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EVENT ADVICE
If you have an event planning experience you would like to share with us, advice you feel may be useful for our clients and could be added to this page, or any questions on event planning, please do not hesitate to contact us on:
info@ultimatevenue.com
How
to plan the ultimate party:
So
you have used the UltimateVenue
search
engine to find the perfect venue for your big party, but how do you
make sure that the event is a success? It's all very well inviting
100 people to a designer loft in the centre of London, but you need
to make sure they enjoy
themselves! Well
with the help of our party tips, hopefully your party will be the a
talking point amongst your friends for months to come...
-
Planning
is obviously a very important part of any event, and the earlier you
start to think about the details of your party, the less stressed
you will be the night before it takes place! Try to cover everything
when planning, so nothing is left to chance. Think about a
convenient date,
and the best time of day
for your party. If you start thinking early you can establish a time
which suits your best friends, and get them on board with the
organisation.
-
Be
selective
with your guest list, think of the people you want
at
your party, to ensure the event is a hit. Send out invitations
early, though if you are allowing people to bring a friend not too
early – you don't want more people than you can fit in the venue.
-
In
the week before your party make sure the venue
is
aware of the details. Don't be afraid to ask them for advice,
they have probably organised parties hundreds of times before. Think
about party games
that might help to get things swinging, and check to confirm the
catering
is still on track.
-
Try
to think up something a bit unique
so as to distinguish your party from others. If you choose the old
classic of fancy dress for example try to go for something a bit
different which provides plenty of scope for creativity
and will lead to much hilarity on the night. Discuss with the venue
organiser to refine your ideas, and assess the feasibility of your
plan.
-
Decide
on the food and drinks
you are going to offer. Are you going to use in house catering, or
would you prefer looking elsewhere for a particular type of cuisine.
Don' t be afraid to shop around. You will find some great caterers
on our links page who can help with your event!
-
Finally
take some time to relax and
get ready, if you have covered all the areas above you should be all
set for a party to remember!
-
Think
about decorating the night
before
to avoid stress on the day, and think about smaller details such as
drinks cooling
etc.
-
Finally
take some time to relax and
get ready, if you have covered all the areas above you should be all
set for a party to remember!
..............................................................................................................................................................
Aine
Gavigan's (Uisneach Catering Ltd) thoughts on catering:
-
How far in advance do you
usually like bookings for a wedding?
Usually around a year, sometimes more
as we get a lot of foreign brides.
-
What sort of dishes are most
popular for parties/weddings/corporate events?
Buffets are the most popular, and barbecues in the summer. The majority of our events are weddings, but buffets
are popular for other types of event too.I guess because they're simple to plan.
-
What are your most popular
times of year for weddings?
Undoubtedly the summer time. Like I
said we mostly cater for weddings, but summer time is the most
popular time for any event really.
-
Does the number of guests
affect the time you need to prepare?
Not really no. Particularly with a
buffet as it is fairly easy to prepare. We put one on for a party of
250 people just the other day without any problems.
Uisneach catering can be found at
www.uisneachcatering.ie,
and alongside catering will also shortly be providing a marquee-hire
service.
...........................................................................................................................................................
How
to plan your dream wedding:
Your
wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, and some
careful planning can ensure that your dream wedding comes
true. Having chosen a perfect romantic venue from the UltimateVenue
search database, you are ready to begin thinking about the
details which will ensure your special day really is special.
Here are a few tips to help you avoid the stress and struggle
often associated with wedding planning... Also in the coming weeks look out for interviews with people who have been there and done it, and also various experts such as wedding planners...
-
Firstly
set a date. This will give you a time frame in which you can
plan out the rest of your organising. Check and confirm the
date with your church or wedding venue and reception venue. Think
carefully about the date. Consider the weather, and if the people
you most want to be there are available. Also try to to coincide
with a major event which could interfere with your plans. It could
affect the atmosphere or turnout if you set your wedding date as the
day England finally reach another World Cup final!
-
Make
a “to-do” list. There is a lot to think about in order to
make your wedding a success, you need to be careful not to leave
anything out. A model "to-do" list will be posted within the next few weeks.
-
It
is important to book your venue well in advance in order to
ensure you get the day you want. Around a year in advance is about
right, although a popular venue at a popular time of year
could require up to 15 months notice.
-
Who
do you want at your wedding? You can be very selective as
this is your wedding, but also consider how big a wedding you wished
for, and how big a wedding your budget can allow. Don't forget to
select, write and send out invitations in good time so as to
ensure all the important people turn up. 2 moths in advance
is about right for the sending, so they will need time to be
prepared before that.
-
Talk
to people you trust about helping out. If you spread the
load in terms of what needs to be done, you can cut down the
stress caused by trying to organise too much at once. Also talk to
people who are married and have been there and done it. Happy
couples love to talk about their wedding day, so take advantage and
gather up all the advice you can get!
-
Use
professionals where possible. A friend who photographs birds
at the weekends is unlikely to capture the moment in quite the same
light as a firm who specialise in taking wedding photos and
have done for many years. So stick to those who really know what
they're doing – you only (hopefully) have one go at this, so you
want everything to be perfect!
-
Set
a budget, and try to be strict. Temptation to go
overboard will certainly be strong, but sometimes simple is better
than lavish and a budget is an important part of the planning as it
gives you a frame within which to work.
-
Get
the large and important things sorted early. Have the venue booked,
wedding dress fitted, book your wedding cars, book your
photographer,
choose and book your honeymoon.
-
Get
on top of paperwork! Make lists of invitation
acceptances and refusals so you have a clear overview of numbers.
Prepare and send thank you letters for wedding gifts as they
arrive so the honeymoon is free to focus on more important things.
-
Think
carefully and early about the little, yet very important
wedding details. These include your best man, bridesmaids, wedding
cake, wedding, ring, presents, dress, flowers etc. A lot of these
components, such as flowers and wedding cake, are best organised
well in advance to avoid any last-minute rush.
Keep an eye on this page, as more tips for different types of events will be added each week...
How
to plan a professional conference:
Hopefully
you found an ideal venue for your conference with the UltimateVenue
professional venue search. Make sure you took in to account the ease
of access for your event, particularly if you are inviting lots of
delegates. Search out nearby airports and train stations to ensure
people can get there.
-
Go
and have a look at the venue well before your conference.
This allows you to check out vehicle access and eating
arrangements, to help you with the rest of your planning.
-
Decide
on the length of the conference, and therefore what
arrangements for catering will be needed. Discuss your
ideas with the staff of your venue, and listen to their
ideas. They have probably done this before!
-
Try
to establish your budget early. Again discuss with your venue
and make sure you allow for wages for speakers, venue hire, catering
if separate etc. Allow a margin in case of unforeseen costs,
but try to stick fairly rigidly to your budget throughout the
planning process.
-
As
for the technical equipment you require, establish whether it
is provided by the venue or whether you need to sort that out
separately. Talk to your speakers and make sure can get hold
of everything they require.
-
What
about general items you may need? Will you be using name badges? Are
there going to be printed handouts? Is there Wi-Fi access in your
venue? Would the venue suit some form of decoration?
-
Think
of the little needs of delegates. Fresh water throughout a
presentation will go down well. You could think about providing
writing paper or pens.
-
Look
to provide an interesting and different programme. If the
conference is simply another lecture on a subject which has been
covered over and over, perhaps it is not worth holding the event at
all. Try to provide presentations in interesting formats which will
capture and maintain the interest of your audience. This will
ensure your event is not just “another conference”.
-
Do
you need to promote your conference? And how much should be
budgeted for doing so? If it is a training day for your
company then little promotion is needed, however if you are looking
to attract delegates from further afield you may be advised to
advertise in appropriate literature, or directly contact
desired guests.
-
Discuss
the layout with your venue and ensure it fits in with your
conference. A U shape may be well suited to a conference which
encourages audience participation, whereas for a traditional
lectures format a theatre or classroom layout will suffice.
-
Make
sure you have a dry run, and think carefully about each part of your
programme and timings to ensure a smooth ride.
Keep an eye on this page, as more tips for different types of events will be added each week...
How
to plan a student party:
Whether
it be a party for your university society or club, or a private
student party for an event such as a birthday or Halloween, Ultimate
Venue has the best venues across
the UK for you to choose from. However having used our venue search
to seek out a great venue for your event, what else do you need to
ensure your student party makes the grade?
-
Students
are notorious for their drinking habits, and love of loud music.
Give these basics the necessary attention and you will ensure
success. Less attention to detail is needed as for say an adult
cocktail party, so talk to your venue manager, and ensure the bar is
well stocked in advance. Also get in a decent DJ who has done
student parties before.
-
Selective
invitation is not as necessary. A general rule is the more the
merrier, though that is of course down to you as the organiser, and
the limits of the venue.
-
Students
are just big kids, and they love to dress up. Here is a list of
possible dressing up themes for your party, to give those party
photos a little something extra:
-
Letter
of the alphabet; Select a letter and everyone must dress as
something beginning with that letter. Fun and it is guaranteed to
bring in some creative ideas!
-
What
you dreamed of being when you grew up (Astronaut etc...)
-
Cheap
and tacky. Pick out the most horrible, nasty clothes you can find.
-
Animals.
Plenty of room for innovation here.
-
Clashing
colours.
-
Hollywood.
Dress as your favourite film character.
-
Doctors
and Nurses.
-
Pick
on a mate. Pick one of your friends with a distinctive dress style
and all dress like that person for the night. (Probably a good plan
to check he or she is ok with it first).
-
Old
School tennis players: Short shorts and sweat bands!
-
Emergency
services fancy dress: Self explanatory.
Keep an eye on this page, as more tips for different types of events will be added each week...
How
to plan a kids party:
Getting
through the planning and execution of a children's party can be an
absolute nightmare. You just never really know how well you're ideas
are going to go down. Ultimate Venue
has a few tips here that can help ensure there are smiles all round
at party bag time, as your kids party goes off problem-free...
-
One
essential component to a kids party is a theme. Hopefully you
have found just the place to hold the party from our venue search
site, but how are you going to decorate your venue? And what
should the children come as? It seems obvious but asking the child
whose party you are planning is the place to start, you can then
rule out unrealistic or overly expensive themes until you find one
that you are both happy with.
-
Begin
your planning early. There is bound to be a whole host of
additions to the original idea if your child gets his or her way so
this will give you time for shopping.
-
Think
carefully about numbers. The younger the child the less children you
will want to invite, as small kids can be a big handful. Think about
how many adults you are going to have present to help out. If it is
just you alone then seriously limit invitations to avoid hair loss!
Keep an eye on this page, as more tips for different types of events will be added each week...
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