10 Tips For A Great Stress Free Function
We've hosted a lot of weddings, birthday parties, engagements, hen's nights, Christmas parties and festivals at the winery.
And you can split these into two types of functions.
Type one is where everyone has a good time.
The function runs smoothly, on time, on budget and the organiser has a fantastic night with everyone telling her what a great time they've had.
And then there's the type two functions.
Things are missing, people are late, it costs more than expected, the guests have a lousy time and the organiser is off in the corner crying.
Thankfully we have very few type two functions.
To help you have the most stress free, best organised, most talked about function ever, here's the top ten rules to follow.
They may seem like a lot of work but...
There is a reason for all this planning.
The more you do before the day, the better time you'll have on the day because the old saying still holds true: 'Failing to plan is planning to fail...
' 1.
Is this the right venue for you? If you've got 50 people coming for a casual birthday party, they'd be very uncomfortable and feel out of place in a grand ballroom designed to hold 200.
Likewise, trying to squeeze 120 people into a function room built for 50 won't make you any friends.
Match the venue to your function and your guests.
If you're planning a casual day, go for a casual venue with finger food or a buffet meal.
Silver service will just make everyone nervous and feel lousy.
Get your invitations out early and give your RSVPs time to respond so you'll have accurate guest numbers.
This will greatly help you with catering and drinks costs.
The best organised functions tell us two weeks in advance exactly how many people they'll have on the day.
Remember the band or DJ.
Is there room for them? When the venue says it seats 120, does this mean you have to move tables to get to your dance floor.
If you have to turn down the music since your blasting the table of honour, it'll kill the mood and you won't have many people up and rocking away.
Decide on what you want and check the details.
2.
Location, location, location...
Can everyone find and get to your function? The Surprise goes out of the Surprise Party when your guests walk in at the same time as the guest of honour because they couldn't find the place.
And we've seen functions where key guests or family members arrive an hour late due to poor directions.
The best run functions we've seen send all their guests a map and clear written directions on how to get here.
You'll also find that any guests driving for two or more hours will want to stay nearby so look for a local accommodation directory.
3.
Working with the people and looking over the venue You need to be comfortable when dealing with the people at the venue.
Do you 'click' with them or do they make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? It's your day and you want a great day so the last thing you need are hassles with the venue.
Here's just a few of the basic questions to ask: Visit the venue, walk around, talk to the functions director and inspect the physical room you'll be using on the day.
If you don't like it or them, move on...
There are plenty of other places out there that'll be more than happy to talk to you.
Ask about the catering.
Can you bring in your own caterers or do you have to use the catering offered by the venue? Ask about dropping off the cake or your special dish early.
Is there fridge space or a cool room to store your foods? Ask about the drinks.
Do you get discount rate drinks or are you paying full retail? Can you set a limit on the bar tab? And if the party's rocking and everyone's having a great time, can you extend the limit or are you locked in? Are the setup and pull down times flexible? Can you get in the day before to put up your decorations or do you have to rush in 30 minutes before the guests arrive? Are you expected to clean up the venue or do you just walk away at the end of the night? Ask all these basic questions while you're looking around and it'll save you time and pain.
Now that you've decided on the function venue and where, check out these details that'll make all the difference for your big day.
4.
The type of Function or Event Decide on the 'theme' and time of your function.
This one decision will have the greatest impact on your catering and function costs.
Is it informal nibbles, cocktail food, buffet 'sit anywhere' or sit down silver service? Is the venue supplying the catering or do you want your own caterers? The time of day will impact how hungry your guests are.
A 10am or 3pm function will need less food than a 1pm or 6pm function.
A 60th surprise party at 10 am or 3pm will eat and drink a whole lot less than an engagement party at 12 noon or 7pm.
Have you catered for the vegetarians, the diabetics, the allergy sufferers? The easiest way to find this information is to ask for it on the RSVP.
Ask people if they have any special dietary requirements, it really is that easy.
5.
Decide on your budget and priorities and stick to them Have some idea of your budget before you speak to your venue.
This includes the menu selection, the wines, the beers, what you leave 'on the counter' as your drinks tab, the decorations and the band or DJ.
If you ask anyone about the last great function they went to they'll probably say it had 'heaps of top food, great music and a good atmosphere.
' A year or two later no one's going to remember the sterling silver candle holders or the matching custom printed napkins and balloons.
Put your money where it matters and keep your guests happy.
They'll love you for it.
6.
Entertainment Check out your entertainment.
If you can't see them perform somewhere else, get a demo CD or DVD.
Some people look great on the website and that's where they should stay as they're pretty ordinary in real life.
Make sure they can play the sort of music you want and what your guests will want to dance to.
And, ask them if they're happy for you to use their microphone for your speeches.
It will save you a lot of hassle having to arrange your own PA.
7.
Wet Weather Options The best run and best fun functions we've seen have a wet weather plan.
The catering and entertainment are the easy things.
Think about your photo sessions, if you have older guests then think about how quickly they can get from the car park to the venue.
Do you have some big umbrellas to help them? Do you have to carry gifts or cakes from the car? If you've got your heart set on an outside function, can the band setup inside somewhere? Just stop and think about what happens when it's raining.
8.
Planning and scheduling Have a plan for the event and a schedule of when things happen.
The best example of this is a surprise party.
You want all your guests there to sing and clap when the guest of honour arrives.
Generally older guests will arrive way early and younger guests will arrive late.
Telling your 70th surprise party guests to arrive a half hour early will see most of them there an hour before.
Telling your 25th birthday surprise party guests to arrive an hour before will see most of them there 15 minutes before the event.
That's just how it works.
Start your music at the time listed on the invitation and make sure the band or DJ knows the schedule of events.
They will work their 'sets' around your photos, speeches, videos, presentations, raffles, dinner etc.
The last thing you want with people rocking on the dance floor is to stop everything, turn up the lights and draw a raffle.
Likewise, when the bride and groom disappear for the photos, think about the music, drinks and nibbles for your guests.
Just because you're busy doesn't mean they are and a half hour is a very long time staring at your feet.
9.
Seating plan Think about your guests when you're doing the seating plan.
You'll know who you can sit where without family feuds.
But there are other things to think about.
Don't put your older guests right next to the speakers as they'll get blasted by the music.
Put the people you know will be up and rockin' at the loudest table.
If you're doing the seating plan and you don't know who these people are, then make some calls and find out.
Have a kids table and put someone in charge of the kids table.
Provide some entertainment for the kids such as colouring books, entertainment or games.
This'll keep the kids happy and quiet, it'll let mum and dad have a great time and it'll let everyone on the dance floor have a top time without fretting about knocking over a stray little person.
10.
A Happy Ending Most bands and DJ's book for a 4 hour minimum.
Check the band's policy and more importantly the venue's policy on going overtime.
If everyone's rocking along and mood is great and the band starts to play Auld Lang Syne..
..
Well then a nod a wink to the band might get you another hour of music but only if you've arranged it before hand.
Most bands or DJs plan their song list and like to finish 'big'.
So the best time to let the band know is about 30 minutes before the scheduled finish time.
This gives them time to shuffle their song list so they can keep everyone up and dancing and still finish on a high note.
And if the band says yes and the venue says no, well then you've got a new problem.
Ask about the liquor license and partying on later.
Is the venue licensed past this time? What will it cost you for the venue to go overtime? And what does it do to your carefully planned budget? Do your homework about going overtime and it'll make it easy to decide 'on the spot.
'
And you can split these into two types of functions.
Type one is where everyone has a good time.
The function runs smoothly, on time, on budget and the organiser has a fantastic night with everyone telling her what a great time they've had.
And then there's the type two functions.
Things are missing, people are late, it costs more than expected, the guests have a lousy time and the organiser is off in the corner crying.
Thankfully we have very few type two functions.
To help you have the most stress free, best organised, most talked about function ever, here's the top ten rules to follow.
They may seem like a lot of work but...
There is a reason for all this planning.
The more you do before the day, the better time you'll have on the day because the old saying still holds true: 'Failing to plan is planning to fail...
' 1.
Is this the right venue for you? If you've got 50 people coming for a casual birthday party, they'd be very uncomfortable and feel out of place in a grand ballroom designed to hold 200.
Likewise, trying to squeeze 120 people into a function room built for 50 won't make you any friends.
Match the venue to your function and your guests.
If you're planning a casual day, go for a casual venue with finger food or a buffet meal.
Silver service will just make everyone nervous and feel lousy.
Get your invitations out early and give your RSVPs time to respond so you'll have accurate guest numbers.
This will greatly help you with catering and drinks costs.
The best organised functions tell us two weeks in advance exactly how many people they'll have on the day.
Remember the band or DJ.
Is there room for them? When the venue says it seats 120, does this mean you have to move tables to get to your dance floor.
If you have to turn down the music since your blasting the table of honour, it'll kill the mood and you won't have many people up and rocking away.
Decide on what you want and check the details.
2.
Location, location, location...
Can everyone find and get to your function? The Surprise goes out of the Surprise Party when your guests walk in at the same time as the guest of honour because they couldn't find the place.
And we've seen functions where key guests or family members arrive an hour late due to poor directions.
The best run functions we've seen send all their guests a map and clear written directions on how to get here.
You'll also find that any guests driving for two or more hours will want to stay nearby so look for a local accommodation directory.
3.
Working with the people and looking over the venue You need to be comfortable when dealing with the people at the venue.
Do you 'click' with them or do they make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? It's your day and you want a great day so the last thing you need are hassles with the venue.
Here's just a few of the basic questions to ask: Visit the venue, walk around, talk to the functions director and inspect the physical room you'll be using on the day.
If you don't like it or them, move on...
There are plenty of other places out there that'll be more than happy to talk to you.
Ask about the catering.
Can you bring in your own caterers or do you have to use the catering offered by the venue? Ask about dropping off the cake or your special dish early.
Is there fridge space or a cool room to store your foods? Ask about the drinks.
Do you get discount rate drinks or are you paying full retail? Can you set a limit on the bar tab? And if the party's rocking and everyone's having a great time, can you extend the limit or are you locked in? Are the setup and pull down times flexible? Can you get in the day before to put up your decorations or do you have to rush in 30 minutes before the guests arrive? Are you expected to clean up the venue or do you just walk away at the end of the night? Ask all these basic questions while you're looking around and it'll save you time and pain.
Now that you've decided on the function venue and where, check out these details that'll make all the difference for your big day.
4.
The type of Function or Event Decide on the 'theme' and time of your function.
This one decision will have the greatest impact on your catering and function costs.
Is it informal nibbles, cocktail food, buffet 'sit anywhere' or sit down silver service? Is the venue supplying the catering or do you want your own caterers? The time of day will impact how hungry your guests are.
A 10am or 3pm function will need less food than a 1pm or 6pm function.
A 60th surprise party at 10 am or 3pm will eat and drink a whole lot less than an engagement party at 12 noon or 7pm.
Have you catered for the vegetarians, the diabetics, the allergy sufferers? The easiest way to find this information is to ask for it on the RSVP.
Ask people if they have any special dietary requirements, it really is that easy.
5.
Decide on your budget and priorities and stick to them Have some idea of your budget before you speak to your venue.
This includes the menu selection, the wines, the beers, what you leave 'on the counter' as your drinks tab, the decorations and the band or DJ.
If you ask anyone about the last great function they went to they'll probably say it had 'heaps of top food, great music and a good atmosphere.
' A year or two later no one's going to remember the sterling silver candle holders or the matching custom printed napkins and balloons.
Put your money where it matters and keep your guests happy.
They'll love you for it.
6.
Entertainment Check out your entertainment.
If you can't see them perform somewhere else, get a demo CD or DVD.
Some people look great on the website and that's where they should stay as they're pretty ordinary in real life.
Make sure they can play the sort of music you want and what your guests will want to dance to.
And, ask them if they're happy for you to use their microphone for your speeches.
It will save you a lot of hassle having to arrange your own PA.
7.
Wet Weather Options The best run and best fun functions we've seen have a wet weather plan.
The catering and entertainment are the easy things.
Think about your photo sessions, if you have older guests then think about how quickly they can get from the car park to the venue.
Do you have some big umbrellas to help them? Do you have to carry gifts or cakes from the car? If you've got your heart set on an outside function, can the band setup inside somewhere? Just stop and think about what happens when it's raining.
8.
Planning and scheduling Have a plan for the event and a schedule of when things happen.
The best example of this is a surprise party.
You want all your guests there to sing and clap when the guest of honour arrives.
Generally older guests will arrive way early and younger guests will arrive late.
Telling your 70th surprise party guests to arrive a half hour early will see most of them there an hour before.
Telling your 25th birthday surprise party guests to arrive an hour before will see most of them there 15 minutes before the event.
That's just how it works.
Start your music at the time listed on the invitation and make sure the band or DJ knows the schedule of events.
They will work their 'sets' around your photos, speeches, videos, presentations, raffles, dinner etc.
The last thing you want with people rocking on the dance floor is to stop everything, turn up the lights and draw a raffle.
Likewise, when the bride and groom disappear for the photos, think about the music, drinks and nibbles for your guests.
Just because you're busy doesn't mean they are and a half hour is a very long time staring at your feet.
9.
Seating plan Think about your guests when you're doing the seating plan.
You'll know who you can sit where without family feuds.
But there are other things to think about.
Don't put your older guests right next to the speakers as they'll get blasted by the music.
Put the people you know will be up and rockin' at the loudest table.
If you're doing the seating plan and you don't know who these people are, then make some calls and find out.
Have a kids table and put someone in charge of the kids table.
Provide some entertainment for the kids such as colouring books, entertainment or games.
This'll keep the kids happy and quiet, it'll let mum and dad have a great time and it'll let everyone on the dance floor have a top time without fretting about knocking over a stray little person.
10.
A Happy Ending Most bands and DJ's book for a 4 hour minimum.
Check the band's policy and more importantly the venue's policy on going overtime.
If everyone's rocking along and mood is great and the band starts to play Auld Lang Syne..
..
Well then a nod a wink to the band might get you another hour of music but only if you've arranged it before hand.
Most bands or DJs plan their song list and like to finish 'big'.
So the best time to let the band know is about 30 minutes before the scheduled finish time.
This gives them time to shuffle their song list so they can keep everyone up and dancing and still finish on a high note.
And if the band says yes and the venue says no, well then you've got a new problem.
Ask about the liquor license and partying on later.
Is the venue licensed past this time? What will it cost you for the venue to go overtime? And what does it do to your carefully planned budget? Do your homework about going overtime and it'll make it easy to decide 'on the spot.
'