| Finding the perfect party place | | Print | |
| Written by Kiddie Party Library | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monday, 18 February 2008 12:00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Next to the budget, the venue is the most important detail of the party. It sets the mood for the event and plays a role in how the party will be organized. Almost everything will depend on it. I find that I can’t do a thing if I haven’t found the appropriate venue yet. I can’t choose a caterer since the venue I choose may already be offering food. I can’t buy party favors because my budget for those depends on how much will be left for the venue budget. I can’t determine a final guest list because the number of guests depends on the size of the venue. So many details… Thankfully, I’ve found the perfect spot for my daughter’s party! All we have to do is reserve the place. My husband says to wait until the next month to reserve since the party wouldn’t be for three more months; but I’m so anxious that we might not get the reservation that I don’t want to talk about the place yet. Anyway, the reason it took me two months to settle on a place, even though we’ve had strong candidates, was the little details, which you may also want to consider when finding a venue: Venue location – It has to be somewhere convenient for your family, and also to your guests. Of course you don’t have to completely adjust to your guests; just make it accessible enough for them. It would be nice if the venue’s well-known (maybe a restaurant), located in a main street, and easy to find for guests that are not familiar with the area (has a large sign, etc) Size of venue – How many guests are you considering? If you have an estimate, add 20 or more to that number. You don’t want to find a place that has a capacity of 60 if your estimated number of guests is also 60. Make room for the waiters, party hosts and entertainment, plus a space for the kids to run around. I remember a manager that told me their place could accommodate up to 60 persons, but since approximately 20 of our guests would be children (we planned on 80 guests; 60 adults and 20 kids), then their place would probably be enough for our party. Is she kidding me? I wouldn’t want a fire hazard! Parking – Can the place accommodate you and your guests? Does it have parking space or will your guests have a difficult time finding a place to park? Parking is very important; you have to make sure that your guests will be able to park right away when they arrive so they won’t miss out on the party, especially if there’s a time limit! Services and packages offered – Venues like restaurants, and other events venues, already offer party packages that include food, use of venue, and amenities. Check for themes, number of people a package accommodates to, and the price. Then try canvassing for a couple more packages for comparison, and see if the cost of the package is really worth it. Some places already offer party favors that I found I don’t need or that I would be able to avail at a cheaper cost if I bought it somewhere else. Others also offered unnecessary entertainment that I didn’t need for my party too. Try to see if they allow you to customize their packages. Set-up and decorations – For restaurants, ask if they charge extra if you brought your own hosts, decorations, etc (if they do not offer these yet). Having a party at restaurants and events places is easier because they’ll be the ones to set up tables and chairs; but if you’ve chosen a “blank” place, leave a center area for the party entertainment and where the cake will be blown. Kiddie tables and chairs are only a good idea if the children invited to the party (as well as the celebrant) are old enough to mingle with one another. If your kid guests are toddlers or younger, then they are more interested in self-play or being with their nannies, so kiddie tables and chairs may not be necessary yet. Food and drinks – for venues that already offer food, make sure you have a food tasting session first if you haven’t eaten at the place yet. Who cares how affordable it is if the food doesn’t taste good! When you would be catering, it would probably be better to get someone you know, or someone recommended by a friend. Also consider whether you prefer a buffet or plated style. For children’s parties, I would prefer to have it plated since the party is already chaotic enough with kids running around; you wouldn’t want to add a buffet line to it! Getting bottomless drinks is better when majority of the guests are adults. Plus, ask if there’s a corkage fee for cake, lechons, children’s juice drinks etc. Number of hours – Most places offer 2-3 hours for children’s parties, and with good reason too. If that’s the case, but you’re not sure whether or not you’ll exceed, ask them how much they charge for additional half-hours or hours. Bathrooms – Check the bathrooms. Are they clean? Is there a place to change diapers or wash children’s hands and faces? The “look and feel” – You now have a strong candidate, but is that place really right for your child’s party? I’m quite picky about image and presentation; I didn’t want to go McDonalds because it was a first birthday and I wanted to make sure that it looked as if we spent a lot for it. The celebrant – Once you’ve narrowed down your options, and the remaining places more or less balance each other’s pros and cons, bring your child to that place and see which one he or she likes best. After all, it is his birthday, he should also have a word in this!
It’s a pretty long list, isn’t it? Remember, everything is interdependent, so when scoping for a place, think of all the other details that will be affected when you’ve settled for the spot. Don’t be afraid to ask the managers for pictures or their children’s party experiences too, this will give you an idea on how they handle parties. Start canvassing three to six months ahead of the party so that you can get early reservations. It’ll be easier to accomplish the “fun” details such as shopping for party favors and decorations once the venue (and possibly food) is all settled. Happy hunting!
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| Last Updated on Monday, 17 March 2008 21:01 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
