The two most common challenges event planners encounter are budget and location. Each time I plan a wedding reception, an anniversary or any kind of event that includes a meal, I look for a spacious ground or venue that is big enough to accommodate the number of invited guests.
For such a big event, I look for a place to rent. If it is an event under the open sky, I look for a garden with big lawn. If it is an indoor event, I rent an indoor venue that is convenient to the majority of the attendees.
Whether it is a garden event or an indoor venue, rental of these places usually do not include furniture. I either get my chair and table rentals from specialists that provide such services or hire an event planner to take charge of the whole event.
If I am on a tight budget, I make sure that my tablescape is simple. That does not mean I have to give up elegance.
Planning a vintage party
Last year, I helped plan a party in Anaheim, California, United States. We decided on a vintage theme and we had so much fun planning the vintage party décor. I personally picked the antique mirror and the antique long table with an old fashioned lace table runner that we used.
Not everything you use in such parties has to be bought or rented. You can use the beautiful silver vase handed down from your grandma as a centerpiece or something such as a ceramic pottery to hold the flowers or candles.
Choosing the types, colors and flower arrangement is important to flow with the vintage theme. Retro color from orange to yellowish-browns to off-white to blues are making a comeback. When it comes to numbers of items, it is claimed that odd numbers are the way to go whether it is candles or other decorative items on your table.
Small glass vases with a single flower in each vase as an anchor for seating place card with the name of your guest written on it and have these vases lined down the length of the table in front of each plate. These vases are gifts for your guest to take home.
Planning a vintage party is fun and very rewarding. You will be surprised by the amount of money you can save simply by being patient, detail-oriented, creative and resourceful.
Planning a vintage party becomes easier if you pick a particular year. Who were the top pop stars and what were the most famous songs that year? What was the fashion trend that year? Is there a movie that shows what people that year wore?
CONAN Daily 