I hate it when I’m at an event that is less than average-ly organized. Be it a wedding ceremony, b-day party, reunion or simply a dinner party. I just can’t stand it. And I always think of the money spent even on that crappy event. Not to mention the effort and the sleepless nights the hosts had while thinking about that special day.
But even though the event host tries his/her best to make everything perfect, it’s just sad to see how a centerpiece of dead flowers, tasteless food served or even the waiters’ ignorance can simply kill the whole event. It is usually not taken into account, how one small detail can ruin the whole thing, but believe me, it literally does – at least through the eyes of the ones that pay attention to small details. And I assure you, there’s at least one of them (like me) at each of these parties.
So I couldn’t help but think of the possible precautions that might help prevent your party turn into a wreckage:
1. Rehearse it: Just rehearse the whole ceremony, even if it feels difficult. If it’s a wedding, at least join the previous weddings at the same venue and pay attention to what small negative stuff you see, even take notes to improve at least yours.
2. Always get involved: Remember, it’s your party, it represents you. All the fingers will point at you if the party ends up as a mess. So never delegate important stuff to anyone. No matter how small the detail is, always be in charge even though it’s tiresome. After all, small details are the ones that can make a ceremony either perfect or a shit-show.
3. Keep it small: Don't spend all of your money on a crappy ceremony, just because you want it to be on a large scale. Remember, the larger the ceremony, the worse. It will get even worse with a vast audience, simply because it eventually turns into mass production. The food will start to lose its taste, the waiters will suck while struggling to meet all the requests and at least, there will be much more noise. Keep your guest list short. Cut out the people you don't know well. You don't need to invite your elementary school pal as long as you don't hear from them for the past two years. Even though you’re adored by people, your parties are très en vogue, make sure there are real family and/or friends on that special day. The more boutique the event, the more elite.
4. Forget the tasteless food, keep the alcohol coming: Loose the main course if you think it will suck. It doesn't have to be a dinner party if you think you cannot afford the tasty food or if you simply don't think what the venue or the caterer will provide will be tasty. If you can’t afford the salmon-risotto combination and think that the chicken will be tasteless, just make it a drink party. Remember, you don't have to feed everyone. It’s a celebration, not a charity event. As long as there’s liqueur involved, people will enjoy it very much. Think about it, the people will even start drinking earlier with no entrée, main course, etc. So they’ll end up entertaining even earlier. Just make sure there’s bowls of snacks on the stands. You don't want your party to turn into a puke-show.
5. Good music covers bad stuff: If you don't have the budget or simply the opportunity to get a live band on the stage, than get a DJ. It might even be some of your friends who can press the play button. But make sure you prepare the whole playlist. There’s nothing more frustrating than hearing an out-of-concept song playing during the ceremony. Ensure all the songs fit the whole concept and do never let the DJ improvise.
6. Always have a plan B: As dear Alanis Morissette had said, it is ironic when there’s rain on your wedding day. It is the same for all outdoor events. So always ask the venue to have an indoor option in case of storm/rain. You don't want to postpone your event the last minute or turn your invitees into rats under the rain. Remember, they’d go to a spa if they wanted a muddy treatment. Or, if the outdoor space has the possibility of having cold climate at night, then make sure shawls or outdoor heaters are provided. You don't want to see your guests congratulate you with their trembling jaws.
Well, I just shared with you what I think of the events that are badly organized, or well organized but paid less attention to small details and eventually turned into a bad one. So I want everyone to think of these special days as special as possible. It is never easy to organize a party. You want everything to be impeccable, okay, but please don't forget the perfection lies beneath the teeny-tiny details. This way, you will prevent people from coming to your party reluctantly and from suffering during those couple of hours.
(The list is open to your comments; your recommendations on how to avoid ruin a party during the organization process are highly appreciated.)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
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