Whether you’re in charge of your workplace’s events calendar or have one or more personal celebrations lined up this year – the Reece’s Event Hire team is here to help. And while many of you may be feeling fatigued following the busy festive season and can’t quite face the idea of organising another event, at Reece’s we’re just getting started - and our team loves nothing more than ensuring our clients’ celebrations run as smoothly as possible! So, with all this in mind, we’ve put together our top three tips to help you with your 2020 planning - whatever the occasion.
1. Action stations!
Whether your function is scheduled for the end of the year, mid-year or even earlier – the most successful events are those planned with a realistic lead time and solid action plan in place. While it’s not always possible to predict when your event will occur, if the date or even month is confirmed - we highly recommend putting together a timeline of key actions, working backwards from your event date. Critical tasks should include booking the venue, plotting key timings around RSVP deadlines, arranging catering and entertainment, coordinating transport (if required) and booking a photographer. If planning a wedding, you may also want to include sourcing a celebrant and florist, invitation printing/delivery, furniture hire, arranging special signage or decorations – and even when the all-important hens and bucks celebrations will be held!
2. Stay on track
Ensure your event action plan includes an itemised budget to minimise the risk of overspending. When determining how much money to set aside for each area, we recommend considering the following ‘big ticket’ items first as they will be most critical to the success of your event.
- Venue and/or marquee hire – The time and date of your event plays an important role in how much your venue or marquee hire will cost, and what type of shelter will be most suitable. It may be more cost effective to hold your event on a Friday or a Sunday, or even during winter if planning a wedding. The friendly Reece’s team is always happy to work with our clients to determine which marquee size and type will work best both functionally, and economically.
- Catering – Food and beverage will be remembered by your guests long after your celebration, so you may want to allocate at least half of your total budget to this area. Unless your event is held at a venue where you have little control over the menu, the sky’s the limit when it comes to what you serve. You can be as extravagant (or as frugal!) as you’d like! But if you’re unsure where to begin, these tips may help:
Who will be attending?
Examine your guest list to see if you can predict what attendees are likely to eat and drink. If children are invited, expect your alcohol needs to be less. Also consider if any vegetarians or guests with special diets will be attending. Is it a weeknight work function, with many guests expected to drive? This may limit how much alcohol to serve, but you should compensate by providing extra canapes. With some careful analysis, it shouldn’t be too difficult to expect how your guests might behave - but bear in mind it’s always wise to over-cater… just in case!
Which season will your event run in?
When planning your menu, research what fresh produce will be in season at the time. Seasonal produce is generally more available and affordable – and tastes great, too! Is it a summer celebration? Design a menu suited to warmer weather such as seafood dishes, salads and even a BBQ feast - rather than heartier wintery meals. This logic applies to your beverage choices, too. Planning around seasons also allows you to be creative in other areas, i.e. a clear-roofed marquee would look simply stunning in winter! And who doesn’t love chilling out on pallet furniture on a lazy summer’s afternoon?
Can you involve your guests?
If your event is a smaller, more personal affair with family and friends - why not include them in the planning and request they bring a plate? Not only will this bring costs down, a varying menu gives guests something to talk about – and saves you a lot of time and stress!
- Entertainment – if your event requires a band or other outsourced entertainment, this can absorb a large proportion of your budget. Unless you have a particular musician in mind, why not consider going DIY and setting up the ultimate Spotify playlist? Reece’s Event Hire can help with your AV requirements and can even provide a song recommendation or two! ;)
- Invitations – It’s widely acceptable nowadays to send electronic invitations, and this method can add something special to your celebration - particularly if you need to provide website links for your guests. But if your invitations will be printed and traditionally delivered your budget will be undoubtedly impacted. We suggest obtaining two or three quotes if outsourcing this task, or scouting Pinterest for DIY ideas.
- Furniture hire – While furniture hire may be critical to your event, it doesn’t need to be a budget breaker. Reece’s Event Hire is one of Perth’s most experienced hire companies and can work with budgets of all sizes. See below for some items you may like to consider - including a few ideas you may not have thought of!
3. Reece’s favourites
Unsure what you might need for your celebration? The Reece’s Event Hire team has put together a few ideas to get you started – including a few surprises that could really supersize your event!
- Lighting – Create an atmosphere to impress! Reece’s Event Hire has lighting options to suit all types of events, with favourites including festoon strings in multiple styles, elegant chandeliers, spotlights and stage lighting – and even a vintage ladder pendant, as featured below.
- Furniture packages – Created to make event planning even easier for our clients, our furniture packages are affordably priced and come in a wide range of on-trend combinations. We’ve got options to suit all types of events including Vine Chair packages in black or white, our Dark Oak Bentwood with a classic Paris Base , the more relaxed Hi Bar table and Tolix chairs package – and even modular lounge settings for the perfect relaxation spot. Reece’s can even take care of the little guests! How adorable is our mini trestle table and plastic chair combo?
- Pool cover flooring – Whether you want to use your pool area as usable space or simply highlight it as a feature at your event – Reece’s has a solution to help. Choose from either a black top or natural varnished wood finish and hey presto, you’ve got an instant dance floor!
- Catering and bar services – Our ability to provide end-to-end events solutions means you can hire just about anything from Reece’s, so why not consider talking to our team about what catering options and bar services we can assist with? In addition to standard glassware and crockery we can also provide:
- Barbecues
- Bar fridges
- Eskies
- Rustic bar with shelf
- High tea settings
- Special wedding day touches – We know how important it is to make your big day as personal to you as possible. Make your occasion truly memorable with any of these romantic options for your ceremony:
- Rustic dark timber Arbour – you can even dress it with florals and fabrics to match your theme!
- Natural Meranti Wood easel – a lovely way to display special photos, your order of service or directional signage.
- Cream or red carpets – take the most important walk of your life in serious style.
Reece’s Event Hire also has ceremony hire packages [link to https://reeces.com.au/weddings/ceremony-hire-packages] available including guest seating for 24, 48 or 100+ guests, signing table, red or cream carpet runner and a market umbrella. It’s just another way we like to make life easier for our clients.
There are so many other tips and tricks we can share with you but at the end of the day, the most important advice we can provide is to remind you that your event is cause for celebration – and that means you should get to have fun, too! So, make sure that at some point during your event you take a little time out - even for a few moments - to breathe and enjoy the festivities, because you deserve to have fun and feel proud of what you’ve accomplished.
Have we got you thinking about your 2020 events needs? Then give us a call today! We can’t wait to hear all about your plans and help you to discover how your upcoming celebration can be turned into a truly special occasion – no matter your budget.
