Attending a birthday party is a lot of fun for most people, but what about planning one? If you’ve ever planned an event before, whether it’s for yourself or somebody else, you already know there is a lot of work involved, but what if we told you it doesn’t have to be stressful? Continue reading to discover the basic aspects of a great birthday party…
The Venue
If you’re choosing not to host your party at your home, then you will likely need to choose a venue to hire instead. There can often feel like a lot to consider when picking your venue, but all you need to bear in mind is it’s location (in proximity to you and your guests) and price. Choosing a venue that is more local to you and the majority of your guests is a huge win by cutting down journey time and potential travel expenses. If you really have your heart set on a venue further afield make sure it’s relatively easy to access, has decent car parking and either it’s own accommodation or some nearby so if people do want to stay the night they can. Second of all, price. We advise setting yourself a realistic budget for the whole party first and allocating a portion of that towards venue hire and any associated food and drink costs. Once you know how much you can spend, then you can start enquiring with venues and collecting quotes. It will be easy this way as if venue quotes come in way over your budget, you know it is an immediate no and you can look elsewhere and focus your search on those venues that you like and are within your spending limits.
Food and Drink
The next thing to consider is what food and drink you’d like to provide for your guests. This will often come up in conversation when you are looking for your venue, because quite often, venues will have all-inclusive packages available for you to book, so we would always advise having an idea of what you’d like to provide when you are enquiring with venues, that way we can quote you for everything all in one go!
If you’re not sure what your food options are, speak to the venue. Quite often, we offer either a sit-down meal or a buffet, however there are other menus, for example BBQs, that we, as venues, can provide. If you are choosing a sit-down meal then be prepared that depending on your guest numbers that you will need to allow around an hour or so for service for the entire meal start to finish, plus if you choose this option you will need to ask all your guests for pre-orders and if they have any allergy / dietary requirements.
The Entertainment
Once you’ve secured the date with the venue, it’s time to book your entertainment. Now this doesn’t necessarily mean just booking a DJ, but you could also consider other forms of entertainment for example casino tables, photo booths, karaoke and magicians. Often, venues will work with preferred suppliers for all kinds of entertainment so it’s worth asking them for their recommendations. If a DJ and/or live music is out of your budget, then you can always put together a playlist on Spotify and blast that through some speakers too!
If you would like more information about hosting your birthday party with us here at The Jazz Cafe, please send us an email to office@thejazzcafe.co.uk.
