How to Create the Perfect Ambiance at an Event
To create a captivating ambiance that your guests will love and remember for a lifetime, follow these simple event styling tips.
Event Styling Tips
Location
When you’re planning an event, one of the most important things to lock down first is the location. You’ll need to give yourself plenty of time to check out different venues before making your decision and book far enough in advance to make sure the day you have in mind is available.
A lot of factors go into choosing the right venue. The most important ones are the budget, size, and accommodations. Is the place big enough to comfortably host your guest list, including tables and chairs, entertainment, and any other things you may need space for such as a dance floor? What is the parking situation? Are you allowed to bring in outside food, drink, and decorations? How late are you allowed to keep the party going? Are there any other restrictions? Make a list of everything you need the venue to have before you start your search.
While it’s great to find a venue that is beautiful before any personal touches are added, it’s not a requirement. A bland community recreational room can be transformed into a fairytale setting with the right décor. The important things are factors like the size and restrictions because you can’t change those.
Theme
To create a truly memorable event, a theme goes a long way. It helps tie everything together and create a creative, cohesive look. It doesn’t have to be something extravagant and complex; it can be a color combination and a style (such as white, teal, and coastal elegance) or a source of inspiration (such as a Miami nightclub).
Having a theme will help elevate the style of your event and immerse guests in the experience. Once you’ve chosen your theme, embrace it and run with it. Gather photos and inspiration for your theme that you can pull ideas from when you start choosing décor.
Tablescapes
The tables are where your guests will spend a lot of their time, so it’s important that they make an impact and keep guests immersed in the experience. They don’t have to be extravagant (unless you want them to be). A tablecloth, simple centerpiece, and placeholders (if necessary) that fit the theme will delight everyone who attends and make them feel special, even when they are sitting down to eat or engage in conversation.
Lighting
Lighting can change the entire look and feel of a space. If you want your event to feel intimate and romantic (such as for a wedding reception), you won’t want bright fluorescents ruining the mood. Similarly, candlelight won’t suit a cheerful, lively children’s party. Make sure the lighting plan suits your theme and the overall mood you want to capture at your event.
Music
Once your event looks amazing, the last step is to make sure it sounds amazing, too. The right music can pull everything together and serve the ambiance you want to create. Put together a playlist ahead of time or hire the right DJ, band or orchestra to play at your event for a truly memorable experience.