Hosting an event at home can be stressful. Being well prepared before your event stylist arrives on the day is crucial for a productive and stress free experience.
Here are my tips for preparing your party area, in order of priority:
1. CLEAR AND DECLUTTER HIGH-TRAFFIC AREAS
- Remove Personal Items: Clear kitchen surfaces, countertops, tables, chairs, couches, entryways and floors of loose items. This creates a blank canvas for your event stylist to work with.
- Tuck Away Clutter: Store away daily clutter such as magazines, toys, medicine bottles, baby bottles, shoes, etc in crates, baskets or event better, closets. 🙂
- Create Space: Move furniture if necessary to create the maximum usable space and improve the flow for the event.
- Prepare the Patio: Sweep and mop the patio. Clear away clutter such as toys, braai wood, dog beds, etc. Move dustbins around the corner where it is out of sight but still reachable.
- Focus on First Impressions: Ensure the entryway to your home is welcoming, decluttered and opened up wide enough for large props to be carried through by the team.
By clearing away the clutter you help the event stylist understand the full potential of the party area immediately!
2. PERFORM TARGETED CLEANING
- Sanitize Guest Areas: Clean the bathroom/s and wipe down all surfaces, especially in the kitchen. The event stylist might need to do some last minute preparation of food items just before the guests arrive.
- Clean Walls and Windows: Clean the walls and windows in the main party area to let in natural light and to create a crisp, clean space. The cleaner the background, the prettier the photos!
- Vacuum, Sweep and Mop: Sweep and mop floors and vacuum the carpets so that the space sparkles.
- Groom the Grass: Mow the lawn beforehand to minimise dust while the event stylist is setting up. Don’t irrigate your lawn a couple of days ahead of the event. This will preserve your grass and props or furniture pieces that might need to be placed directly on the grass. If you have dogs, clean up after them to prevent any mishaps and to allow us to work freely and time effectively.
Preparing the party area by decluttering and cleaning up prior to your event stylist’s arrival saves valuable time!
3. ORGANIZE EVENT LOGISTICS
- Identify Power Outlets: Know where all electrical outlets are located and ensure that it works.
- Define Spaces: Determine which rooms or outdoor areas you want to use and which are off limits.
- Inventory Your Gear: If you have tables, chairs or decorations of your own you would like to use, place it it one area. Make a list so that we know what we need to incorporate into our setup and where.
- Put up Shade: Put up gazebos, stretch tents, etc before the arrival of the event stylist. That way they can get to work as soon as they arrive.
- Keep any Eye on the Weather Service: If you planned to have your event outdoors and there is any chance of bad weather, have a clear plan B.
For a smooth setup, prepare! If you need some guidance, get in touch with us!
4. PREPARE FOR THE EVENT STYLIST AND THE TEAM’S ARRIVAL
- Secure Pets: We love animals and we would probably like to pet them and play with them but kindly keep your pets safely out of the way to ensure a speedy setup, avoid distractions and possible injuries.
- Prepare Your Vision: Have a rough idea of the layout you envision and leave the event stylist and the team do the rest!
- Provide Parking: Arrange parking for the event stylist and the team’s vehicles and trailers as close as possible to the party area to help them spend less time on carrying stuff up and down and more time setting up and styling your event!
To conclude, this is how to be prepared before your event stylist arrives. I hope these tips will come in handy when you plan your next event! Good luck!
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