Gary
It’s party season, and if you want to know how to plan a perfect party then you’ll want to read on. Being a marquee supplier means being so much more than a marquee supplier – It means being an industry expert. We’ve seen a thing or two in our forty plus years in the events world, so let us share some of our experiences with you.
Don’t try to do it all on your own
You’re probably organising an event because you’ve got something to celebrate. But organising an event from start to finish can be challenging and time consuming work. Get your suppliers to do as much of the heavy lifting as possible.
At Lifestyle marquees, we know a wide range of events specialists that we can call upon to help make our clients events spectacular. Whether you are using a caterer, bar supplier or indeed, a marquee specialist, ask them for recommendations and save yourself the legwork.
We only ever recommend suppliers that we’ve worked with and that we trust to deliver events to the same exacting standards that we demand of ourselves. We also manage your third party suppliers too. Gathering quotes on clients behalves, booking the suppliers, organising delivery times for items such as furniture, crockery and cutlery, stages for bands, lighting and lots more.
There really is no need to do all of the hard work yourself.
Think of a theme
Everybody loves a theme. But that doesn’t mean that your guests will have to turn up in fancy dress (unless you want them to!), it simply means that you’ll have something that helps guide every other element of your event design.
If you truly want to know how to plan a perfect party then this labour saving tip is for you.
A theme makes decision making much easier – instead of having every option available to you on the table, you’ve narrowed it down to elements that match your theme. Venue design, colours, floristry and even your menu can be influenced by your theme. Setting your theme early on will make everything easier and will make the event feel that much more personal too.
Contact suppliers well in advance
The best suppliers get booked up a long time in advance. Particularly during times of high demand such as the summer and Christmas. There’s good reason for this… a great supplier really does make all the difference to the quality of your event.
A great DJ or band will know exactly how to build the atmosphere from a seated meal into a full on party. They’ll know how to keep the dancefloor filled all evening long and how to deal with the multitude of guest request that they’re bound to field all night long.
Food is vitally important too, guests will notice poor service and cold food and it will stick with them long after the night is over. A professional bar supplier will know the optimal bar size to supply for your guest number and for the type of event you’re holding – they’ll also know how much alcohol to stock it with. You don’t want the bar running dry, or guests queuing ten deep for refreshments.
So in short, don’t leave booking your suppliers to the last minute. Don’t scrimp on costs either. You really do get what you pay for and the best suppliers will make all the difference.
Plan your venue layout carefully
You can have the perfect entertainment, great food and an amazing bar, but if you get the setup wrong your party could still fall flat.
We always recommend that you keep your bar close to the dance floor. Separating the two can mean that you get pockets of guests congregating 
in different areas when you really want everyone partying together.
You don’t want your dancers having to traipse halfway across the venue to grab a drink, and your barfly’s will never make it onto the dance floor if it’s too far away!
Set up a chill out zone. There’s a reason that people congregate in the kitchen at house parties. People like to chat and they need a space that is comfortable and that offers volume levels to suit conversation. Low furniture, comfy seats and a chilled out vibe, but not too far from the action so that they can jump back in as soon as they are ready!
Would you like to know more about how to plan a perfect party?
Our team are on hand to offer recommendations, advice and tips as well as estimates over the phone. Contact us on 01373 459 485, or email enquiries@lifestylemarquees.co.uk to find out more.
