Planning an At-Home Event (1 of 4)
Having an event at your home & backyard, your parents’ home, or a friend’s place can be fun or a lot of work. It can be easier or anxiety inducing, it can be a cheaper option, or it can be extremely expensive!! Depending on your guest list, how much you plan to do yourself, and how fancy a party you want - the costs of tenting, decor, dinnerware, service, etc can add up - and often exceed the cost of a venue.
This basically a list of things to consider and questions to answer when planning a backyard event. Many questions and suggestions on this list may also apply to any outdoor venues. The list can be a bit daunting, so I’m breaking it up into 4 separate blog posts. This is also why at Kahani we offer full and partial planning packages, customized for your event. Our packages can also be multi-day event packages, so if you are having an event at home along with other events, you don’t need to stress about the details at either.
The Host
Is the host used to hosting? For some people, hosting is part of their lifestyle. They love having people over and are their happiest when their guests are enjoying themselves. For others, they stress out about shoes on their carpet, or wine glasses near the sofa, or just have anxiety about a large quantity of people being over. They might be extremely social and happy to offer, but they may also freak out if the guest list doubles, or if you choose to have a buffet filled with saucy items instead of neat little tea sandwiches! Do consider this before you ask, and before you take somebody up on their seemingly generous offer. There are many instances where the engaged couple has had to find a venue just before their event because the host only wanted to have a party on their terms, not the couples’.
Weather
In case of extreme weather, can the home be used as backup? It may not be ideal, but you always want to consider an extreme weather scenario - and knowing whether or not a large amount of people can fit inside is a consideration.
Include in your budget a plan for cooler or hotter than comfortable weather. Fans or heat lamps may be nice, even heat or ac are possibilities in an enclosed tent. You can also have blankets or shawls on hand, umbrellas available for rain.
Upcoming post: The Basics..