Happy New Year! Photo courtesy of Sprungphoto.com.
Happy New Year to all! If you just got engaged, please accept my congratulations. Enjoy your engagement. There’s no time like it. And remember to leave plenty of time to spend with your spouse-to-be, even while you are busy planning your wedding.
For those who celebrate right around now, I’d like to offer my best wishes for your holidays. May all your dreams come true!
Here’s the “guest book” for the sports fan!
I just worked on one of the best bar mitzvah parties I can imagine, which has prompted some thoughts on what kinds of parties are really appreciated by the guests.
As far as I can tell, the standard, Saturday evening party following a bar or bat mitzvah is dinner and a DJ for dancing. That was pretty common when I was that age, and (according to the 13-year-old I was talking with recently) that is how a lot of them still are. And that’s great, if you have both teens and adults at the party who really like to dance.
But what about when one group (or both) doesn’t really like to dance? Should you still hire a DJ? What are the other options? Actually, there are a lot.
The family I just worked with decided that they wanted a low-key party, nothing too fancy. And they followed the interests of their son, who really (really!) loves sports. They rented a community center that has both a party room and a gym, and they brought in a company that does giant, inflatable games. They filled the gym with games (and cool lighting and fun music). And everyone loved it. The kids, arriving at the party, went running into the gym with lots of sounds of “Ooooh, wow!” The adults had a great time in the other room with a selfie station, a corn hole game, some music, and adult beverages–or watching the kids play the games in the gym. There was a dinner buffet, so everyone ate when they weren’t too busy playing. And it was one of the most fun parties for all involved.
So, what can you do if you are planning a similar celebration? Not everyone is as into sports as this young man, but most kids of 13 have something that they are interested in. If your child is, say, into chess and so are all their friends, you can bring in a chess expert to teach or run a tournament. Or have a live chess game with the kids as players. Or, if your kid loves art or theatre or music, there are plenty of organizations that would love to run activities for your party. (Check with your local park district or favorite arts organization that runs summer camps to see what they have to offer for parties.)
Pretty much any interest can become both the theme and the activity at a party. And if it’s something the kids at the party love, anyhow, they will all have a great time. And maybe even the adults will enjoy it, too!
A good wedding venue is hard to find. Photo by MWD Photography.
Probably the first thing you are going to do if you are planning a wedding is look for a place to hold your wedding. This is somehow always a challenging process, so let me drop a few hints to help you on your way. How do you find the right venue?
Obviously, the first few things you need to know are a) where it is; b) how many people it can hold for the style of party you want; c) is it available on any dates you are considering, and d) how much does it cost? (About that “b),” keep in mind that you can fit more people into a room if they are standing up for a cocktail party than if they are all sitting down at large tables. And the fire marshal has the last word on how many people are permitted in a room.)
Once you have found out which places fit the bill on those four counts, it’s time to start visiting venues. As much information as you can get from a venue’s website, Instagram, and reviews, you really have to go there to see it for yourself. Every wedding is different, and not every location will be suitable for what you have in mind.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when you visit: Is the layout useful for the party you want? Does it have the right ambience or feel? Does it make you happy? It also goes without saying that you should ask practical questions, as well: What caterers are permitted on site? Are the restrooms adequate? What time is the venue available on the wedding day? Will it be accessible to guests who have mobility limitations? Is the owner or manager responsive to your needs?
One thing I have seen happen quite often is that the visit to the first venue changes your mind about what you want and how to accomplish it. Actually being in the place where the dream meets reality can be very formative in your ideas of how your wedding should be. And that’s actually a good thing. Don’t feel compelled to stick to your original vision if you find that it doesn’t stand up to reality. You should not be afraid to change direction at this point. It’s much better to change your mind now, rather than after you have committed large sums of money.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that, as a planner, I get faster and more thorough responses from venues than my clients do. When I do full planning, obviously I’m the point of contact. When I do partial planning, sometimes I give suggestions but my clients are the ones who get in touch with the venue. So, I get to see the difference in response time. I’d always rather make the first contact with a venue, because I know my clients will have a better experience if the venue knows there is a planner involved.
If you’re venue shopping, keep these things in mind as you go along. I think that finding a venue is one of the most difficult parts of wedding planning for most people. I hope you find it a little bit easier now!
Recent Comments