3rd phase can be considered completed once you have created a calendar what key dates regarding the aforementioned tasks.
Search, call and make it happen!
To commence the 4th please open an excel sheet or word file and keep record of anything you do. That will save you a lot of energy and help you make informed decisions while staying within your budget! A good first approach is to search and keep a record of all the vendors, venues, catering, music etc. you would like to contact for an offer. Start with the venue before anything else. Having a brief of what you’re envisioning for the night and what you need can help vendors give you a more precise cost estimation and refer you to relevant contacts which will save you time and money!
Find yourself an angel!
If this is an event for yourself or for a party that you play an important role in, then you would need to hire an “angel” aka an assistant to help you with the project management especially on the night of the event. There will be so many things that you would need to synchronise at that night that you won’t have time to get ready and you will be exhausted before even the night starts.
If this sounds like a lot or you would just prefer to focus on enjoying the event than adding all this stress on, let me be your angel! My mission is to turn moments into outstanding emotional successful events in the heart of the Mediterranean.
We were lucky to have Erato turn our son's baptism into a magical woodland forest. The welcome table was like a dream come true LITERALLY!
A new year's dinner night that exceeded my wildest excpectations. Glamour meets Christmas! We felt so unique.
