Tips for planning that dream event once we are out of lockdown

It’s a frustrating and sad time for everyone at the moment, we are unable to see our friends and family, and enjoy life how we once knew it. The country is in full lockdown and it feels like there is no end in sight to it being gradually eased soon. However one day we will be back to normal or the new normal, and we will be wanting to see our friends again, host a birthday party and plan events for Christmas (hopefully).

So once this is over there are many things that we will be itching to do and we will want to celebrate. But for now what you can be doing whilst cooped up at home is starting to think about plans for your event; be that a wedding, lunch or dinner with friends, a work christmas party, and even that much needed family get together.

To help, here are some of the ways that you can do that…..

Moodboard and develop ideas

Now is a great to start planning your event. Think about what your event is; is it a party with friends to celebrate coming out of lockdown and seeing each other again, is it a family reunion, is it your wedding or a christmas party. You can start to look at ideas, styles, colour schemes and themes, and create moodboards or Pinterest boards to help focus your mind. If you use Pinterest one of my tips is to start pinning what you like and then take an overall view of it, you should then easily see what colours and styles are what you warm to.

Create a venue wishlist

Think about where you want your event to take place. Will you be hosting it in a local restaurant or bar, or will it need to be hosted somewhere further afield that is more convenient for guests. Whilst it’s impossible to visit such venues at the moment, you could consider reading restaurant reviews and take comfort in their hygiene rating that is listed on all restaurants and venues that feature on the Squaremeal website. If you’re looking at wedding venues, you could use this time to shortlist your venues, see what they look like on Instagram and if a wedding photographer has photographed there (this is a good way to see a venue other than their website), and then make preparations for a visit once you can.

Who’s coming

Next up is your guest list or a list of people you would like to invite. The amount of people you choose to invite will depend on budget, venue and what your event is. I’m sure that if you’re just planning an end of lockdown celebration with friends and family you’ll be clear on numbers and who to invite, but if you’re planning a corporate Christmas party or a wedding your guest numbers may be a little more fluid so it’s best to take this into consideration too.

Food and drink

This is so important and will be the talking point of your event – what is the food and drink. If you’re event is going to be in a restaurant or bar there may be a few options including eating from the menu, or having a set menu depending on how many people you are catering for. If it’s a more corporate event or a wedding you may have total control over the food depending on your style and theme that you choose for the event. You will also need to consider drinks, will you be paying for all the drinks, some of them, or letting your guest purchase the.  Think about this…..if your bar isn’t free, you may need to let your guests know in advance. Just saying…..

Entertainment

Last up is entertainment. Do you need entertainment at your event? It could be a band or DJ, or simply someone to turn up and entertain the younger members of a party to allow the adults to enjoy themselves.

I know that it’s a tricky time and we are faced with so much uncertainty at the moment that can be incredibly upsetting. But I hope that by doing some of the above will allow you to take your mind off the world, and give you something to look forward to. After all we all need a little bit of positivity at the moment.

Are you thinking about any future events right now?

Claire x

This is a collaborative blog post with Square Meal.