Smart Yearend Planning-Corporate Formalities
It's the time of year when we start to think about New Year's Eve. It can be both exciting and overwhelming. This post will provide you with tips on how to plan for this important event. We also have some tips on corporate formality, as well as suggestions for parties that are more laid back and fun!
What You'll Need:
• 1.5-2 yards of your favorite fabric (silk dupioni, satin, whatever you think looks best!)
There are a few things you'll need to be prepared for:
• A couple yards of your favorite fabric (we used silk dupioni) to use as a drop (optional) – I would recommend having one with some sheen if you're going to have people standing near the rails/balcony because it will make the seating area look that much better!
• Several cans of contact paper or even packing tape – The floor is often times wood and we don't want our carpet getting damaged by shoes.
• A drop cloth to keep the carpet clean when you set up
• 1 or 2 yards of binding (we used sashiko) – You'll need a covering for the walls and seats as well as something that can be used to cover your banquets.
• A small amount of padding for the walls so that they don't get ripped when moving furniture around
• Carrying strap or wrapping paper (we used wrapping paper) to hang fabric on
• Large pieces of cardboard or wood cut into cubes – To serve as "table" bases since you'll be setting them on top of carpeting rather than hardwood/tiles.
GPDSM's take:
The most important things to remember when planning for New Year's Eve or any other party:
• Plan for a hot date – it's easier and cooler to be outside if you're on a non-crowded beach!
• Pick fabrics that coordinate with the decor of your event, don't be afraid to get creative. For example, we dressed our tables in light blue/pale pink polka dots fabric and had the chairs in minty green with gold accents. We also have a lot of gold glitter fabric we used for the wall decor. Let your personality shine in your decor!
• Make sure to secure the table tops. Even if you don't want to glue them down, I suggest using some double sided tape or even using wrapping paper (the paper is less likely to rip under the weight of a full glass of champagne or wine).
• Don't forget about food – at least appetizers! We picked up some cheese, crackers and fruit from our local grocery store as well as some sparkling water and champagne.
• Get a professional to judge your costume contest so that there is no bias. The prizes should reflect the level of effort expected from competitors. Additionally, if you plan on having a costume contest make sure to let your guests know about this BEFORE the party begins.
• Plan for the seating. You don't want to have too many people congregating around the center area, especially if people are dancing or spinning! The first two rows on all sides and the center should be reserved for the band and dancers.
• If using carpeting, make sure to test it out properly before your party. We came home after a really busy work week and found a bunch of dirty footprints on our floor when we had just finished cleaning it!
• It's probably a good idea to get one of those professional outlet covers for your wall outlets. This is not intended as advice/recommendation – just something I'd suggest in general.
Having a New Year's Eve party can be stressful when you're planning them from scratch. We've listed a few tips and tricks to help you make it through the planning stages. These include ideas for how to break down your party into steps, and the process for getting your venue's permission to host a party.
OPTION 1: PREP WITH A FAMILY OR FRIEND
1) Decide what type of party you want – casual or formal. There are many ways that this decision can affect your planning process, so here are a few options to consider:
• Do you want to have a typical New Year's Eve celebration with dancing/dancing and food? Then keep it casual by hosting at your house or at a venue that allows dancing such as restaurants or most bars.
• Do you have any specific plans for making this New Year's Eve extra special? It's probably a good idea to keep the party relatively casual so that you don't spend too much money on decorations, etc.
• Have you been pining over a certain celebrity/special interest for the year? Set up a fan site for them and invite all of your friends to celebrate with you. This way you can celebrate the year's most memorable people and also save some money on decor!
• Have you been pining over a certain celebrity/special interest for the year? Set up a fan site for them and invite all of your friends to celebrate with you. This way you can celebrate the year's most memorable people and also save some money on decor!
2) Decide how many people to invite – this seems obvious, but it's important to consider when deciding how big of a party it'll be. Our New Year's Eve party was for 80 guests, but we're sure that if we had it again with the same amount of guests we could have done a much better job with the party budget.
Conclusion: If you don't want to decide between an expensive, formal party or a rundown, casual affair then it's probably a good idea to have both! Hosting a small, family dinner is the perfect way to celebrate without letting your budget get completely drained.
3) Pick a date for the party – if you're hosting an event at someone else's house it's probably best to host it on a weeknight. Sunday and Monday are always excellent choices since most people are still recuperating from their New Year's celebrations on Saturday night. If this is not possible, just make sure that your guests will be allowed access to their houses on the day of your party (i.e.