5 Tips to Impress Your Guests

We believe events have the power to transport guests mentally and emotionally to a happier, more content and rested place. When celebrations are created tastefully, the experience resonates with the human five senses, forever leaving an unforgettable impression on your guests. Here are five tips to impress your guests regardless of changing trends.

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A Spacious Welcome

This is surprisingly often overlooked but ensuring the entrance / welcome area to your celebration is spacious is very important. With most guests arriving in the same 5-10 minute window and receiving the same invitation time to check-in , you want to avoid congestion and crowding as the first guest impression. Spacious does not mean empty or lacking warmth and character; instead, spacious simply means being methodical about where to position the main entrance and check-in tables to not only provide a ‘wow’ impression but ample space for easy movement.

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Unique Menu

We are all aware that food & beverage is a very important element to any celebration. Not only will you spend a substantial portion of your budget on food & beverage, but each guest is guaranteed to take note and participate in this investment. We have noticed that when clients select menu items that are a bit outside the box or unconventional, guests remember and it leaves an impactful impression. 

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Creating an unconventional dinner menu can look like 1) selecting a vegetarian/vegan entree as a featured dish versus a substitute option, 2) serving a specialty protein such as duck, wild boar, or venison instead of beef and chicken, and 3) serving a palette cleanser (lemon sorbet, watermelon basil, etc. ) between the 1st and 2nd courses. 

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Interactive Entertainment

Having interactive entertainment upon guest arrival or during the cocktail reception is always a special, unique moment for guests. Interactive entertainment can look like a blind champagne wall, roaming oyster shucking attendants, a mime, live oil painter, an engaging magician, or strolling violinist. 

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Lighting

Lighting is arguably the most important event design element and your best friend in creating a stunning celebration! Hiring a lighting company that knows where and how to accentuate elements and angles while subtly hiding less appealing aspects (i.e. entrance doors to the kitchen, exit signs, fire permit requirements, etc.) in relation to time of day and ever changing natural light is invaluable. Lighting tones, warmness, softness, etc. are all nuances to be considered - even the slightest variation has a big impact. Lastly, brilliantly designed lighting sets the foundation for dynamically captured photographs. 

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Overhead Design Treatments

Overhead design elements always add a ‘wow’ element to any celebration while also creating a more cozy, warm environment. Whether the overhead treatment is vintage chandeliers, a floral installation, a thousand paper cranes, or artistically hung collection of Edison lights, discussing this element with your planner is very important so that he/she can work through the logistics and mechanics with the production team from the beginning. Overhead design treatments are often more logistically challenging than floor based design elements, but everything is possible and I bet your planner loves a challenge (like how we do!). 

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Xo,

Michelle

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